wetfeet101b's GH pics - August '07

[wetfeet101b]

Here are some pictures of the GH. It is ever evolving as I try to tweak it and make adjustments as I learn more stuff about greenhouses and orchids

Here is the exterior, looking from the west side. I dont have a budget yet for a proper exhaust fan so for now, a box fan will have to suffice.
I installed it to one of the roof vents and sealed off the sides.
The Aluminet fabric has arrived a couple of weeks ago but I have not yet had the time to remove the old shade fabric and install the Aluminet.
I moved all the windows to the south end of the GH so that air enters the south side and passes the entire length of the GH before going out through the exhaust fan.
The structure to the left is planned to be a shadehouse for the cymbidiums. I realized they do not like being inside the GH.


Here are the cymbidiums in their temporary home. On the east face of the greenhouse. They have the air and light that they need, as well as the necessary cool night exposure. And being on the east wall, the GH itself acts as a shade structure and protects the plants from the hot afternoon sun.


Here is the basket area with mostly cattleya alliance orchids. This is on the west side of the GH which receives the longest duration of bright light. The pictures are a bit deceiving and look dark. But at the time, I measured 5000fc on the lowest row of cattleyas.


A view of the same baskets from the other side:


Various oncidium orchids. These were from Katie (desertgal)


Close up of the three oncidiums from Katie that are spiking. From left to right, 5, 2 and 1 spikes:


My backbulb nursery:


More rescues from the in-laws' garden. Severely dessicated cattleyas. The plants have heart though, I see several swollen eyes which means the plants are still not giving up.


Seedlings (top row) and juveniles (second row)


Caulocattleya Chantilly Lace: I have never seen a cattleya alliance orchid with so many leaves on a pseudobulb. Is this normal?


Arundina graminifolla - its actually growing! I bought six of these baby bulbs from a grocery store when we were in Honolulu. Two have died and decomposed. The other three are just sitting there doing nothing.


A huge Oncidium Sharry Baby, also from Katie. This one seems to have exploded with new growths once I replanted it in a basket.


Here's my NOID dendrobium that I brought into the living room so we can enjoy the flowers. It did not seem to mind leaving the GH, and is actually throwing out a new spike.


That is all for now. I will try to post more pictures when there are some significant developments.
I am trying to complete the shadehouse for the cymbidiums so that they have a proper summer home but weekends are at such a premium these days

Take Care,
John

[Phyrex]

Those are some wonderful pictures John. I find it very interesting to see greenhouse pictures (probably because I don't have one) since it usually give me lots of ideas (that I can steal).

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Great work, John! Everything looks so like it is doing very well. I wish we could grow some of our orchids under a shade house, but it is just too hot and gets too cold here. Today the forecast is for temps in the three digits; from 7 am - 7pm there is a heat advisory too.

Please keep us updated on the greenhouse as it develops. It is a neat project. I will be interested to see how different things behave for you with the Aluminet shade cloth too.

Cheers,
BD

[timstpetefl]

cool, I see you got your shelving system from a box store like me...lol

[wetfeet101b]

cool, I see you got your shelving system from a box store like me...lol

Yup. They are sturdy (I have had these shelves since around 2002 and are still going strong).
The slat surfaces are also great for water drainage and light transmission.
I only wished that the pegs are longer so that there is more vertical space between shelves for the taller plants.

[Shaydra]

I got a metal shelving unit from a box store that allows for adjustment (or even removing/skipping) of the shelves. I got mine for around $55 as the 54" tall unit, but they have 72" tall ones, too. And I think they might be on sale for around $25? (My mom said she found something near-identical cheaper after I bought it anyway... grr...)

They can be a pain to move the shelves, however... requires a rubber mallet or something along those lines and at least a partial disassembly...