Hi all! I'm relatively new here/ don't post often, but I've been reading a lot lately. I primarily grow orchids and a few temperate CPs, and the primary reason for joining here was to try to learn as much as I can about creating tanks suitable for highland Neps. My favorite orchids are cloud forest miniatures, primarily from South and Central America. Being in Louisiana, it is extremely hard to get the temps down for those to survive. Thankfully, with the information I've found here and elsewhere, I have somewhat of a solution to that problem.
Like I said, though, I've been reading around here lately (and enjoying all the great pictures of well-grown plants), and I'd like to try my hand at growing Heliamphora species. I've grown Sarracenia, Drosera, Pings, etc easily, and I always have a Nep or two hanging around the greenhouse. I also have experience growing mini orchids in terrariums and feel similar conditions would be conducive for Helis.
I've recently thought another method may work for them, though. A friend of mine makes "grow tubes" similar to the European clay pipe tubes or the Epiweb IIS system, but these use a drip wall cloth material and actively pump water to the top and down the sides. In this version, the top is covered and also has water flowing across it. It would seem like this could be a good spot to try a Heli with a pad of moss between the material and root zone. This should make a sort of humid microclimate and also provide some kind of evaporative cooling as well. I would use a high-powered LED bulb to light the whole thing. Typically humidity here is 60%+ even indoors before the use of humidifiers.
I think this is all I can come up with for now. Any thoughts or suggestions on this? Also, a recommendation of a hardy beginner species would also be appreciated
Like I said, though, I've been reading around here lately (and enjoying all the great pictures of well-grown plants), and I'd like to try my hand at growing Heliamphora species. I've grown Sarracenia, Drosera, Pings, etc easily, and I always have a Nep or two hanging around the greenhouse. I also have experience growing mini orchids in terrariums and feel similar conditions would be conducive for Helis.
I've recently thought another method may work for them, though. A friend of mine makes "grow tubes" similar to the European clay pipe tubes or the Epiweb IIS system, but these use a drip wall cloth material and actively pump water to the top and down the sides. In this version, the top is covered and also has water flowing across it. It would seem like this could be a good spot to try a Heli with a pad of moss between the material and root zone. This should make a sort of humid microclimate and also provide some kind of evaporative cooling as well. I would use a high-powered LED bulb to light the whole thing. Typically humidity here is 60%+ even indoors before the use of humidifiers.
I think this is all I can come up with for now. Any thoughts or suggestions on this? Also, a recommendation of a hardy beginner species would also be appreciated