My plans for 2' x 4' growing chamber - UPDATE: Work on it has begun!
My wife has finally given me the okay to go ahead and grow CPs again! But she has limited me to one single tank. With that as a guideline I am planning the biggest tank I can make and still be able to grow a good variety of beginner CPs in 4 inch or greater individual pots using the tray method to water them. I look to only grow VFTs, hardy highland Neps, Drosera in a large tray sitting on a pedestal closer to the light source, and some other easy to grow varieties. (See below for the plants I am hoping will make it in this chamber.)
http://picasaweb.google.com/aking81/Me#5255057027314087506
Hope the pic is easy enough to read on all your screens. But here are my plans in a nutshell:
2' x 4' feet growing space
Three 4' long light fixtures carrying two T12 6500K bulbs each for a total of six bulbs providing loads of lighting
Two 1' x 4' Mirrors on the back fit snugly side by side
Four 1' x 1' Mirrors will also be fastened perfectly flush on each side to reflect light
2' x 4' Plexiglass piece will separate growing chamber humidity from light fixtures
2' x 4' Plexiglass piece will fit over 2' x 4' growing chamber wood base and will provide a seal between mirrors and wood base to assist humidity and waterproofing
2' x 4' Plexiglass front cover hinged along upper edge. (Pic doesn't show it, but a 1" x 3'10" wood piece would run the back of the upper edge of cover.)
Chamber will be in a basement apartment that will never get warmer than 80 Fahrenheit (26 celsius) on the hottest summer day if EVER, and the night drop is mild to maybe 60 degrees (15.5 celsius) on the coldest winter night.
Tropicals will be fine if the humidity is sufficient.
Temperates will be easily removed for their dormancy.
The only thing I am concerned about is the humidity. Having a front cover the length of the growing chamber will release far too much humidity and I don't want to worry about how long or how often I open the front. I am certain the light will be more than enough to get the Neps to pitcher. The space provided should be enough if I keep pruning back when necessary.
Anyone see a problem with the space and the far too great an opening? I welcome any criticism.
Perhaps this plan is sufficient and all that is left is to test it by growing some plants in it. So, even if very little feedback is necessary I will continue to use this same thread to provide updates on the building of it and how the plants do when I get some in the future.
P.S. Here are the plants I am confidant will likely survive after adjusting and that I will certainly enjoy growing them. Some of these I have just always wanted to grow so I am hoping they will survive. Please let me know if you believe these conditions are stretching it for any of these plants:
Larger pots in back:
Heliamphora anything lower humidity hardy and warmth friendly
N. ventricosa
N. tentaculata
N. maxima
Middle size to larger pots:
VFTs
D. capensis
Byblis liniflora
Mexican pings of any variety
U. reniformis (always wanted to grow one, but probably do fairly well being a tropical Utric.)
D. extrema
N. glabrata
Cephalotus (Haven't grown one before, but I assume Ceph would like the temps and humidity level if kept around 25% but maybe stretching it here with lighting.)
Small pots in Drosera water tray on pedestal nearer lighting:
D. aliciae
D. prolifera
D. falconeri
D. macrophylla
D. ramellosa
D. cistiflora (will enjoy a larger pot when older)
D. pauciflora
D. paradoxa
(It is more likely that I can find these drosera through buying seed rather than adult plants, so anyone think seed spread conservatively in a 4-inch pot closer to lights going to be a problem?)
My wife has finally given me the okay to go ahead and grow CPs again! But she has limited me to one single tank. With that as a guideline I am planning the biggest tank I can make and still be able to grow a good variety of beginner CPs in 4 inch or greater individual pots using the tray method to water them. I look to only grow VFTs, hardy highland Neps, Drosera in a large tray sitting on a pedestal closer to the light source, and some other easy to grow varieties. (See below for the plants I am hoping will make it in this chamber.)
http://picasaweb.google.com/aking81/Me#5255057027314087506
Hope the pic is easy enough to read on all your screens. But here are my plans in a nutshell:
2' x 4' feet growing space
Three 4' long light fixtures carrying two T12 6500K bulbs each for a total of six bulbs providing loads of lighting
Two 1' x 4' Mirrors on the back fit snugly side by side
Four 1' x 1' Mirrors will also be fastened perfectly flush on each side to reflect light
2' x 4' Plexiglass piece will separate growing chamber humidity from light fixtures
2' x 4' Plexiglass piece will fit over 2' x 4' growing chamber wood base and will provide a seal between mirrors and wood base to assist humidity and waterproofing
2' x 4' Plexiglass front cover hinged along upper edge. (Pic doesn't show it, but a 1" x 3'10" wood piece would run the back of the upper edge of cover.)
Chamber will be in a basement apartment that will never get warmer than 80 Fahrenheit (26 celsius) on the hottest summer day if EVER, and the night drop is mild to maybe 60 degrees (15.5 celsius) on the coldest winter night.
Tropicals will be fine if the humidity is sufficient.
Temperates will be easily removed for their dormancy.
The only thing I am concerned about is the humidity. Having a front cover the length of the growing chamber will release far too much humidity and I don't want to worry about how long or how often I open the front. I am certain the light will be more than enough to get the Neps to pitcher. The space provided should be enough if I keep pruning back when necessary.
Anyone see a problem with the space and the far too great an opening? I welcome any criticism.
Perhaps this plan is sufficient and all that is left is to test it by growing some plants in it. So, even if very little feedback is necessary I will continue to use this same thread to provide updates on the building of it and how the plants do when I get some in the future.
P.S. Here are the plants I am confidant will likely survive after adjusting and that I will certainly enjoy growing them. Some of these I have just always wanted to grow so I am hoping they will survive. Please let me know if you believe these conditions are stretching it for any of these plants:
Larger pots in back:
Heliamphora anything lower humidity hardy and warmth friendly
N. ventricosa
N. tentaculata
N. maxima
Middle size to larger pots:
VFTs
D. capensis
Byblis liniflora
Mexican pings of any variety
U. reniformis (always wanted to grow one, but probably do fairly well being a tropical Utric.)
D. extrema
N. glabrata
Cephalotus (Haven't grown one before, but I assume Ceph would like the temps and humidity level if kept around 25% but maybe stretching it here with lighting.)
Small pots in Drosera water tray on pedestal nearer lighting:
D. aliciae
D. prolifera
D. falconeri
D. macrophylla
D. ramellosa
D. cistiflora (will enjoy a larger pot when older)
D. pauciflora
D. paradoxa
(It is more likely that I can find these drosera through buying seed rather than adult plants, so anyone think seed spread conservatively in a 4-inch pot closer to lights going to be a problem?)
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