Preparing for wintering plants indoors -

[GrimLore]

Frankly, is it worth wasting so much money and energy for what kind of result?...

Please excuse the term Jackhat but is it possible you have NO indoor plants? Most all people I know have at least a few. Why? Because it enhances the air quality during the cold months and they like plants!

Make no mistake here most all of the plants going into our plant room here are house plants with a few being my Wife's tropicals. As stated earlier we designed the room initially for the good of the rescued tortoise... Seems to me with energy saving lights and things like the humidifier and fan for the tortoise it is a great space to keep plants alive as well.

What say you? Kill the rescue tortoise? Toss a few dozen plants? You came on like a Green Peace Whale Ass and I deserve a qualified answer...

Frankly - you are perhaps the Doctor?

Grimmy

 

[AlainK]

if I didn't spend the money on a home for plants I can play with in the dead of winter I'd be spending it on (more) alcohol and therapy.

In that case, I can but agree, and support your efforts.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Can't help you, but:

I've always thought that bonsai sould be kept in a natural environment, or at best, protected in a cold frame/greenhouse.

I can undesrtand that some people would like to have tropicals in a USDA zone 7, or 6, or 7, but if I invested in such a paraphenelia ($$$), I would grow something else in my basement.

There are so many things that you can grow without depleting the earth's ressources, living in harmony with the living things that grow where you live.

Frankly, is it worth wasting so much money and energy for what kind of result?...

I think I'm not the only one interested in viewing the kind of things you intend to grow in that lab...

For me, that is the bonsai hobby for me. Figuring out the way to get my tropicals to grow healthy and look good during cold winter months is fun for me.

No need to go around bashing other people for doing things you don't know how to do. It's fun for us. Let it go.

 

[AlainK]

is it possible you have NO indoor plants? Most all people I know have at least a few.

I confess I have a couple.

Hard to get rid of them, they survived several winters so they're part of the family somehow. i put them outside as sson as the tmps at night are above 10°C, bring them back before the first frosts and put them in a room, or place where the temps are above 5°C and no more than 20°.

Here is a Ficus 'Natasha':

June 2007, a house plant that was about to get thrown to thye bin:

Tonight, 25 September 2016, in a 2€ pot I got at a carboot sale a couple of years ago:

OK, OK, a lot of pruning to be done. Or must it?...

 

[KingJades]

Just moved my tropicals in last week, probably a bit early!

Here's my setup - it's a little nook right off the side of my living room. Relatively large windows make it so that I'm not reliant on the grow lights this time of year.
Have a Lights of America light on the lower rack but don't have anything under it currently.

Have a timer from Harbor Freight that currently turns the light and fan on at 3PM and runs it to 2AM.
Overall electric consumption is expected to be no more than my normal consumption. The grow light is enough to light the entire living room so I just use that.

I'm planning on putting in a blackout curtain that I can close to block the light from coming into the living room if I have guests over or want to watch TV or something.

Perks of being single in your 20's.

 

[AlainK]

No need to go around bashing other people for doing things you don't know how to do.

Don't take it bad Ryan.

"bashing" would imply that I am much stronger than you are, which I don't think I am. Really. It's just another point of view, that's all, but maybe I'm putting too much of my "emotional" self in my comments.

Yet, when you say "things you don't know how to do", I posted a reply before reding yours, and I think it's more about "things you do differently".

A Crassula ovata that I should repot one day. I will bring it inside wen temeratures drop to 5-3°C at night. First, the longer it stays in the sun, the more the leaves get a red rim, second, a cold period helps it flower in December-January:

 

[Redwood Ryan]

Don't take it bad Ryan.

"bashing" would imply that I am much stronger than you are, which I don't think I am. Really. It's just another point of view, that's all, but maybe I'm putting too much of my "emotional" self in my comments.

Yet, when you say "things you don't know how to do", I posted a reply before reding yours, and I think it's more about "things you do differently".

I'm just so used to people telling me that it's a waste of time, money, and energy. It's no waste of anything, it's fun. We aren't depleting the Earth of its resources by doing this, no more than driving a car or doing any of the dozens of other depleting activities we do every day.

It's just bonsai. Let us have our fun.

 

[KingJades]

I'm just so used to people telling me that it's a waste of time, money, and energy. It's no waste of anything, it's fun. We aren't depleting the Earth of its resources by doing this, no more than driving a car or doing any of the dozens of other depleting activities we do every day.

It's just bonsai. Let us have our fun.

Tons of people keep fish tanks. Think about it... we take aquatic organisms and create boxes just to keep their large amount of water. And, since they live in the same water constantly, we need to create a crazy system to clean the water. Then, we need to be able to see them so we get these lighting systems just so we can see the fish sometimes. Water gets cold and many fish don't like that, so we add a heater system to keep the water warm in the winter. Some fish need cool water in summer, so we add a chiller.

Pumps, temperature control systems, oxygenators... all to combat how unnatural it is to have an aquatic animal from thousands of miles away living in your living room.

The whole thing is incredibly unnatural, but we make those sacrifices. It's the cost of making something that sounds impossible happen successfully.

@Redwood Ryan See my Agrobrite in my posting above? Thanks for the advice! I moved so it's about 3inches away from the apex of the two trees.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

@Redwood Ryan See my Agrobrite in my posting above? Thanks for the advice! I moved so it's about 3inches away from the apex of the two trees.

