Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 11:08:55 -0800 From: "R B" <eklaab@hotmail.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3665$foo@default> Subject: This is my setup for growing CP's
>I have had much succes using a tray/lighting system sold by a company
>in Ontario, Canada called Floralite. They have various sizes of tray
> >sytems with 2 or 4 tube fixtures. What's nice is that the trays are
> >robust and about 2 inches deep so you can water the whole tray >instead
>of individual plants and the trays are easily removed. The >light fixtures
>are easily height-adjustable to accomodate your plant >size. The frame is
>robust and easy to set up.
I've seen setups like this, but found them to be very pricey. The setups
like this that are 4 feet wide generaly run around $400 to $600. Also, they
really don't properly deal with the humidity requirement for cp's, as having
a water tray isn't enough. I live in Los Angeles and the humidity is low
here, so I do have to deal with the humidity.
I put together my own system which costs less and works better.
First, I bought the frame, which consisted of metal (chrome) wire-frame
shelving unit, which is 4 feet wide, about a little over 6 feet high with a
depth of 17 inches. I got it at OSH for $90. There are four shelves spaced
vertically about 2 feet apart, and each shelf can hold 600 pounds, more than
enough for what I need.
I then bought 4-foot shoplights. Each shelf has a pair of shoplights, and
since each shoplight has 2 bulbs, each shelf gets 4 bulbs. This is double
the light output of the above system, and the shoplights and bulbs very
inexpensive at Home Depot. I mixed the light bulbs, so that each shelf has
2 cool lights, a plant light, and a sun light.
I hung the lights for the bottom two shelves, which was easy to do since the
shelves are wire frame. Since I'm hanging them using chain, the light
height is easily adjustable. On the top shelf, I just simply lie the lights
on top. The top shelf is for the taller plants, and I'll get to that in a
moment.
I have four shelves, but opted to use only three for the plants for now. To
use the fourth shelf would require hanging the plants from above (the
ceiling or whatever), and it was simpler to lie the lights
on top of the top shelf.
I could just grow on water trays, but I need more humidity. So I use
aquarium tanks. For the bottom two shelves, I bought eight 10-gallon
aquariums. If you shop around you can find them for $7 to $8 apiece.
If you turn the aquariums sideways, you can fit 4 per shelf. I borrowed
this idea from Matt Sundew. I have a pexiglass cover on top of each tank,
which I leave open a crack. I usually have the humidity between 80% to 95%
in this setup. This works great for sundews and smaller plants. I do have a
heating pad controlled by a thermostat which the tanks set on. I usually
have the temperature set at 80 degrees F during the day, and drop it to 60 F
at night. The plants are grown in plastic pots inside the tanks.
I'm still working on setting up the top shelf. I have found that if I
set a 10-gallon tank on its end, so that the top of the tank of facing
forward, I have more height to grow taller plants. However, it isn't very
deep, so I'm looking around for larger tanks I've found a 15-gallon tank,
which when placed on its side, fits perfectly. I get 20 inches in height,
17 inches in depth, and 10 inches in width. The width is a bit narrow, so
I'm looking for possibily a 36 inch wide tank to use, alongside the
15-gallon tank. Since the tank is on its side and open to the front, the
plants are much more easily accessible
than from the top. This is particuarly important since the tanks are
up higher being on the top shelf. The pexiglass cover now covers the front
instead of the top, and just happens to fit inside the shelf lip and
overhang, and just moving the tank slightly forward will sandwich the cover
between the tank and shelf lip. I got lucky, it just worked out that way. I
plan to heat these tanks using a aquarium thermometer placed in water. I'll
have to glue in a small 3-inch pexiglass wall on the front. Since the tank
is on its side, the pexiglass wall will enable me to put a couple of inches
of water in the tank, and then put the thermometer in the water. I suppose I
could use a jar, but decided against that since the water would evaporate
much quicker, requiring more frequent refills.
Anyway, that is my setup.
The middle shelf is already populated with plants, mainly sundews and
Nepenthes, and they are all doing very well. The Nepenthes are doing so
well, that they're getting too tall, but I'll move them to the top shelf
once I have it setup. If they outgrow the top shelf, then I can take
cuttings, or maybe I'll have my greenhouse by then. The bottom shelf it
still empty, but I already have plants on order.
Ron
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