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Mato's Pic Thread.

  • Thread starter mato
  • Start date
  • #441
:hail: awesome plants Mato, love em all, N. rigidifolia is one i don't see around much and yours is looking fine:clap:
 
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  • #442
Thanks, Corky. Yeah, it's one of my favorite species.

Swagnum: That's just a cheap Walgreen's humidifier with a bit of tubing stuck in it. The lights generate a lot of heat, but I've only had this thing set up for a day or two, so I'm not overly confident with my answer yet. I plan to install flood trays and a misting system, which will drop the temps.
 
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  • #443
Ooh. I really like that raff. x tm. The last edwardsiana photo in the second group is totally classic.
 
  • #444
Good Lord, where do I start?!?!? Eddie, hurreliana, macrophylla, eymae, veitchii, lowii x truncata.. gorgeous galore! You've got some amazing leaf jumps, pitcher sizes, and colors.
So you're no longer doing the rack? What're you growing in now?
And what the hell are you feeding those things, steroids!?!?
 
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  • #445
Ooh. I really like that raff. x tm. The last edwardsiana photo in the second group is totally classic.

Thanks, Mark. I thought about bringing that one to the meeting (raff x ™), but figured I had already brought it a few months ago. It's starting to change shape, though. Glad I kept it!

Although the AW edwardsiana is smaller, and stopped growing for several months last summer, it's a very nice clone. I tried to utilize the sun when I took some of these photos, but was in such a hurry to put them in the tent that I just didn't get a chance. Utility this time.

Good Lord, where do I start?!?!? Eddie, hurreliana, macrophylla, eymae, veitchii, lowii x truncata.. gorgeous galore! You've got some amazing leaf jumps, pitcher sizes, and colors.
So you're no longer doing the rack? What're you growing in now?


Thanks, Travis. I feel a little gaudy when I make these big pic dumps, but seeing as I hadn't done one since July, I decided to just keep up the tradition. The plants were growing very well in the rack, so I hope I can keep them happy. The tent (4x4) is definitely warmer and a little scarier in terms of keeping conditions at a safe level, but I needed the space. There are a few vines hovering around the 6' - 7' mark now (pots are under the rack) that I will cut when I see basals, and the ones that refuse to vine are just too damn wide. I switched out the red bulbs so vining would slow down, but it's not too big of an issue now. I just stuck the rack in there and tried to space things out a little bit (I still need to upgrade the pot sizes for a lot of them, i.e. 14'' x trusmadiensis in a 2.25'' pot).

I get the feeling my plants were really benefitting from being next to the window, since CO2 levels in the city are usually high. They likely don't have as much carbon to drive photosynthesis now, so I hope I can keep them under the same light levels without any photodamage. Cooling at night has been easy so far, as I've been able to just cool the entire living room down, but on rainy nights I won't have the luxury of cracking the window and cooling them, as the rest of the room will likely remain too warm. This tent thing will be an ongoing experiment.. I think as long as I don't fry the plants, I'll be happy.

I'm still giving them the coffee/urea-free orchid fertilizer combo, and apply them depending on the season (every month or so in the spring and summer, much less in the winter). I also feed the pitchers with fish food and, rarely, live food, and am sure to keep them hydrated (this is important for a few species). Spraying them all down at night so that they're fairly soaked has also been pretty positive in regards to growth.
 
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  • #446
All of your growth rates, leaf jumps, and pitcher sizes trump mine 10x's over.
It's either my lack of natural sunlight, fertilizers (non-coffee), or warmer temps that's holding my plants back. Or a combination of all the above..
Due to our never ending winter, temps in the GH are just now starting to move from UHL to the HL range. Would love to be able to get the temps up to HL-intermediate range, but I'm yet to figure out how to get day temps above 75*F during the winter. I think my plants would really benefit from some warmth for a change.
I'm jealous buddy. Wish my plants looked has BIG as yours..
 
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  • #447
Definitely not natural light, as my plants don't really get that. I would say the biggest factors are PAR (how close are your lights?), temperature, and CO2. If you can get your temps up to at least 80, I think you'll see improvements, but all of those things I mentioned are connected. With more light, you'll need more CO2 to prevent photoinhibition (photosynthesis is made less efficient as the plant tries to prevent photodamage); with higher temperatures the plants need more nutrients; and with a significant "night drop" from a fairly warm daytime temperature, your plants will be able to more efficiently produce sugars for energy. I don't mean this in a patronizing tone or anything, but reading up on the basics of plant physiology goes a long way when it comes to cultivation. I'm learning new stuff all the time that sort of fills the gaps.

