hydroponic grow tent
 

Hello everyone,
I am fairly new here. I am trying to set up a S/H grow area and was wondering if anyone has used these to grow orchids, and If so do they work well? and can you hang a hydrofarm T5HO 48 X 4 bulb fixture inside it?

[URL="http://www.hydroponicsonline.com/store/NEW-HYDROPONICS-GROW-TENT-4x4x6-5-FT-GROW-BOX-CABINET_390123183438.html"]

i grow in a home made tent. I used 1/2 inch pvc and black and white poly film. I run an old 4ft 4bulb t12 and four or five 42 watt cfls. It seems to be working well. i have catts, dends, onc, vandas, phal. 26 totoal, most in S/H. all from aloha nursery, they did have scale and mealy bugs, but everything has new roots/growths. a phal, vanda, and dendro are throwing spikes now. i plan on upgrading to a 400 watt hps eventually, and im building a table that i can water on with a drain.

Those tents are made to hide the light associated with marijuana growing. Seems to me that for orchids, you'd want to be able to observe them more regularly.

That's true Ray. But for the mean time there are ones online for $80 and to get something set up with shelves, ventilation accessibility, mounts for hanging lamps, waterproof floor, and enclosed for humidity control; it seems like it could work quite nicely. I would like to see the orchids, but I haven't been able to find a setup with clear enclosures, and at least 48 inches wide, without spending a bit more money. Really its going to initially serve as a rescue house for my plants that aren't taking to my new home in new england.

a clear one would let you see the plants rather than hide them

I agree. I think I'll go with a wire rack with something like painters plastic draped over it.

I use a clear shower curtain.

I used the thinnest plastic drop cloth, and cut it to size. I used strips of velcro to hold the edges. My masdies are in this "tent", with a humidifier at one edge and small fans to move the air around. I have T5s zip-tied to the underside of the top shelf above the plants. I bought everything at Home Despot and it didn't come to $80. Light were extra of course.
I like the plastic shower curtain idea. That'll be my next project.
Best thing is I can roll up one side of the plastic and admire my plants every morning while I drink my coffee.

That could be good for day length sensitive plants such as getting Cattleya labiata to bloom at other times of the year.

grow tent
 

I've got about 200 plants in a 4x4x7 grow tent. Lights are 400W HID and 90W UFO led on timers. fan going 24/7. small humidifier going when the lights are on.

perfect set up to control temp, humidity.

The inside of the tent is made of highly reflective material so the light is most effective.

about 1/3 the plants are in s/h, 1/3 in more traditional media and 1/3 mounted on oak bark, cork, tree fern.

I guess if I wanted to watch my plants all the time I would be frustrated with this opaque tent. But I just unzip the zipper and step inside to shut out the outside world and enter my little corner of the tropics.

Ken, I like the way you say...enter my little corner of the tropics. I am thinking about upgrading to grow tent with 96"x48"x78"...from what I have now (two vinyl "tomoto" greenhouse). mainly is due to my exponentially growing number of orchids...I need something bigger to accomodate the "extra" orchids. When I first had the vinyl greenhouse, I liked to stay inside during wintertime when I got back from work...it is so warm and cozy... when the fragrant orchids are blooming, the greenhouse smells so tropical...