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osmosis

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Posts posted by osmosis

  6. Sarracenia Indoors

    in Sarracenia

    Posted

    You are right you need lots of light. Blurple lights will look horrible in a domestic setting, so you probably want a white light. Have a look at Mars Hydro, I have been pleased with them. Even then if the lights are really bright in a window that is going to stand out from inside and outside the house. You may get planes attempting to land or strangers asking if you have any cannabis for sale. 

    Two other considerations - you need to find a way of giving the plants a clear winter rest. Some people cut off all the leaves and put in refrigerators. Its brutal, but it may be an option for you

    You may also want to consider choosing plants that colour up in moderate light - some are more fussy than others 

     

      

  7. Propogator

    in Greenhouses - Cultivation & Equipment

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Neil_C said:

    Could I ask what you use to measure the Lux? I've tried messing the lux using an app on my phone, but that only reads/shows 1000!

    I bought an affordable Light meter (ETI-1301), but I'm sure they are all much of a muchness

    I use it to judge light levels broadly, and make comparisons. I understand that PAR/ colour temperature add considerable complexities 

  8. Propogator

    in Greenhouses - Cultivation & Equipment

    Posted

    19 hours ago, Keith Nigel said:

    What is the front panel when closed plastic glass or completely covered. 

    It is also solid (plywood). & the whole inner face of the propagator, including the door, is lined with Hydrogarden Orca

    The lights are very bright, the whole thing would stick out if any part were translucent 

  10. Propogator

    in Greenhouses - Cultivation & Equipment

    Posted

    I'm pleased with it 

    Sarracenia seedlings are growing and colouring up nicely under it (which you can actually appreciate compare to blurple), it's heat burden is low, there are no active cooling fans to go wrong, I love the adjustable driver, and most importantly it lights the space evenly.   

    I have another propagator of a similar size that I have been lighting for a couple of years with a 'Platinum LED' P300. It's a great light, but it is 13000 lux in the center down to about 2000 at the edges, so it doesn't light that space effectively. It would be fine in a smaller space. 

    Consequently, I just bought another identical MarsHydro and will be replacing it this week 

    Hope that helps,

    Dave  

     

  13. Propogator

    in Greenhouses - Cultivation & Equipment

    Posted · Edited by osmosis

    My project over Christmas was building a new propagator for bringing on Sarracenia seeds. 

    It is built with 18mm varnished plyboard, with 50mm foil backed insulation on external surfaces and under the base. Internal grow space dimensions are 54 x 140cm. Total height is 60cm to fit under greenhouse benching.

    Inside is lined with Hydrogarden Orca grow film, which is highly reflective but gives a white diffuse light and is a useful tough cloth like material to work with 

    In the base is a thermostatically controlled Bio Green Sahara heat mat. 

    Lighting is a MarsHydro SP 250 mounted into the lid of the propagator about 15 inches from the foliage. Out of the box, it provided 45000 lux @230watts, but the its wattage can be adjusted down which I have done to about 19000lux @90watts directly under the lights, to about 10,000 lux in the far corner of the propagator. It’s a white spectrum light but claims to have a good PAR rating. As its size and shape fits the unit well, the light is reasonably even within the grow space – much better than my other propagator with a smaller light where the difference between lux in the centre and corners of the unit are 5x compared with this at 2x

     

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  17. Where's my rain?

    in General Carnivorous Plant Discussion

    Posted

    13 hours ago, Stu said:

    If you need help identifying the bits, post a pic and I and/or others will have a look. 

    Cheers, I'm all OK now. I plan to buy a flush kit, in which case I think I need to open up the elbow and remove the inbuilt restrictor anyway

    Probably get a pressure gauge at the same time, if that's a good indicator of clogged up prefilters  

     

  18. Where's my rain?

    in General Carnivorous Plant Discussion

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Deltatango301 said:

    TDS is approx 55 out of the butts company I bought the unit from

    has put in post a new elbow for carbon filter pot, I am not convinced 

    that the RO TDS figure will go down with no leaks ?? Keep you updated

    I bought, perhaps hastily given your subsequent experience but I was starting to feel a bit exposed without a backup plan, from the same vendor as you, except my unit is the 100GPD FS-401 http://www.pure-pro.com/fs401.htm 

    The lack of instructions were a bit troubling, and the single sheet that does exist refers to a flow restrictor on the RO water outflow elbow that could be inside the unit but is not at all obvious. It also includes some unexplained components which I believe are intended for attaching to garden or kitchen taps  

    Anyway, I did simply connect it up and it was producing 20ppm within 10 minutes. We do have very high water pressure here, though - I wondered if that was possibly a contributory factor for you?

  20. Where's my rain?

    in General Carnivorous Plant Discussion

    Posted

    On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 2:21 PM, Stu said:

    The membrane (once first used) should never be allowed to dry out. This is most easily achieved by adding ball valves close to the unit on the input and output pipes, so you can easily shut off the unit, trapping water within when it is not in use.

    I have managed to get through 2000 litres since the last rain, I thought I was covered with that amount of storage, but apparently not  

    I have heard that RO membranes clog if not used for a period of time. In other words, that a unit cannot simply be mothballed  - once you start using it you have to keep it going (or replace the membrane before you can bring it back into use)

    Does that sound correct - I don't mind investing in a unit, but having to replace the membrane at the end of using it for a few weeks a year makes it quite a high cost of use solution.

    Dave

  22. Maxsea ratios

    in General Carnivorous Plant Discussion

    Posted

    On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 12:11 PM, DannieNinety said:

     I read to go lower than recommended so 1/4tsp to 1 gallon which I assumed since most of the sites talking about it are American I should go with a US gallon which is 3.7litres or the other option which is UK gallon at 4.5litres..

    I mix 1/4tsp in 2 litres, and pitcher feed sarracenias and nepenthes, from adults to seedlings. I've certainly not had any problems with this and I believe it is effective.  

  24. Meadowview Biological Research Station shipping Sarracenia to Europe?

    in General Carnivorous Plant Discussion

    Posted

    Mike King has done several bulk orders from him to the US. e.g. http://sarracenia.proboards.com/thread/1883/mike-king-usa-import 

    I'm not aware anything similar has happened in reverse before now, though clearly some US clones are making their way over here somehow.  

    If I could add one suggestion, if a means of doing this were established, it would be wonderful if the scope were extended (for a handling and shipping fee of course) to holding and forwarding plants from other US nurseries or individuals (kind of a hub), to really break down cultivation barriers

     

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