|
 rchids seem intimidating to grow for most beginners. But take it from this beginner (for the second time) they are easy to grow. The thing you need to watch out for is over/under watering and over fertilizing those are the main killers of plants of any kind. Another consideration is where to grow them. Some grow in windows, some under lights, some on their porches/lanais, some in green houses (if they have the area and money) and some like me a shade house. I have the warm weather here so year round shade house growing is the ticket. Of course even in more temperate climates it will work for late spring to early fall or into winter in south Texas/Florida or where you can maintain a good humidity say 45-55%.
Shade Houses can very simple lean-to’s to elaborate setups with concrete floors with wood or metal framing. Depending on the intensity of the Sun in your area the shade cloth can be anywhere between 30-70% here in Hawaii I use a 50% cloth with great results. I am using a metal frame made from 1 inch EMT conduit and fittings I got from ACE Hardware see list on bottom of page to find the parts on the web that they sell for Shade/Tents made for the EMT so any size you want can be assembled Mine for example is 8 by 10 feet and can be expanded at any time with little cost. I stretch the cloth over the pipe and hold it in place with plastic wire ties (zip-ties) see photos.
I built benches that are 6.5 by 2 feet out of treated pine (redwood was way too expensive here) that are at waist height (see photos and drawings) so there is no bending to exam plants.
These benches are easy to build and work great. Of course they can be built to any size to fit your needs and budget I built mine for around $70 each that was for all the wood, wire, wire staples and screws, it took about 2-3 hours to build using a skill saw and drill.
When you are ready to start your shade house make sure you pick a spot that has sun most of the day and try to run the length East-West with a good South facing view of the sky. There should be plenty of air flow (not a problem here) in fact I have an 18 inch gap on the sides and back with a 30 inch on the front under the benches to allow for that. To prep the ground try to get it as level as possible and put the flooring of your choice or do like I did and leave the ground bare (great for a higher humidity) but only if you have good drainage in the area it’s no fun walking in mud.
Assemble the frame and anchor it so it will not blow away. When you are ready to attach the shade cloth be sure to have plenty of help to stretch it tight as possible. If you have to cut the cloth I suggest you both fold and sew the edge or like I did use a heat gun to melt the cut to keep the cloth from unraveling. Get the top, sides and back up then bring in the benches before the front goes up, it makes it easier to place them in limited space. Once the front goes up then you can add any watering system you want or need if you are so inclined I just use a hose for mine.
Once everything is in place to your liking then you can introduce your orchids to their new home. You will see that your orchids will start growing and spiking like you never thought they would as long as you feed and water them of course. I have had mine up for just over 2 months now and have noticed a BIG jump in growth and flowering. Out of 68 orchids I have 49 with new growth, 10 flowering or in-spike out of the 10, 6 had bloomed 3 to 4 months ago. I am keeping track of them on a spread sheet to see how often they start new growth, spike and bloom. I also bought a wireless weather station with a remote temperature and humidity sensor that I placed in the shade house to keep track of humidity levels. You will find yourself spending more and more time in your new shade house enjoying the orchid’s new home.
I will not tell you about orchid culture and pest control I will leave that to the wonderful people here on the Orchid Board that know a whole lot more than I do in fact I have learned so much since I joined that I am finding out how much I don’t know.
If you want a fun and easy project the will benefit your orchids and yourself build a shade house your orchids will love you for it I grantee.
Here is where you can fid the parts to use with 1 inch EMT to build your Shade House.
http://www.surpluscitysales.com/partytentcityconnectors/fittings.html
http://www.creativeshelters.com/Fittings/Canopy-Fitting.aspx
I found these two and the prices are very good.
You can see more pictures in my album here. http://www.orchidboard.com/community/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1180
|
Forums