New table already covered in orchids (not quite)

[sapphirerose]

My husband built me a new sofa table so I could take advantage of the best light from our skylights this winter and get the poor babies out of the path of our sliding doors. Unfortunately, it is already a bit full. I need better orchid stacking abilities.

[charlesf6]

Nice hubby!
Neat display of lovely plants.

[Dollythehun]

Nice! There is a windowsill post by Salixx where she describes some neat plant shelves from Amazon. She uses them like curtains. You might search for it, it was very cool. If you can't go out, go up!

[Pattywack]

Nice sofa table, very impressed! I see enough free space to add a few lower light miniatures in between those pretty Phals. I'm sure you will figure out something, there is always a way!

[Leafmite]

When my windows were full, I went to two four foot wire shelving units and three four foot, four bulb and one two foot, two bulb fluorescent grow lights so that I could grow a few more orchids and other plants. Still not sure what I will do next year when the figs and citrus get a little taller....

[sapphirerose]

Originally Posted by charlesf6

Nice hubby!
Neat display of lovely plants.

Thanks! He is a nice husband. He already has plans for another table to go in the dead corner with a possibility of some shelves.

---------- Post added at 07:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:34 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Nice! There is a windowsill post by Salixx where she describes some neat plant shelves from Amazon. She uses them like curtains. You might search for it, it was very cool. If you can't go out, go up!

I'm going to investigate and maybe put those on my Christmas list. I don't have any Eastern or Western windows, so it would have to be Southern or Northern.

---------- Post added at 07:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Pattywack

Nice sofa table, very impressed! I see enough free space to add a few lower light miniatures in between those pretty Phals. I'm sure you will figure out something, there is always a way!

More orchids! More Orchids!

---------- Post added at 07:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Leafmite

When my windows were full, I went to two four foot wire shelving units and three four foot, four bulb and one two foot, two bulb fluorescent grow lights so that I could grow a few more orchids and other plants. Still not sure what I will do next year when the figs and citrus get a little taller....

I wonder if they make shelves where you could remove part of the shelf above for taller plants or items?

[Tindomul]

Hi, nice display. You could increase space by removing the trays full of pebbles. If you have them there for increasing humidity, they are not really doing anything for humidity.

[sapphirerose]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

Hi, nice display. You could increase space by removing the trays full of pebbles. If you have them there for increasing humidity, they are not really doing anything for humidity.

If I get the little guy in the dessert cup a saucer to protect the table from any drips, I could dump the pebble trays.

That one never tips because of the foot on the dessert cup, but several of the others had tipping over and falling off the table problems, so I have been acquiring glass vases, glass pebbles, perforated candle holders, etc., as I see them at the Dollar Store, Big Lots, etc., to act as weighted cache pots while letting the light into the roots.

My humidity meter was reading 55% yesterday on that table. Our whole house system is set to 40% because I get nosebleeds if the humidity is less than that. But you don't want to go too high either.

And yes, I'm lucky to have a whole house humidifier on the furnace too.



---------- Post added at 11:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 AM ----------

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

Your growing area is very nice, and your plants look happy. How fortunate you are to have a husband who supports you in this hobby, too! So far I've tried three wives and not a one of them followed my interests in the hobby!

I've been back into this hobby for about a year or so, after having to let most of my plants go a few years back. My first plants were set up in a grow window, and have thrived there. But, of course, OAD quickly filled the window and so I've set up a light table for my larger plants. I use a large, metal utility cart like you might set a big television on, and have humidity trays under the plants as well as small fans on either side to keep air flowing. My lights are a bank of 4, 4' T4 (or is it T5) flourescents; they are hung with adjustable cords so I can raise and lower tham as I need to.. Basically, you can use just about anything to create a light stand or you can buy a pre-made stand. The pre-made stands are awesome but come with a price to match. My lamp was maybe $40-50, the cart perhaps $35, the hardware for hanging another $10.

This is a good idea. I don't have much budget for lights.

My husband has a couple of hobbies, including woodworking. I'm taking advantage of the woodworking right now, so it is a benefit to both of us.

[Leafmite]

Originally Posted by sapphirerose

I wonder if they make shelves where you could remove part of the shelf above for taller plants or items?

I buy the units that has four adjustable shelves (it comes in need of assembly but the assembly is easy). I can move the shelves around so that I have a shelf for shorter or taller plants and, if I need to leave out a shelf one day for the figs/citrus, I will be able to do that, too. I use s-hooks to hook the lights tightly under the above shelf as to not waste any growing room. If you are interested, I can post the links of everything I bought.

[Tindomul]

That's a big difference in humidity. I wonder if your plants are in a semi-enclosed area or otherwise protected from air movement.