Hygrolon Cylinder In Tall Vase - New Project!

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Ok, so, it is official, as crazy as I am over my regular babies at the balcony, I got totally hooked on the MINI ORCHID babies. I got my very first mini's just in June, created small vase vivarium and small glass/wood terrarium, nothing complicated there, however I was so happy with the look, that I started to be little bit obsessed with mini's. After huge fight in my head trying to decide if going for some kind of regular store bought vivarium, or building my own thing, and after hours of Google research, I fall in love with HYGROLON material, and the Hygrolon Cylinder especially. Since I still had pretty tall vase unused in my house, I went for DIY project. Ordered 4 Hygrolon mounting slabs, piece of Hygrolon cloth, and dry moss mix. Than got just regular plastic pipe with the cap in Home Depot, and dry cement. Sealed bottom of the tube with cement and the cup, and glued Hygrolon cloth and slabs on the tube with silicon glue. The tube serves as water reservoir. Hygrolon wicks cca to some 11 inches, so I needed water to be wicking both from the bottom and the top. When applying Hygrolon clothe, I left long pieces over leaping, and these are actually sticked inside of the tube on the top. When I tested it today, and filled for the first time water on the bottom of the vase and than to the tube, the whole cylinder was wet top to bottom within some 30 minutes
Today I did apply the dry moss mix - just mixed with RO water and applied with butter knife. And since few mini's from Andy arrived, I did mount already 3 on the cylinder - Haraella Retrocalla, Bulbo Rosary Beads and Pleurothallis Liptifolia. I am going to see how these babies are doing and than add slowly more and more, I have already list and even some on the way. Please, excuse my lighting at this time, I have one Grow Light on the way from Amazon, that will be placed there as soon as it arrives, and also just to make sure there is some air movement (even it is open vase inside the AC apartment) I will place just small fan there as well. I hope for the moss to start to grow and turn to this amazing green color, so the whole look in few mounts should be mossy cylinder with mini's sticking out of it. Keep your fingers crossed for me, as I said, I am totally new to this type of growing, never had any orchids inside the house till this July, and never had any mini's either. But this is just way too cool!

[TOMMYMIAMI]

And here are pics from today - with spreaded moss and first mini's.

[hcastil3]

WOW, its tall !!! lol, I can't wait for the moss to sprout and see it grow, I think this is going to be an amazing project with amazing outcome.

I'm impressed with all your dedication so far just with the minis!!!! its crazy, your an expert now!!!lol

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Thanks Hector, definitely not expert, but here you can see how much you can learn on Google And plus, mini's are so much fun and so cute!

[RosieC]

Great project, can't wait to see how it goes. I've been considering hygrolon and not yet tried it.

[MattWoelfsen]

Impressive!

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Originally Posted by RosieC

Great project, can't wait to see how it goes. I've been considering hygrolon and not yet tried it.

Thank you Rosie, must say it was quite easy to work with Hygrolon, especially because I bought Hygrolon slabs, that were half round shape, so pretty much the only thing was to find fitting pipe and glue to opposite each other. I found the ones that were actually larges size website was selling, and they are just perfect size. The tricky part was to learn about Hygrolon and how it wicks, and than go from there. One member from Sweden helped me a lot and told me it wicks to the height of some 11 inches, but since I have 4 slabs, that are not connected, I needed to figure the way water can wick from the bottom as well as from the top. I did put 3 mini's for now, and applied that moss mix, and I wanna wait now and see how it goes and grows, before I add more. Will keep posting in the progress and adding more pics later.

---------- Post added at 09:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:14 AM ----------

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

Impressive!

Thanks Matt
it is placed actually inside the house, and not by the window - I do live in the apartment, so we really do not have windows to grow, living room wall is whole glass to balcony, not enough light there, and bedroom window is just in the shade. I did order round grow light from the amazon, that will be placed above the vase once it arrives, and that will be the light source. I saw similar cylinder shaped tubes with separate point LED lights as well, but haven't found that one, so will try the round grow light. Since it is little bit bigger in diameter than the whole vase (vase is 35" tall and 6" diameter), I think it will actually give light too all plants all around. I do plan to mount though mostly to the 3/4 of the cylinder, the visible part, and leave back part facing the wall empty - only with the moss. But this is all very first learning process for me, as I said, I started with any inside growing and mini's only some month ago, and I may be going way over my head, however I am very happy with the results and the way it looks so far :-)

[Kevin_PR]

When the hygrolon wicks up the water how much water r we talking about? is it just moist or is it soggy? Love the idea. Great choice of plants. That is one of the hardier pleuros.

[TOMMYMIAMI]

Thanks Eskevingo. Regarding the Hygrolon, it is mostly moist, not really soggy, plus it is more moist on the bottom part, the top is only moist. The great thing is, if I will keep filling that tube than it would give constant moist to the top plants as well. Also, regarding the mini's I am trying to be selecting them by conditions they grow - for this cylinder I am aiming for pretty much all WATER loving, that needs constant humidity and watering every day or at least 5 times a week, that should never dry out. Position wise, I'll try to mount shade reguiring plants on the bottom parts, and more light liking plants towards the top. In general, all the mini's I am ordering for this are water loving low light growing, that's the goal. Trying to avoid any high light requiring plants, no dry out between plants, no winter rest plants (have mini Dendro Pequanum that would be great there but not really great for that environment). I will add Lepanthopsis Astrophora soon, I have 3 of them home anyway, and it loves moist also, than there is Porpax Gigantea and Schoenorchis Fragrans on the way, and I also ordered Lepanthes Telipogoniflora and Macroclinium Manabinum, I think Lepanthes might do great there, but haven't decided about them and if they will go on the cylinder or outside at the balcony. Any suggestions appreciated (also aiming more for worm to hot growing, my apartment temp is 76-77 day and around 72-73 night). I really want to add more MINI (i mean really mini - there is not so much space), orchids, worm to hot growing, low air movement requirements, shade light requirements, and loving moist -not drying situation:-)

[GardenTheater]

It looks awesome! Great way to fit in more orchids.