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Pineapple's Greenhouse

  • #41
And pick out all the dead leaves and grass and twigs. Haha. No fertilizers, its just got a reputation for being not the best. Next time try and find the stuff marked for orchids. You might want to break it up a bit too. It'll be fine.
 
  • #42
Ive never used it, but I think I remember reading its more sticks, leaves and dirt than moss. IMO you will want to pot your plants in the expensive stuff, and use that stuff for between the cracks on the ground.

New Zealand sphagnum is my favorite.

EDIT: DavyJones is apparently a much faster typist than me!
 
  • #43
And pick out all the dead leaves and grass and twigs. Haha. No fertilizers, its just got a reputation for being not the best. Next time try and find the stuff marked for orchids. You might want to break it up a bit too. It'll be fine.

The reason I got this was because it was a 432cu in. bag for like $4. Elsewhere, it's $15 for the same sized bag. When you sort out all of the sticks and "dirt", I think it's actually more bang for your buck. I haven't bought the other sphag brands, so I can't say for sure though. I'll let it soak in a bucket of RO, then mix it around and sort out large sticks and non-sphagnum particles. It will eventually sprout new growth and become living which will be 100% perfect quality! :-D

Ive never used it, but I think I remember reading its more sticks, leaves and dirt than moss. IMO you will want to pot your plants in the expensive stuff, and use that stuff for between the cracks on the ground.

New Zealand sphagnum is my favorite.

EDIT: DavyJones is apparently a much faster typist than me!

I did dig through it a bit, however I wouldn't say it's mostly sticks, leaves and dirt. Actually, I found no leaves. Out of one handful, I found one stick and one clump of "dirt", which wasn't really dirt. While I admit, it's probably not the best sphagnum, it does it's job and retains moisture, which is what it should be used for. And hey, it's sphagnum, so it's dormant nodes will eventually sprout back to life! :)
 
  • #44
I put sand under the wobbly stones to make them level, then I put sand between the tiles which stopped them from moving. I like the look of it a lot, but I may have to remove some of the sand between the cracks. ???

fp7z20.jpg


I also washed one bag of the sphagnum in RO water and removed all sticks and clumps and leaves. Then, I stuck it in a small (7.5g?) glass aquarium and covered it in saran wrap to lock the warmth and moisture inside.

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There are a bunch of little green, purple and yellow "growing tips"... It's difficult to describe. I suppose these are the dormant nodes that will spring bag to life. I'm actually happy because I did see a variety of colors between them. Am I correct that the following is a dormant node that will spring back to life? There are a bunch of them mixed in all over the bunch.

2h37fqu.jpg
 
  • #45
By the way, that moss you have growing in pots? If I'm not mistaken, that's what we call Oregon Green Moss, not Sphagnum at all. If that's really what it is, you do not want to use that with your carnivores: it is toxic as a soil additive!
 
  • #46
By the way, that moss you have growing in pots? If I'm not mistaken, that's what we call Oregon Green Moss, not Sphagnum at all. If that's really what it is, you do not want to use that with your carnivores: it is toxic as a soil additive!

Yup, that's it! Thanks for telling me. Never would have thought it's toxic.

I can always use it between the cracks in the tiles just as decoration. I'll use only the (currently) dry sphagnum for the neps.
 
  • #47
Looks great all filled in. Getting more and more jealous with every update.
 
  • #48
Looks great all filled in. Getting more and more jealous with every update.

Haha, thanks! Hopefully I can get that toxic Oregon Green Moss growing in between the cracks, or better yet, get non-toxic sphagnum growing over the cracks. I hope that stuff springs back to life pretty quick, though it probably won't.
 
  • #49
I used to grow Corsican Mint under the greenhouse benches, and it loved that environment. Only problem was it usually died the first time a hard freeze hit. (I'm talking about the unheated greenhouses for the woody hardy plants.) Corsican Mint smells great when you brush it, but it won't stand up to traffic at all, so its something to place only where it wont get stepped on.
 
  • #50
I used to grow Corsican Mint under the greenhouse benches, and it loved that environment. Only problem was it usually died the first time a hard freeze hit. (I'm talking about the unheated greenhouses for the woody hardy plants.) Corsican Mint smells great when you brush it, but it won't stand up to traffic at all, so its something to place only where it wont get stepped on.

Just googled that and it looks really pretty! I'll check around to see if they sell that anywhere around here, and I may get some to put between the cracks under the tables. I may invest in a small heater for the greenhouse just to keep it around 50F during winter nights. I'll definitely get a swamp cooler for the summer to keep the humidity high while cooling the greenhouse at the same time.

According to my calculations, I would need a 1000w heater to heat the greenhouse to around 55F during a 25F night. I found a heater fan online for less than $20 with a 1500w setting, IIRC.
 
  • #51
Hmmm... What could all this be for? :rolleyes:

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  • #52
Went shopping today...

N. x Peter Damato x Maxima
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N. Singalana 'Belirang'
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N. Densiflora x Spectablilis
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The grower said they were easy hybrids to keep. Any tips?
 
  • #53
N. singalana is not a hybrid :jester:
 
  • #55
The grower said they were easy hybrids to keep. Any tips?

Yup: learn about the habitats of the species involved in the crosses, then emulate them. N. singalana is probably going to need more exacting climate conditions to prosper.
 
  • #56
Yup: learn about the habitats of the species involved in the crosses, then emulate them. N. singalana is probably going to need more exacting climate conditions to prosper.

I just read up on it and found out that it is very hardy and will grow like crazy, but it won't pitcher without high humidity. I'll sit it in a shallow tub of water when it goes into the greenhouse. I'll slowly start moving the plants when it gets warm enough to keep them in the greenhouse, so I guess when the nighttime temperatures reach 40F constantly for a few weeks.
 
  • #57
My singalana getting all drooly...

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My Densiflora x Spectabilis with a cup full of digestive juices...

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My Densiflora x Spectabilis's biggest pitcher...

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Variety of temperate mosses, including LIVE American northwest sphagnum!...

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My Pasian Highland Truncata's new leaf! Hopefully I'll get a nice pitcher, and hopefully with a taste of the adult color!...

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My Ventricosa x Talangensis's two basal shoots are putting out MASSIVE leaves!!!...

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The humidity in this corner is higher because it has four pots with wet substrate, plus there is some standing water in the bottom, but the substrate isn't saturated... It should last the plants for a while in this humidity! It's usually around 90% in this corner, but all of the other parts should have lower humidity... Picture was taken after the hood was open for a few minutes for me to take awesome pics!!! :-O

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I'm extremely happy with my purchases today. Hopefully they're happy with me! :boogie:
 
  • #58
Plants are looking great!

Be aware those dial type thermometers/hydrometers usually are very inaccurate. A digital one with probe is much more accurate.
 
  • #59
Plants are looking great!

Be aware those dial type thermometers/hydrometers usually are very inaccurate. A digital one with probe is much more accurate.

I have a $10 digital one from Home Depot, but it's way off of what my dial ones say. My dial hydrometer says 80%, my digital one says 75%. My dial thermometer says 70F, my digital one says 65F... It just confuses me. Here's the one I have...

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

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Is there one on the cheap end of the spectrum that you could suggest? I don't want to pay like $50 for anything, but $20 for an okay one is reasonable. :blush:
 
  • #60
A 5% difference isn't much of a problem, especially if you average the two out. I use a digital one similar to yours, and also a digital with probe made by zoomed I believe. The probe is nice because often after a while the humidity starts to affect the screens IME.
 
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