Completed grow room!! And timeline

[AdamD]

Woohoo!!! Finally done. It took a month of weekends plus some evenings. I'd like to thank my wife, who was overly patient and motivating, my dad, who put many hours down there with me, and.... Oh, sorry, acceptance speech is going on too long. They're playing me off. :rollhappy:

So much time and money and sweat went in to this and it finally paid off! Temps are running around 80-82F for highs, humidity has hovered between 70-85%! It's perfect!

So, here's what the space looked like before construction started. Retro wood paneling. Very nice.


And here it is now!






I'm so excited! It's the perfect place to winterize. The T5 will grow many seedlings in the future. I plan on getting my first flask soon. Right now there are a few esquorlei and (Kolosand x Angel Hair) seedlings under there, my first 2 compots I got from Windy Hill a year and a half ago.

Now, which flask(s) to get....

 

[Wendy]

Very nice! Similar to my old grow room. You should be able to grow a lot in there. Just watch for mildew around the baseboard area. I used to give mine an occasional scrub down with a weak bleach solution.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

That doesn't look remotely close to being full enough. You need to get to work packing in more orchids. Only half kidding....

Looks good. Must be really cool to have a dedicated growing space like that. Good job.

 

[Justin]

Nice job!

 

[SlipperFan]

I am sure it will fill up so fast it will make your head spin! And then you'll wish you had made it bigger...

Congrats -- it looks great!

 

[AdamD]

Very nice! Similar to my old grow room. You should be able to grow a lot in there. Just watch for mildew around the baseboard area. I used to give mine an occasional scrub down with a weak bleach solution.

The floor and base is all tile, and let me tell you, it was quite the project! Learned it on the fly, half of it just from being on job sites and seeing it done and the other half reading the instructions on the bags of mortar and grout. It was an experiment gone right for once, although it involved a lot of freaking out and self doubt. In the end though I loved having gone through the process and having learned how to do it. There will come a time in the future when I will need to know how to do it again.

After day 1 in the books I am very optimistic. Temps and humidity stayed right where I wanted them. No more stunted winter growth and weak blooms! What made me decide to do this, more than anything else, was a pathetic 2nd blooming of a multi-growth roth I'd had for a few years. One small flower, just like the first blooming. Not this year. It should be coming in to spike soon, hopefully, and this time it will be spectacular! I hope...

I've decided to take the leap and buy my first flask. I will outgrow this room. I know that for a fact. But it was a temporary solution that will become a permanent incubator. I am saving for a greenhouse now. I will most likely custom build a wood frame/ polycarbonate panel on concrete slab. One day...

 

[abax]

Congratulations! Everything you've learned in fitting out this grow space
will come in handy when you decide to build a greenhouse. I think you
did a fiiiiine job.

 

[AdamD]

It is an experiment for sure. Still can't get temps to fall below 70F at night, even with the window cracked. I'm going to try leaving it fully open tonight. With temps in the high 40s I hope it helps...

 

[Trithor]

Congratulations! Looks like you worked hard at it. It is a foreign concept to grow under lights for me living in South Africa though, but all the more interesting to see.

 

[AdamD]

I wish I had the climate to grow outdoors year round, but I like seasons to much. I just wish my plants did too. This is a happy medium. Temps are supposed to dip into the high 30s next week for lows, and all the leaves have started to turn. Corn and soybean harvest is well under way. Watch for combines on the road (if you think cyclists are bad, you'd hate farmers! Big sense of entitlement on the road.) October is my favorite month. Especially when the Cardinals are still playing. Go Cards!

 

[SlipperFan]

Wrong, Adam. Farmers don't have a sense of road entitlement any more than the rest of us. But their big machines take up a lot of road space, and they cannot travel as fast as other automobiles. Be patient. You wouldn't be alive without farmers and their harvests.

 

[AdamD]

Hey now, I understand completely. My father's father was a farmer, every in- law I have are farmers (less one), and I live in a farm community. I was merely making an observation. City folks have bikes to watch out for, we have tractors. Pardon.

 

[SlipperFan]

I come from a farm family and live in the country with farms all around -- I guess I'm a little too sensitive. No pardon needed. I see a lot of impatience even around here, when people try to pass slow-moving farm machinery, and can't because of on-coming traffic, or narrow roads, etc., so that's why I reacted. BTW, we have bikers in the country, also. oke:

 

[Wendy]

I come from a farm family and live in the country with farms all around -- I guess I'm a little too sensitive. No pardon needed. I see a lot of impatience even around here, when people try to pass slow-moving farm machinery, and can't because of on-coming traffic, or narrow roads, etc., so that's why I reacted. BTW, we have bikers in the country, also. oke:

Thanks Dot. I was biting my tongue on this one. Having been raised on a farm and having the pleasure of having known many farmers I took offense as well. A lot of people seem to forget where their food comes from and don't realize that farmers work to a deadline. They have limited time to plant and harvest so need to use the road during those times. Those big machines aren't easy to move around either but they need to inconvenience a few drivers while they go from farm to field at times. I'm sure they'd rather stay off the roads but can't. So people should learn to relax...most everyone is too impatient these days.

Off soapbox...

 

[SlipperFan]

Thanks, Wendy. Well said.

 

[AdamD]

Wow. This one really got away from me. Anyways, the thing is, we're on the same side here. I live in a town where if you're not a farmer you're a carpenter, I fall into the latter category. I agree, patience must be exercised. I'm usually the guy who gets leap frogged and double passed from behind because I'll wait for an appropriate time. I apologize for any ill feeling I've caused for a stupid comment. Please accept my apology. This was not my intent.

And if anyone is still reading this for the thread title, the room's doing great. Hasn't dropped below 65% humidity. Got some new seedlings tonight at the orchid society meeting. Will post pics under new thread. This one has been hijacked...

 

[abax]

Our nursery has big tractors and diggers on the road sometimes and a lot
of people are very rude about it. However, I didn't take offense at Adam's
observation at all. On our little two lane road, impatient people can either
wait a bit or take a chance on passing. Just try to run a big Massey off the road!!!

Sorry all. Adam I can't wait to see your new grow room full of lovely
seedlings.

 

[gotsomerice]

My suggestion to you is to only grow the best stuff since you have a limited space. Don't waste your space with Home Depot's Phaleanopsis!

 

[SlipperFan]

Adam, I don't want to "beat a dead horse" but I want you to know I didn't take offense. I just wanted to make a point about farmers and farming. I think the others chimed in to clarify.

So again, no offense taken, and no apology needed. Now take back your thread about your beautiful grow room.

 

[Wendy]

And as I said, I did take offense but you clarified what you meant/apologized so all is good. I just get over frustrated with how I see farmers treated at times.

So back to your wonderful new grow room. It really is awesome. :clap: