Hi,

I'm really excited to have found this forum! It is very informative and I've learned so much already just by browsing thru some of the topics.

I'm a newbee with Paphs and within the last 6 months have accumulated more Paphs than I can afford. But I am already severely addicted and want more!! (one of each would be nice.)(':wink:') This leaves me with the question of where to cultivate them. Right now, they seem to be doing well on windowsills and in hanging baskets. I also have some seedlings in an aquarium with gravel on the bottom & a grow light, and they seem to be happy.

My quesiton is (and I noticed that some forum members are from cold climates like New Hampshire & Maine) whether there are any greenhouse kits out on the market that could accommodate year round culture? I know I would need a heat source. I'm just wondering whether it is even possible in this climate to grow year round and if so, whether the cost of fuel or electricity would be prohibitive. Is it worth it to bother? There are two greenhouse kits, Sunglo & Riga, that offer 8mm - 10mm polycarbonate glazing that look promising, and I'm tempted to get one. Maybe I could put in a water tank & rocks for solar mass?

Or should I go for a less expensive greenhouse, realizing that year round culture in Maine is not feasible? In this situation, I could keep them indoors over the Winter and start moving them out when the weather gets warmer.

Any suggestions or ideas would be very welcome!

Thanks,
Susan




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Hi, Susan!

:welcome: to the forum!

I don't have a greenhouse but I'm also in ME and I grow all my slippers indoors in a grow room with HPS light system as the only source of light. For me, a greenhouse here in Maine would be very costly to run and maintain and I actually prefer my plants indoors where I can enjoy them anytime I want to. :lol: Some do go outdoors and the bright sunny sunroom in the summer for about 2 months and the rest of the year they are indoors.

Hi Pete,

Thank you for the reply & the info. A grow room is a definite possiblility as I do have an available spare room. What is really nice about the room is that it is a 2'nd kitchen that we don't use in the old "in law" apartment. It has a sink & limited counter space that would come in very handy for potting & watering. I'm very new at this, and don't know what type of lighting system you have. Could you explain it?

I just counted my orchids and found that out of about 42 plants, 35 of them are Paphs. Most are bloom or near bloom size. Several are blooming or in bud. I have about 8 seedlings. What got me started with Paphs was a near-black vini I bought about 3 years ago at Home Depot. It was my first Paph. I had put it outdoors last Summer and almost killed it, as I was not aware that they did not tolerate bright light very well. :embarass: What got me hooked on Paphs (besides their unique beauty) is that I didn't kill it.!! The leaves burned, but despite everything it came back. In fact it is now in bud! That made me realize that unlike other orchids, Paphs are suited for cooler weather growing. That was enough to get me hooked!!

Thanks Again,

Susan

Welcome to the forum Susan!
I am in Mass. and also grow indoors. If I had my choice, I'd like an all weather/season sun room or an indoor grow room like Peter has. It sounds to me like your spare room might be perfect!! There is a lighting thread some where around here that you might do a search for also.

Susan, your grow room sounds perfect but you have to provide adequate lighting to your plants for them to grow and bloom. Also, remember not all Paphs are cool growing plants, in fact most come from hot tropical regions of Asia.

Hi Pete & Heather,

Thank you both for your nice welcomes & your replies. Yes, I've also been looking at lighting systems. I'm not sure whether I want to build something myself or to buy a system over the internet or on ebay. I already have a few colder growing varieties, like two micranthum seedlings. And I have some baby phrags in a compot that will probably like it warmer. So, I guess a lighting system will have to be flexible enough to accommodate different needs.

Will check out lighting topics on this forum.

Thanks,
Susan

Susan, here's another topic you might enjoy.
Pictures of our growing areas.

http://www.rainbowcomputers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45

Susan,

I have customers in Alaska with greenhouses, so "is it prohibitive" is something only you can decide.

Personally, I'd go with the interior space, as it's readily available, but if you do end up with a GH some day, there are all kinds of ways to cut the energy usage - thick multiwall polycarbonate sheeting is clear but very insulating glazing material, you can insulate the daylights out of the north wall, and there are passive solar ideas as well.

I used to have my benches standing on 55-gallon steel drums, painted black and filled with water. The sun would heat them so well that the heater rarely came on. It was actually too warm, so I got rifd of them...

I think another factor to consider is humidity. Indoor growing spaces can be limited in this area because of mold growth/ water damage. There are certainly provisions that can be made, but that will be a cost that you wouldn't worry about with a greenhouse.

I'm kinda spoiled with relatively mild winters in TN, and have both indoor and outdoor growing spaces. If I add up all my costs it may be a wash between indoor vs. outdoor, especially if I base it on cost/sq ft.

Hi welcome to the forum.

I grow my plants in my basement with HID lighting (HPS and MH) for the colder months and in the Summer I take them outside. Humidity is not a problem in the basement, but mold is a problem in the house.

Whew!! Heather, I checked out your link to other grower's spaces. I'm impressed! I want to try all of the ideas I saw, but will probably end up taking some of the ideas that should work with the space that I have. I especially liked how organized and clean your space is and how happy the plants seem.

I'm starting to think that I might take elements of both indoor & outdoor growing. I think a small greenhouse would really help their growth in the Summer; plus the plants would be getting a good amount of humidity. Then, they could come indoors for the coldest part of the Winter and grow under lights.

I really liked the 55 gallon drum idea for getting thermal mass. I had seen some solar greenhouses that had open thermal water containers that doubled as water gardens & fish ponds and was also thinking about trying something like that. I guess the secret is to have patience, learn from the site, try some things, and learn from my mistakes.

Thanks everyone for your ideas!:clap2: :clap2:

Susan