Rate my nep seedling setup!......?

[Botanicadenta]

So here it is. In furious creative stupors, I have produced this monstrosity.

Steps to construction included. I am both nervous and curious as to whether this mostly non-terrarium dependent design is worth a gee-golly-jeepers.

So, my major problems were 1: How do I raise the trays up and 2: Even though there shouldn't be that much water drainage at once, how do I collect it, or, at least, protect the table?

I just so happen to own... say... 2000 of these odd blue cards.

Add some foldage and Voila!

Then take foil and some masking tape...

And there you have it folks! trays raised about .5in off the surface.

In addition to basic gardening supplies, I got two enourmous CFL's (150Watt equivalent) and good reflectors. They generate a soft 80 degrees F to the touch, so I'll still need a space heater come the dead of winter. I set up some rigging to make them adjustable in height as needed.

Add trays with optional covers...

And finally, some well-blended Long-fibre sphagum, dampened.

Wide angle, lights off:

And that's it!

I get a timer in tomorrow to help with lighting, and the temps I'll just have to watch. I'm hoping this will be a comfy home for nep seeds and (hopefully) resultant seedlings. Comments? Suggestions? Am I a blind fool running wildly towards the brink of madness and despair? I still figure I'll have to make a wall of sorts around the table for excess water, no biggie. Although, after seeing all those pictures of dark, loamy peat, this ground-up LFS appears awfully tan, dark brown when wet.

Thanks for any and all input!

 

[DavyJones]

Where did you find 150 watt equiv. CFLs?? I've been looking for those for months!

 

[rattler]

i will say you put WAY more effort into nep seeds than i do......i just put them in a pot of soil and set them in the tray next to my other plants...........

 

[Botanicadenta]

Found the CFL's in a hardware store. They're actually 3-way bulbs. They require some warming up to get to max brightness, which is a little irritating.

As far as effort goes, This is my first! No pre-existing CP infrastructure. Plus, I needed an excuse to go a little overboard with a project. It's been way too long since I've exercised my ability to build something that at least appears impressive

 

[nightsky]

Another where did you find question: Where did you get those seed trays? I haven't been able to find those and I've been looking since April. I'm going to have to go online I think to find them.

 

[rattler]

you cant find those? check any major hardware store, Lowes, HD, Wallyworld...........

 

[Jimmy]

That's a very nice setup! I have a couple concerns, though:

- What kind of Nep seeds are you planning to germinate? Lowland or Highland? If lowland, then perhaps you may consider the humidity domes for extra heat and humidity, although I am not sure of your conditions...

-Also, are those CFL bulbs daylight-spectrum? They look like they are the night-spectrum bulbs...generally not the kind that you would want to use for growlights.

All-around, I must say that you have implemented some very creative and innovative ideas, and you have a quality setup. Very nice!

 

[Botanicadenta]

Yep, got the trays from the hardware store. Cheap as can be, domes and all.

Jimmy: Lowland, I expect to use the domes, of course, as is suggested. It's really dry and cool here so I'll be trying to do the best I can to figure out heating, but humidity shouldn't be a problem.

And yes, the bulbs are a little disappointingly yellow, although not much different from the spectrums I've seen in a lot of nep tanks, if maybe a bit softer. If the light recommendations I hear for nep seedlings is true, it should work as efficiently as bright growlights with some shade as long as I keep them close to the seedlings.


And thanks for the compliment! I don't have the space/money for a serious terrarium setup yet, But within 3-4 months I should be able to upgrade substantially in time for repotting the babies And making way for a more diverse group of plants. Looking forward to getting a few more neps, haven't quite perfected my list, but these guys are here to mark the beginning of my grand CP adventure.

Oh yeah, for the curious, the seeds I'll be getting are n. mirabilis and n. albomarginata, thanks to Obregon

 

[nightsky]

Yeah, I checked those places multiple times, and even the employees acknowledged they didn't have them after I searched each time. The ones here are worthless, I swear. Oh well, to the internet I go it seems.

Best of luck with your seedling venture!

 

[Jefforever]

I'd say the one of the most important things in your set up would be heat, since you say your place is dry and cool. Even highland seeds seem to germinate better in warmer temps.

Good luck!