Post by tom on Aug 25, 2009 14:01:19 GMT -5
Hi there OCPS,
i moved once again, we are not settled in St-Fidele, about 2h at east of Quebec city. Being used to move, i always neglected my plants upon moving, and the ever changing environment keep stressing my plants, especially Nepenthes, which take forever to pitcher back. Grow rack is great for most genera, but high humidity required for some (orchids, nep, helis) is lacking, as well as temp control.
I have a dedicated room for plants here, but i would like to avoid cooling the whole room and having a too high humidity, since i dont want the wall to rot because of some highland plants. Since i'm sure I'll be moving again a few time, i would like to avoid a large insulated terrarium, as its a real PITA to dissassemble/reassemble and it took too much room in a truck when moving. I'm a bit too lazy/busy too for building a whole enclosure out of plywood or such, and dont have the needed tools as well.
The ideal requirements for this enclosure would be 48" x 48" x 6-7' L x w x h, and can be a few inches over for L x w. I want to use a duct with a PC fan from a window to use natural night cooling, and the room wont be heated (lamps will be more than enough). I would like to lit the whole thing with 4 x 4' T5HO from the top of the enclosure, stratifying vertically the plants upon their light requirement. there should be one grow rack in it, and 2 wall covered with vertical egg crates to hang plants and epiphytes. Humidity should be either supplied by an ultrasonic humidifier or an homemade mister wired to an humidistat.
The main 'problem' for me is the enclosure itself. I'm looking something who can be easily dismounted for easy moving and storage, ideally made/partially made from reflective material, and allow to keep some cool/heat/humidity inside the enclosure. It should be sturdy enough to be able to hold the vertical egg crate weight along with plants plus the lamp at the top. 2 posts struck me on others forums about enclosure/ grow tent used by cash crop growers, which would be perfect, the second one being more alike what i aim (and show the best grow tent model IMO, unfortunatly, it is listed at more than 300$ US)
www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119439
terra out of styrofoam (cheap, insulated, can be weak and ugly, although ugliness dont bother me for such a construction (inner beauty is all who really count ):
pitcherplants.proboards.com/index.cgiboard=greenhouses&action=display&thread=6419
An ideal nep growroom (got the idea/lamp distance of T5HO from there)
www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112410
So OCPS, do you have an idea on how to manage to do a similar tent way cheaper, but keep in mind it would be important to be easily dismounted and stored, and be somewhat humidity/temps tight (not perfectly of course). I saw a mylar grow box on eBay for 150$CAN, but the case dont seem that sturdy. Canadian Tire greenhouse @ 150$ would take too much footprint and i dont want to be stuck with their shelves.
A frame out of 2 x 2 lined with some black/white reflective material sold at hydro store could be used and sealed, but we might find something better. Any idea?
Unfortunatly, those grow tent are rather pricey, especially the news one. The cheaper ones, white lined ones has been related to toxic fumes (from the plastifier used for the PVC lining) which killed a lot of plants, so i would like to avoid those. The mylar-like lined ones seems safe but pricey, , as do the ones made of PE.
i moved once again, we are not settled in St-Fidele, about 2h at east of Quebec city. Being used to move, i always neglected my plants upon moving, and the ever changing environment keep stressing my plants, especially Nepenthes, which take forever to pitcher back. Grow rack is great for most genera, but high humidity required for some (orchids, nep, helis) is lacking, as well as temp control.
I have a dedicated room for plants here, but i would like to avoid cooling the whole room and having a too high humidity, since i dont want the wall to rot because of some highland plants. Since i'm sure I'll be moving again a few time, i would like to avoid a large insulated terrarium, as its a real PITA to dissassemble/reassemble and it took too much room in a truck when moving. I'm a bit too lazy/busy too for building a whole enclosure out of plywood or such, and dont have the needed tools as well.
The ideal requirements for this enclosure would be 48" x 48" x 6-7' L x w x h, and can be a few inches over for L x w. I want to use a duct with a PC fan from a window to use natural night cooling, and the room wont be heated (lamps will be more than enough). I would like to lit the whole thing with 4 x 4' T5HO from the top of the enclosure, stratifying vertically the plants upon their light requirement. there should be one grow rack in it, and 2 wall covered with vertical egg crates to hang plants and epiphytes. Humidity should be either supplied by an ultrasonic humidifier or an homemade mister wired to an humidistat.
The main 'problem' for me is the enclosure itself. I'm looking something who can be easily dismounted for easy moving and storage, ideally made/partially made from reflective material, and allow to keep some cool/heat/humidity inside the enclosure. It should be sturdy enough to be able to hold the vertical egg crate weight along with plants plus the lamp at the top. 2 posts struck me on others forums about enclosure/ grow tent used by cash crop growers, which would be perfect, the second one being more alike what i aim (and show the best grow tent model IMO, unfortunatly, it is listed at more than 300$ US)
www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119439
terra out of styrofoam (cheap, insulated, can be weak and ugly, although ugliness dont bother me for such a construction (inner beauty is all who really count ):
pitcherplants.proboards.com/index.cgiboard=greenhouses&action=display&thread=6419
An ideal nep growroom (got the idea/lamp distance of T5HO from there)
www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112410
So OCPS, do you have an idea on how to manage to do a similar tent way cheaper, but keep in mind it would be important to be easily dismounted and stored, and be somewhat humidity/temps tight (not perfectly of course). I saw a mylar grow box on eBay for 150$CAN, but the case dont seem that sturdy. Canadian Tire greenhouse @ 150$ would take too much footprint and i dont want to be stuck with their shelves.
A frame out of 2 x 2 lined with some black/white reflective material sold at hydro store could be used and sealed, but we might find something better. Any idea?
Unfortunatly, those grow tent are rather pricey, especially the news one. The cheaper ones, white lined ones has been related to toxic fumes (from the plastifier used for the PVC lining) which killed a lot of plants, so i would like to avoid those. The mylar-like lined ones seems safe but pricey, , as do the ones made of PE.