-alex
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<lots of the above deleted for space>
Alex: I use silicone quite a bit around my house for plants and
otherwise, and the vapors I would definitely consider harmful. You
didn't mention how long you let the silicone cure, but I would suggest a
week or more. (Instructions say about 24 hours I think.) In an
enclosed space even a little residual vapor would probably affect your
plants. I recently worked with silicone and for the first time, due to
weather, humidity, or who knows what, the silicone took several days to
harden - obviously leaking vapors the whole time. As for humidity, in
my experience terrarium grown Nepenthes (even in large cases) come to
depend on the super-saturated humidity, taking them out for an hour or
so doesn't generally seem to affect them, but with longer periods the
leaves and new traps desiccate. If it is simply a humidity problem I
would think they will recover.
On the good side, I used to use hand made glass/silicone terrariums for my
Neps. and found them to be a good approach for lack of money, space, etc
situations. Still use them for new Neps, cuttings, and plants that don't seem
to want to pitcher.
Tom in Fl
PS. I never had any luck with plexiglass, it always seemed to warp, yellow,
and get fine cracks in it, even under florescents. Is the stuff available now
work better than it used to - or is there a special brand?