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pleurothallid-l - Re: [pleurothallid-l] pleurothallid-l Digest, Vol 24, Issue 6

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  • From: "Michael Sandven" <msandven@tampabay.rr.com>
  • To: <pleurothallid-l@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [pleurothallid-l] pleurothallid-l Digest, Vol 24, Issue 6
  • Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 12:55:02 -0500

Hi All,
I just started growing pleurothallid types last January, I live in Tampa, FL. So far I've been doing well, better than I thought this past summer. I built an 8 X 10 attached greenhouse with polycarb siding and roof. I have an evaporative cooler, an under bench misting system, auto shutters, two fans for circulation, and a 10,000 BTU A/C unit. Everything is automated.

The 3000 CFM evaporative cooler comes on at 80 degrees and the shutter opens to let warm air out. The misting system is on a cycle timer. I play with the settings still and will anyway depending on the humidity outside. The A/C unit is on a timer as well as a thermostat set for 60 degrees. I found a unit that I can lower the exchange of outside air and this helps keep the humidity in. Sort of like a refrigerator. It is important to exchange some air since the plants need fresh air to grow well. I've also installed one of those wireless weather stations that records temp, humidity, and even wind speed to my computer so I can tell what's going on.

Last summer I had three days that the temp went over 87 degrees and that was only for three hours at most. The A/C brings the night temp all the way down to 55/60 degrees. The temp differential helps to reduce stress of higher day temps as well as providing the diurnal required for some plants to bloom. My electric bill went up $20 per month last summer on average.

I also grow other things like; Lycaste, Zygos, Coelogyne, and Sophronitis. My Sophronitis cernua has grown 10 new bulbs since I got it last March and is opening 5 new pretty orange flowers 2.5 cm across today. And my coccinea is budding.




Today's Topics:

1. Automation (Bell-Games, Tom)


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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2005 12:13:56 -0500
From: "Bell-Games, Tom" <tbellgames@burnip.com>
Subject: [pleurothallid-l] Automation
To: <pleurothallid-l@lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID:
<824AB26D89AB4F41AE347E97541EB32C01DC3C0B@exch1.na.int-bn.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

A couple of additional components to this fellow's set-up was aluminet
shade cloth that was installed inside the greenhouse. This was laid on
cables that would pull the cloth out to help cool the greenhouse. This
was set to activate when the temperature rose to a certain set point.
It would then retract when the temperature dropped below a second point.
This was extremely effective. You could feel the difference quite
quickly. In the winter, here in the Midwest we often have many cloudy
days followed by one day of pure sunshine - nice and cheery, but
potentially deadly for our plants. My friend also found that if it was
very cold, he could use this to help hold in some of the heat in the
evening. He also installed some automatic roof vents. I believe these
had wax cylinders that functioned hydraulically. I think the way these
worked was that when the wax heated, it expanded causing the vents to
open.

By far the most important piece of automation, to my mind, was a
telephone dialer. This was set to trigger on high and low temperatures.
He had programmed maybe four different phone numbers into this so that
it would contact someone even if he was out of town. There are so many
horror stories of folks that have lost power, then the pipes freeze,
heating system shorts out, then you're left with a total loss... These
systems are not cheap, but when you think how much you have invested in
your plant collection, it seems like good insurance.

This was a wonderful greenhouse and he was a great grower.
Unfortunately, even with all of the automation, it was a good deal of
responsibility. He finally decided to retire from orchids and now the
greenhouse is no more.

Tom




  • Re: [pleurothallid-l] pleurothallid-l Digest, Vol 24, Issue 6, Michael Sandven, 12/31/2005

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