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WIP New Lowland Grow Chamber

My "beginner chamber" literally fits inside the new one. lol.

Was finally able to repot all of my older nepenthes which was desperately needed. 80% of them were root bound. Only reason I didn't repot the ampullaria is bc it was a recent purchase so i know it is fine root-wise. For the past 6 months i have gradually letting them get more sunlight so the transition from florescent to sunlight will be alot smoother. The chamber is inside a greenhouse now and is 50% shaded so I am waiting to see if additional sunlight diffusion is needed or not......despite the swings in temperature the plants seem alright.

Other than being cheaper to grow overall and the space to get larger and more of them I am hoping that the natural rhythms will be better for the plants in addition to the other benefits.....granted I am not located in borneo.

still have to complete the setup.......probably change out the old chamber for a bucket and still need to hook up the drip system and automate the external ventilation.

overall i am happy with the start and all of my plants seem to be adjusting well.

I will post another pic when I am finished with the grow chamber and maybe a subsequent one once it is "dialed in"

102_0580_zps25238831.jpg
 
here is an update.

it appears I can accommodate 6-8 larger pots with the new reservoir. I have decided to delete the drip system......most of the moisture collects at the top and falls back down. I might need to add a splash of water once every 2 weeks maybe.

still need to fine tune the timer switch for humidity control.

Jury is still out on the light.....I am monitoring the newest leaves for burn which may take some time. If I do not see any then I do nothing; if I see new burn then I may diffuse a little more.

Still need to look into a thermostat switch to automate ventilation. Other than that....almost done with it.

102_0586_zps6e3d9e75.jpg
 
Can you show a picture of the whole setup in your greenhouse? I have thought about making a mini-climate chamber in my greenhouse when I get one setup, but I worry about the temperature. Does it get extra warm on sunny days?
 
yes it does have a tendency to heat up. There is a fan I use for general ventilation of the gh which also cools the neps. Kinda hard to see but I cut about 8 slits in the plastic which kinda seals itself but when the fan is on which pulls the "gills" open to ventilate however I do want a dedicated fan wired to a thermostat.
 
update:

Judging from all the new growth, the nepenthes seem to be responding positively to the chamber......sorry for the bad shot but the fogger was on. I have my thermostat switch in the mail and just need to get another fan and get it all going before summer gets here and I will call this chamber done.

102_0620_zps66bfe6f3.jpg
 
update:

I will take some new pics tomorrow but I installed a second ventilation fan dedicated for the grow chamber and ran it off of the following controller:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...tc-1000&sprefix=stc-1,aps&rh=i:aps,k:stc-1000

The controller seems to be doing quite nicely and yet another step towards more automation/less cpbobby. I encourage everyone to check out that little controller. It is VERY INEXPENSIVE and can be offered in a variety of versions.

All I need now is a water reservoir, tubing, sealant, submersible pump and a float sensor and I will be set!!!
 
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I just bought that controller. It's very fun.
 
Looking really good :)
I have a lowland chamber that's having trouble keeping the humidity up. I guess I should invest in a fogger as well, in addition to sealing it off better. How often does the fogger come on for you, and what type of humidity fluctuation do you see in your chamber?
 
  • #10
Very cool set up.
 
  • #11
Looking really good :)
I have a lowland chamber that's having trouble keeping the humidity up. I guess I should invest in a fogger as well, in addition to sealing it off better. How often does the fogger come on for you, and what type of humidity fluctuation do you see in your chamber?

you say that now. wait until i post some pics tomorrow. the lowlanders are loving that chamber. As of now it comes on once every 2 hours as a default setting but I plan on "leaning it out" very soon......especially during the night time. not much humidity fluctuation except when the secondary ventilation activates but is still well within tolerance. the key to getting the fogger to be effective is the fan. get a cfm range of 30-50 and it will circulate the fog as it is, too high a cfm and the fan will disperse the fog as it circulates it.

I will go on record to say I need to address a durability issue with the circulation fan. This time I used silicone to seal up the connections but if it fails all i have to do is re-solder the hot wire and it has detached from corrosion but I need something more durable that doesn't require high maintenance intervals.
 
  • #12
here is a pic:

pretty much all of them are putting out really good new growth:

 
  • #13
Empty your inbox
 
  • #14
Bobby,

I tried to send you a PM but your box is full. Can you clear it out or send me a PM with your email address?

xantius
 
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