Also, media is fairly important in terms of species, not the genus as a whole; pure sphagnum works well with nearly all the Sumatran and Sulawesian species, whereas many plants from Borneo and the Philippines seem to do well in a similarly light mix (I've been using Japanese kanuma for these and it's working well), often with an ultramafic component like laterite. Same with humidity and most other things. I try to make microclimates within a grow space, just to see what works and what doesn't. A closed terrarium goes a long way in helping to determine the humidity and temperature requirements of different species.
 
  • #448
That was a perfect explanation that was made easy to understand. Nothing patronizing or condescending about it..
Honestly, I really just wanted to come here and throw praise where praise is due. Maybe learn a bit from one of the smartest people I know.
You've come a long way, and proven your education isn't just a bunch of big words. Proof's in the puddin', the plants look fantastic. You obviously know your stuff.
I'll have to shoot you an email and pick your brain a bit more when I get the time though.
As for now, I'm impressed. Your plants are text book..
p.S.. Does it count as CO2 exposure when I stand over my plants breathing heavy, as I blurt profanities at them for being slow?
 
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  • #449
Amazing plants. I love all the species, and how you have a white background for photographing them.
 
  • #450
p.S.. Does it count as CO2 exposure when I stand over my plants breathing heavy, as I blurt profanities at them for being slow?

Depending on how often you do that, yes.

Amazing plants. I love all the species, and how you have a white background for photographing them.

Thanks, Tanukimo. The white background is just a cloth storage container from ikea, which is becoming progressively filthier and not so white.
 
  • #451
Swagnum: That's just a cheap Walgreen's humidifier with a bit of tubing stuck in it. The lights generate a lot of heat, but I've only had this thing set up for a day or two, so I'm not overly confident with my answer yet. I plan to install flood trays and a misting system, which will drop the temps.[/QUOTE]


Good to know (for me at least) that the T-5s do produce a significant amount of heat, I am planning on growing lowlanders and intermediates in my tent.
It's good that you found a simple, "off the shelf" humidifier set-up. How has your humidity in the tent been so far?
 
  • #452
The T-5s generate a good amount of heat. My 4 tube fixture can warm up a 10X10 grow space easily which provides a decent temp drop when the lights go out. I'm curious to see how the lights would affect temp in a smaller grow tent and how you deal with the pooling of water on the floor due to the humidifier.

Any plans for CO2 supplementation?

BTW, I forgot to mention the hurrelliana. :drool: One day...
 
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  • #453
Good to know (for me at least) that the T-5s do produce a significant amount of heat, I am planning on growing lowlanders and intermediates in my tent.
It's good that you found a simple, "off the shelf" humidifier set-up. How has your humidity in the tent been so far?

I try to keep the humidity in the 70s, just to curb the heat a bit. The heat generated by the lights makes the humidity fall much, much quicker than it ever did in the rack.


The T-5s generate a good amount of heat. My 4 tube fixture can warm up a 10X10 grow space easily which provides a decent temp drop when the lights go out. I'm curious to see how the lights would affect temp in a smaller grow tent and how you deal with the pooling of water on the floor due to the humidifier.

Any plans for CO2 supplementation?

BTW, I forgot to mention the hurrelliana. :drool: One day...


I'll probably add some fans on the lower levels, just to make sure the moisture doesn't settle under the shelves. It's something I've noticed already.

I've been thinking about supplementing CO2, but the venting system will pull it out. Those Exhale CO2 bags seem decent, but I think a tank would probably be better (I just have nowhere to put it).
 
  • #454
Amazing plants, Mat. Very beautiful and well grown -- keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Paul
 
  • #455
Amazing plants, Mat. Very beautiful and well grown -- keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Paul

Thanks, Paul. Got a ways to go to reach some of your sizes, though.
 
  • #456
A little update on the tent situation. It took a while for me to sort out the temperature and humidity issue, but things finally seem to be stable. I only wish this heatwave would pass so that the nights would be a bit cooler.



Tent

Tent
 
  • #457
What a nice little room with a view! Thank you for sharing it. :)

A little update on the tent situation. It took a while for me to sort out the temperature and humidity issue, but things finally seem to be stable. I only wish this heatwave would pass so that the nights would be a bit cooler.



Tent

Tent
 
  • #458
Fantastic garden!
 
  • #459
Does your tent leak? I set a layer of plastic at the bottom of mine, but condensation still rolls down the sides, gets under the plastic, and eventually leaks through onto the basement floor. If there's a brand of tent that doesn't have this problem I'll buy it tomorrow.
 
  • #460
I haven't noticed any leakage, thus far. I had a problem with water pooling on the floor before I added the plastic vent on top of the hydrofogger, but now it's completely dry. Compared to other tents I've seen, Secret Jardin makes a quality product.
 
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