Yup, I see it! It's a good light. Be careful though, the bulbs get very hot and can burn the leaves.

 

[LanceMac10]

grow light is enough to light the entire living room so I just use that.

I as well.......in fact, we have but one lamp in the whole house. Once you have a live-in spouse, you'll find having things around that can be thrown your way isn't a great idea!!

 

[sorce]

I found a Samsung 244t monitor at work.
Looked up the problem found the burnt capacitors and the $18 replacement kit.

Ordered the kit today from Ama....
Amaz..
I can't even say it....
What the hell am I turning into?

What's best?

Found it selling for $300 refurbished.

$300-18= $282...!

Score!

Right now it's sitting on my future tropical table...if I put it "in storage" I wouldn't do it till, well, "in storage", is really just a place where things go to never be remembered...by the time I see it again....we will probably have Hologram tv's and stuff so.....

Step one for me is fixing that.

Sorce

 

[erb.75]

Yea, I have to clean out and organize the garage space and cold frame to make sure those area are ready. I'm also setting up a second cold frame space outside. Over the winter while it's cool, I will be digging a new 8x8 space for a more permanent cold frame. Just couldn't do it in the summer heat.

Tonight will be the first time I move my tropicals inside for the night....its coming

tropicals go in for me tonight...been wondering how I'm going to do things this year

 

[GrimLore]

I need to disinfect my grow room, badly. I'm sure there are mites everywhere just waiting. What did you use to clean?

I really have been forgetting for months to also tell you about Spectracide Aerosol Bug Stop I follow up a a few days after bringing anything in and do an occasional spraying during the winter in that room although so far I have not seen bugs in there and been using the room since 2013. This stuff is stain free and it really is! I don't really even see evidence of residue on the walls when I wash them. I know I found is less expensive then this at WalMart but I think it is a Summer season item there - https://www.zoro.com/spectracide-in...gclid=CJP1jYfYrc8CFY9ZhgodfVgKjw&gclsrc=aw.ds That may resolve your past problems

Grimmy

 

[aml1014]

Last few nights have been in the low 40s here so I finally tucked them away, I'll start heating around the end of next month at which point the subtropicals will be moved in as well.

And there's still about 50 more to squeeze in

Aaron

 

[Carol 83]

Cool front moved in overnight. Yesterday was in the 90's, this week supposed to be highs in the mid 70's, lows in the mid 50's. I'm trying to sort out which ones get the southern exposure, which ones the eastern. I only had 4 trees last year, but my collection has ballooned over the spring and summer, so it's bit more difficult. I did get one grow light for the bottom shelf of the eastern side, I may add more, if my husband doesn't have a shit-fit about it.

 

[GrimLore]

Dropped to 40F night before last and brought in some of the more delicate plants to acclimate them and test more, not Bonsai but plants that require TLC in our climate...
For the record those are T8 Grow Lights, inexpensive and use the energy of a 17w bulb while producing 1093 Lumens full spectrum -



One of the plants that I am finding wonderful to test transpiration on is this baby banana tree. Mid afternoon and it is still dripping off expelling water from the leafs. The yellow ones are normal and being lower leafs that drop as the tree grows. I am pointing this all out to show you that you don't have to break the grid and your wallet to have plants indoors.



There are a few more coming in and I will update when complete with the cacti, succulents, and the remainder.

Grimmy

 

[Carol 83]

Dropped to 40F night before last and brought in some of the more delicate plants to acclimate them and test more, not Bonsai but plants that require TLC in our climate...
For the record those are T8 Grow Lights, inexpensive and use the energy of a 17w bulb while producing 1093 Lumens full spectrum -

View attachment 118216

One of the plants that I am finding wonderful to test transpiration on is this baby banana tree. Mid afternoon and it is still dripping off expelling water from the leafs. The yellow ones are normal and being lower leafs that drop as the tree grows. I am pointing this all out to show you that you don't have to break the grid and your wallet to have plants indoors.

View attachment 118217

There are a few more coming in and I will update when complete with the cacti, succulents, and the remainder.

Grimmy

Are those the lights the Lights of America from Wal-Mart that you mentioned before? That's what I bought. If so, how are they attached to the shelf?

 

[GrimLore]

Are those the lights the Lights of America from Wal-Mart that you mentioned before? That's what I bought. If so, how are they attached to the shelf?

Yes and on the box there is a template for the mounting screws they provide in the box. I took the shelf out to the dining table and measured a few times using that and put the screws in the underside of the shelves. The light has two keyholes on the top and the light fixture slides onto the screw heads and locks in place pretty snug. Those were a measure 2 -3 times deal as I had to clear the center bracket and centered them on the undersides so it was not hard, just a bit time consuming.

Edit - I checked the new ones as it has been since Fall 2013 "I think". Anyways the template and instructions are printed on the inside of the box not the outside

I also hang them with jack chain which is easy to adjust for other areas and plants like below. Funny picture as that is all straight and level but looks bent to hell



Grimmy

 

[Carol 83]

My plant stands do not have a flat surface, but metal tubes. I was going to try to stick it up with those Command sticky strips.

 

[GrimLore]

My plant stands do not have a flat surface, but metal tubes. I was going to try to stick it up with those Command sticky strips.

That jack chain is real inexpensive by the foot at hardware stores and home depot. Open a link and hang like I did in the second picture. The chain is just opened wider at the bottom to hold in the light keyholes... With moisture and such I myself would not use a "sticky" solution.

Grimmy