This is a spin off on Pete's "Hauling Plants Inside" topic. Mine have been happy outside in a screen tent. However, after a heavy rain on Sunday Night, the tent looked about to collapse. So even though it is a few weeks early, I started the big migration back it.

Here is a "before" photo of my new growing space:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/dustyatticstuff/Space.jpg

Here is what it looks like this afternoon: (almost done)

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/dustyatticstuff/Area1.jpg

What a job it was hauling all that stuff & setting up! The room is still a mess, but the space is almost done. Now I just have to fine-tune the plant placement, ect. The hanging baskets have Phrags in them. I'm not sure whether they will stay there. Have to see if they like the light.

One little surprise is that when I was clearing out the plants in the screen house, I didn't realize that this little Encyclia was starting to bloom!!!!! :D

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/dustyatticstuff/Enc2.jpg

Thanks for looking!

WOW!
Susan, you've been super busy!!

Looks great! So, what ARE those huge Phrags - particularly the one on the right....nice, girl!
Looking really sweet - I'm envious of that window, missy!

Heather,

Thanks! Ouch, my aching back...between lugging the table & plants in, hanging lights. Sheesh! (Or should I say groan!) But I think I will like it once it all comes together. There's storage space under the tables to store pots, medium, supplies, ect. For once I might get organizeed. :shock:

The basket on the left actually holds 3 Phrags. The monster on the right that you asked about is one plant. It's called Rosea and is a NoId, as I haven't been able to get the exact cross. I'd be thrilled if that would spike one day!!! The hanging pot is the only thing that I had that it could fit in. :lol:

I guess that window gets some serious light during the day. It will be ideal to grow low lighter like paphs and phrags in it. You have quite a few plants there GOOD JOB! But there is still soem space available :)

WOW! :shock: Your plant collection has certainly ballooned! Looks very good, btw! :clap2:

Hi Tadd,

The window faces South. It was cloudy today. Usually it gets very bright. I even burn plants in the Winter, if I don't watch it. Hence, the gauzey curtain is for shade. I'm trying the flourescents this Winter to supplement the light. I may change over to a HDS system next year, we'll see. There's 10 feet of table space, and yes, room for a few more plants!! :twisted:

Wow, Susan, you have quite a collection of plants there-it must have taken alot of thought to move them in so efficiently! It looks great...Thistle

Very impressive :clap:

Hey Dusty

Super nice looking condition plants in a "folksy" (I'd call it tea room chic) looking environment. Lotta hard waork there with some room for growth too. Have you noticed a change in the air now that the plants are inside?


Cheers
Stephan

Thanks everyone! My aching bones thank you too! :lol:

Stephan, I suspect I will notice the change in the room when the weather starts to cool off. Right now, it is hot and humid here and has been for days. I have the windows open upstairs in the growing area plus 3 humidifiers and 2 fans going. I hope they like it. The humidity was 66% last time I looked & temps hovering in the high 70's.

I know the orchids like it, but I don't. Plus the room is still a mess from moving stuff. As a result, I've been sleeping downstairs in the A/C. :?

You know you're addicted when...........how about when your Paphs take over the bedroom? :roll:

Cheers!

You know you are addicted ....When your A/C is broken, and 5 of the 6 fans you own are on the 'chids. One on you and the 'hot' wife.

Yes my A/C is broken :( We have about 89% humidity and hovering in the low 90's and no window screens aaaaaaccccckkkkk! Wife has gone out to buy a small window A/C unit. I don't think we can dish out $1500 for a new compressor on the unit this week!

You know you are addicted when...
How about when you have to find new homes for you other houseplants because your orchids need their space??? :!:

I have a collection of 9 different Jade/crassula plants that need a new home. Anybody have any ideas where they might be wanted?

You know you are addicted ....When your A/C is broken, and 5 of the 6 fans you own are on the 'chids. One on you and the 'hot' wife.

Yes my A/C is broken :( We have about 89% humidity and hovering in the low 90's and no window screens aaaaaaccccckkkkk! Wife has gone out to buy a small window A/C unit. I don't think we can dish out $1500 for a new compressor on the unit this week!

