Looking for ideas on shelving my orchids

[Mugsie]

I need some ideas. Right now my orchids are outside in a small hobby greenhouse, but In a few months they will be moved inside for the fall, winter and early spring.

I have a sun room of sorts, which is open to my den. Typically, I bring in wire shelves, plop all my plants on the racks, and struggle watering them, and enjoying them while they're inside.

What I'd like to see is either some pictures of how you overwinter your plants, or some ideas as to how to make the "display" attractive and easy to access for watering and bug checking.

I'm addition to the orchids there are also some very large tropicals, like a monstera, draconias and hoyas too. (I know, my wife already told me!).

So, ideas, plant stands, thoughts? I'm open to all suggestions other than reducing my plant count.

Stay well all....

[Leafmite]

Not sure how many or what types of orchids you have but I sympathize with you. I have citrus, passiflora, etc. along with around fifty orchids (tried to keep the number between thirty and forty but....). Most of the orchids are smaller with some miniature and some a little larger.

I hope someone can offer tips to help you. I found I was not enjoying the large orchid collection and spent quite a bit of time weeding through it and giving away orchids until I had a manageable number. I have replaced a few I regretted giving away but, after this last orchid purchase, I think I have everything I really want to collect.

[LexaCat]

I grow all my plants inside my house all year, and it is important to me to have them displayed beautifully, even when they are not in bloom. If you have some small plants in your collection in addition to the big ones, I can suggest a shelving system that I really, really like. It is a legit, stylish piece of furniture, so it is not cheap. You also have to bolt it to the wall, so there is some commitment involved. However, the unit has many advantages. Because it only extends 10 inches out from the wall, you can put it almost anywhere. Also the shelf depth is such that each shelf neatly holds two rows of plants. This way all plants are easy to see and access at all times. Finally the width of the shelves are such that you can put a single Barrina grow light above each one if you need supplemental lighting. I've even temporarily removed one of the shelves before to accommodate larger plants.

Because this is a real piece of furniture, you could use it to display other treasures you have collected from your adventures in life when the plants are outside.

It's overcast today, so my images look much darker than they should. The grow lights also look way pinker than they normally do. Alas. You can see pictures of the unit not filled with plants at the link below.

Pardon Our Interruption

[Dimples]

I was hooked until I saw the price.
Lovely setup!

[LexaCat]

I hear you, but it fit into a space I could not have used otherwise, and we all need more space for our orchids

[Leafmite]

That is a beautiful set up! Someone in our Orchid Society uses glass shelves and lights for theirs, too. It really makes orchids look like works of art.

Another option is to buy wire hangers and hang the orchids in the windows, the large plants under them to catch the water when watering.

My setup, unfortunately, is not attractive and probably never will be.
I plan to get rid of the heavy-duty wire shelves in a year or two. Under lights, I already have an herb garden, a Dracula and a trio of mini orchids. Most of the potted orchids are on hangers, their bowls or saucers attached to the pots with wire or string and the rest of the orchids are mounted. The rest of the potted orchids will be put on wire hangers this fall when I bring them inside. The other plants take up most of the window room when they come inside. The Passifloras grow inches a day once they get settled and will stretch across the ceiling during the winter. I use heavy-duty clear plastic table clothes to protect the floor. I think it will look better without the shelves and just clothing rods to hang the hanging orchids...next year.

[Mugsie]

Some good ideas, thank you. My area, in the winter is anything but neat and attractive, but it does make me happy being filled with plants. I too have plastic drop cloths on the floor which helps catch the water.

This effort is a work in progress I guess. Any other ideas or pictures? Lexacat, those shelves are beautiful but unfortunately I'm my case they won't work. Best of luck with yours.

Let's keep the suggestions and pictures coming.

[knewt]

I know this thread is a couple months old, but you asked for photos, so here's mine.
I just brought the orchids and Nepenthes in yesterday, as it was 40º last night.
The shelf is one I found that exactly fit inside the window casing.
I set it up so that it was 1/2 way into the window, as the room is very small, and I didn't want to use any more floor space than I had to.
They'll all go back out again come Spring