New Orchidarium for my miniatures

[bosco]

Plant List:

Pleuro Niveoglobia
Pleuro Rubella
Pleuro Calviculata
Pleuro Picta
Pleuro Costaricensis
Pleuro Species
Pleuro Brevipes
Lepanthopsis Astro
Plat Stenostacyhia
Scapho Ovularea
And a couple of lepanthes

The substrate is a hollow 16" clay tube, hand casted with a glazed bottom, specially ordered from Jesse (swampsticks). He was very helpful with design. The tube is filled with RO water and is partially sealed with canning wax so it holds water well. The tube is enclosed with a thin (1m) polycarbonate sheet and sealed on top with a clear circular glass plate. Light is provided with a 30w circular fluorescent bulb. Fresh air is taken in by a small (1") fan via small drilled hole towards the top of the tube. The polycarb tube in elevated off its base by 1/4 inch and this acts as an exhaust port. Total construction costs ~$150. Several types of moss have started to colonize the clay tube surface, its exciting to see this happen.

The top of the clay tube gets dry too quickly and the bottom is constantly wet, I'm still trying to find how I can equilibrate this but it may be that the tube is too tall adding too much hydrostatic pressure to the bottom of the tube. The cool thing about this setup is minimal maintenance, just fill up the tube once every 1-2 weeks and a light spray of fertilizer once every two weeks. Not every plant has taken well to the tube, its a learning process.