Awww! :therethere:

I think you need some more fans, Tadd!! Good luck!

Hi Phragfan,

Ain't THAT the truth. I guess the jade plant I'm growing will spend time downstairs this Winter. I'm going to try to keep my other plants. (It's going to be crowded inside this year.)

Tadd.....that's horrible. Yes, run (do not walk) and get that new A/C. Hey, you just bought that place!!! Is there something in your Contract that might cover this? Some realtors carry insurance or something like that for things going wrong, especially when you first buy a house.

:therethere:

Susan,

Very nice setup! Plants look great! Plenty of room! :Party:

I even burn plants in the Winter, if I don't watch it. Hence, the gauzey curtain is for shade. I'm trying the flourescents this Winter to supplement the light. I may change over to a HDS system next year, we'll see. There's 10 feet of table space, and yes, room for a few more plants!! :twisted:
Great setup! I just wish I had a nice South-facing window like that!
Just a couple things you might think about before you spend a bunch of bucks on an HID setup...
If you're already getting burning an HID light just might fry them to a crisp! You're looking for a bit of light to supplement the natural light, not as the soul source of illumination.

HID lights put out a lot of heat. Almost like a space heater.

HID lights are not full spectrum and change the colours of the flowers under them and mostly not for the better.

HID lights are really bright. You'll see them through the window for miles! The neighbours will think you're growing pot and call the cops.

I'm not against HID lights, mind you - I have five of them scattered about the house. But if I were you, I'd stick with the flourescents in that window. I use F32T8SPX50/ECO bulbs in my flourescent fixtures - those are the slimmer 32 watt rather than 40 watt bulbs. They have a colour temperature of 5000K which make the colours look much like they would under natural light, the bulbs are cheaper, take less electricity to run and, believe it or not, the absolute light output is actually higher so the lumens per watt is much higher.

Cheers,
kpb

I have been growing all my slippers indoors under HPS light for years, my plants thrive under it and I will never go back to fluorescents BUT my HPS is the only source of light, no natural sunlight. The heat from the light system actually helps during winter. :D

Hi KPB,

Thanks for the advice about HID . I also had been discussing this sfrom time to time, about what would work to supplement the existing light that I had. Also I had concerns about heat, burning, expense of the system, and electricity costs. That is why I decided to try the flourescents this year.

Thanks for the info about the 32 watt tube. I could not find anything like that at Home Depot, where I bought my set up, so I chose a "mix" of aquarium tubes and full spectrum tubes and put one of each in each fixture. Now, I really have to do some fine-tuning and rearrarange my plants to fit their light requirements.

Woo Hooo! Gotta go. The mailman just pulled into the driveway and gave me two boxes of Paphs that I had bought over the weekend. Gotta unpack!!!!! :whoo: :whoo:

Nice collection you have there...time to get a greenhouse

Hi Gideon,

I'd love to have a greenhouse! :drool: It is probably not a good idea right now with the price of oil & propane skyrocketing!!!

Heather, thanks for deleting 2 of my previous posts! (I was in a rush and TRIPLE posted the same message.) Thanks!!!!

(heh, I think Pete beat me to it this time..Thanks Pete!)

I love that encyclia! What a unique looking plant!

Hi Teresa,

I like the encyclia alot too. It is amazing how small the flowers are when you actually see them!!! I don't have it's full name with me now. It is commonly known as the squid or cockleshell orchid. However I think it may have been recently reclassified out of the encyclia genus and into another. This one really confuses me!!!! I do know that these can be grown outside in Florida. (and that they do naturally)

Maybe someone else can fill us in about the status of this??? Is it still in the encyclia genus??? I just recall reading something about this, perhaps on this forum.

Thanks!!!!

It looks like Encyclia cochleata to me...of course I had to go and research it to see about getting one of my very own.... :poke:

Thanks for the inspiration!

Yes, that is what it is, Theresa!!! (I just could not spell it last night. I was spaced out watching the news about New Orleans!)

Somewhere along the line, I had heard something that it was renamed again. Not sure. Just something in the back of my mind.