Back again with a grow tent in Colorado!
 

Hello all!

Now that I've had a grow tent collection for six months, I figured it's about time to post some info and pictures.

I was an active member for years prior through my teenage years and early twenties, but couldn't sustain the habit six years ago and gave up growing orchids for awhile. Needless to say, I'm back, "all grown up," and planning to maintain a collection from now on. I've always learned so much from this forum and am so excited to participate actively again!

I'm living in Colorado in the Denver area - it's been great to connect with members in real life and visit Fantasy Orchids in Louisville (10,000 sqft greenhouse!).

I'm primarily focused on growing Cattleya species and primary hybrids, Encyclias, and eventually a few slippers. Tent conditions are pretty intermediate (avg. 65-80 F temp swing) and humidity is 60% and up. The tent itself is an iPower kit straight from Amazon and has been great so far!

I'm attaching pictures of the whole tent along with blooms from my Lc. Secret Love 'Angel' and C. jenmanii album seedlings growing wild. I think they're happy!

I'm about to upgrade my tent setup with shelving and additional lighting/fans to accommodate the growing collection. Comments/etc much appreciated!

David

Welcome back!

I think you and I might be the same person David. All through my twenties I tried to grow orchids, but then I would move away or go do something that made me give them all away. It was a cycle I repeated several times. Now I own a house and am much more settled so I can have a long term collection. Wanna guess what I grow now? Species Catts and primary hybrids... really only bifoliates. Give me a shout if you ever come down through New Mexico!

welcome back 😉
those jenmanii babies looking good!

Hey, I may nudge you now and then. I'm in Colorado Springs area. This year will be my 20th year in the Rockies, and I'm still getting the hang of growing anything and baking bread. I'm relocating to a new house as soon as I find one to buy. I had almost given up on orchids. Once they dropped their blooms, they would bloom no more. After I sold my house, I moved to a hotel. I put my two plants on a window sill. A leaf started to burn so I moved them to the other window (it was a corner room). I watered them and figured as usual they would never bloom. Then, one day I was returning from walking the dogs and glanced toward my room. 🥳 Imagine my surprise when I saw blooms! With an S! Seemingly overnight! Sadly, the other died. But I had hope. So when I saw 2 on sale, I bought them. So, now I'm repotting them, waiting patiently for the bark to soak up water overnight. Tomorrow I will repot them and, hopefully, they will bloom again. We've moved out of the hotel into a TINY house with not a lot of light and about 20 other plants! So, we'll see how well they thrive.

Stephanie

Good to have you back!

Hi, I have had really good luck with overhead "grow light" style lights, made for indoor cannabis culture, with a "veg" and "bloom" setting. In my experience, understanding they need both more light, and more water (with good drainage) is where "I" went wrong, and I am sure it is where many people make mistakes that lead to orchid death. Another thing that has worked very well is to choose orchids that need nearly the same light care. In my case, I am growing (mostly) Phragmipediums and Latouria section dendrobiums. I have some miscellaneous orchids, but all take about the same light and water. That way they can be grouped together, and get the same care. Another thing is to avoid going full throttle buying "fix-it" phals at box stores. Sort of, "choose a lane" and get only strong blooming size plants. It may seem more expensive, but dead orchids are also expensive. Grow a plant that has a chance of surviving for 10 years and put your work into that. Later after a few years, maybe get a seedling, but seedlings and single "hand" or "lead" plants are far more likely to die if given the wrong care.

I guess those are my biggest take aways for caring for orchids since about 2012.

Remember when a grow tent in Colorado meant a different plant altogether? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

There is definitely some overlap... orchids take a lot less light and a lot less fertilizer and a lot longer to produce flowers. though. Handy, however, to have a hydroponics store on every corner.:biggrin:

There should be a like button. I agree, I'm happy bright lights are easy to get, reliable, energy-efficient, and inexpensive. Who would have thought 20 years ago?