Grow zone update!
 

Well, I finally upgraded my one shelf to a bakers rack. Took a while to get it setup like I wanted but its pretty close now.

I have a 4ft. T5HO on the top shelf and a 2ft T5 on the bottom. I now have enough space for my small collection to actually grow some stuff! I have a good 2.5 shelves left to cover and I hope I dont fill those too soon!

I have all my Oncs, Pot/Catts and my mounted phals on the top shelf. The lower shelf has all my mini phals along with my smaller paphs.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...ps6f86e8fa.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...ps4414e709.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...pse4b594ba.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...psd48452c8.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...psd70f0fb9.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...ps4625ef37.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...psa0b54831.jpg


And two spikes!!

Dtps. Sogo Vivien. This spike is very, very thick! Its also grown 4 leaves over the summer so I can hope itll be a good blooming! It last finished blooming only 8 months ago so itll be interesting.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...psd396db96.jpg

Phal. Yaphon Nicegirl (amboinensis x Yaphon Image)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d8...ps21d9e320.jpg

looks great

looking good.
I have similar set-ups ( more than 1 rack ! )
A tip - I use egg-crate and stand my pots on the egg-crate.
I also have egg-crate, then paper towel, then heat mat as protection for heat mat and plant roots.

Looks very good
and don't worry, you WILL fill them up soon :)

Very good idea with the egg-crate. I have had an issue with the smaller pots tipping over.

And yes, itll get filled up soon. I've added 8 orchids since I knew I was getting the rack but sadly, I've lost 3 in the past few weeks due to last shelf falling down.

oops - had also meant to say that my heat mat is on the rack itself ( no towel ) and the heat then can dissipate/heat below - that is not "cook" the mat.
Still debating whether to put it on a timer for evening only. I am lucky enough to have my racks all in SF windows so temp goes up to upper 70s in Winter day's, if sunny.

I tried the mat just flat on the rack but it was barely heating up the pots so I assumed all the heat was going into the cooler metal rack.

My window faces to the north so it literally gets zero natural light.

Nice setup....beautiful orchids!

Nice set up!! I'd love to have the same, but those racks don't really exist here, and I have yet to find a source for T5 fixtures....

What's that cute little Onc in bloom? And the little variegated Phal?

Thanks Yang and Camille.

The onc. is Twinkle "Red Fantasy". Its pretty but it smells awful. Its like rotten baby powder. I recently got an in bloom Onc. Tsiku Marguerite and it has a very light floral scent that is great. Not sure why the twinkle smells so bad.

The variegated is a Phal. Sogo Vivien actually. It is a very, very slow grower with one leaf last summer. Its been beat up and lost a few leaves to rot when I first got it but its now pushing out a new leaf so Im happy. Very hard to find for a decent price.

The shelf is just a baking rack so it shouldnt be too hard to find.

Racks like yours just don't exist here. I've yet to find an (decently priced) alternative.

I figured the Phal was a Sogo Vivien, but there some new hybrids out that look like it.

Yea, I got the variegated one for $8 last year and it was in bloom so I wasnt complaining it doesnt look perfect.

Shame about the racks. They work really well except I need to place down eggcrate but I need something to cut it with.

No eggcrate here either, lol. Wish I had some though. A lot of the stuff you guys find easily is nearly nonexistent here. We really have to do a lot of searching on internet to find certain things.
Last year the supermarket was selling variegated Sogo Vivien. I hesitated in front of them, said 'nah', and then regretted it as soon as I got home. So I went back the next day after work, but they were all gone....

I have actually been thinking about making a setup like this for my 'chids that are not in a terrarium. Are you worried about water dripping down to the lower levels and on the lights?

I actually covered the lights with some plastic.

Dripping only happens with the mounts as I pull all the top ones out to water and they have a water catch under the pot too.

That must be the worst stuff to cut. I literally spent hours with a hacksaw because Home Depot refused to cut it for me.....and told me it was easy to cut. Yeah right ! I swore I would never do it again......that is until I got new racks.
If you find an easy, efficient way to cut it - please let me know. There must be a way, or a tool.

I just use either Needle-nose pliers (with the cutting edge) or Diagonal pliers. It's pretty easy and definitely faster than using a saw.

I use the same sort of shelving unit as Josh. I keep the plants above the lights on cookie sheets. It stops the dripping from hitting the lights and also makes it easier to water. I just bring the cookie sheet with the plants on it to the sink.
Your set up looks great Josh.

Bill

Thank, Bill. I still havent cut the egg crate.

Another update though. I currently have 8 orchids in spike! Only 2 of them were bought in spike so 6 are respikes for me. Super happy with my success and I only hope my summer bloomers will spike this year as well.

My hubby uses some power saw to cut my egg crate stuff. He does it easily. I'm not sure which one but a skill saw might work fine.

Your set up looks real good!