2018 Do you use 'artificial' lights? Why? Can we see pics of them?
Comments (21)
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Comments (42)I love this thread!! When I lived in IL, my "black thumb" ex husband decided he wanted to be a farmer and raise "crops" in our city back yard. He proceeded to rip out a number of decades old lilac bushes to make room, burning out the transmission of our car, then decimated a perfectly good tiller that belonged to a neighbor. I wound up buying and planting "his" garden. When I had my fill, I told him to weed it. Yep he did!!!!! pulled up everything I planted and left all the weeds!!! Just for good measure he also pulled up all the azaleas I just planted for a border. To add insult to injury, I wound up replanting, weeding and caring for a garden I didn't even want. The ultimate insult was when the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and greens were finally ready, he picked them and gave them away letting people know that he grew them himself in his own garden! Next year the garden was turned to lawn, which I wound up mowing. Any wonder he's an EX????...See MoreDo you see what we can't?
Comments (21)Different look with raised cabinets. This needed a photo! About the ref, pantry and what you posted - the surround for the refrigerator can be drywall and you don't have to have a cabinet to have a pantry. If you use plywood instead of 2x4's to make the surround for the ref and pantry, you end up with a much thinner wall AND it can support a bunch of weight anywhere. All of the plans are interesting. I'd be hesitant to give up a pantry - even if it was only 24" wide. Some of the plans above are large enough to consider a cooktop with separate ovens. Personally, I might stack a speed oven and larger conventional/convection oven. A speed oven does triple duty (micro, thermal or both). When you look at them, go stand in your current kitchen and think about (1) the orientation of the chef while cooking (which way are you facing and where would you prefer to be facing), (2) whether you need to worry about another person doing cleanup, (3) do you need to support seating in the kitchen at all? (4) given the plan, will you ever use the dining room, (5) You are already thinking about storage requirements... There is a certain quantity of stuff that each cook needs at hand and it's somewhat personal by also somewhat controlled by space available nearby for infrequently used stuff. Different people will have different answers as to how much storage is enough and every answer may be different. The same person in two different physical spaces may answer that question differently or in different ways at different points in their lives. One of the things we did with fascinating results was to pack up everything while under construction except for things I really needed to run a temporary kitchen. When we were finished, we only unpacked what we needed when we needed it. The stuff that STILL remained packed two years later got shipped off to Goodwill. If your partner/family are good sports, you could purge now. It will give you a really good feel for how many square feet of storage you'll need....See MoreCuttings
Comments (86)A few new cuttings: At the back is a bit of jade that I found in a spot that the council overzealously cleared. This chunky bit would have been sitting there for about a month, so it's pretty dried up. Hopefully it'll be okay. Centre left a crassula tetragona ( I think?) cutting. Centre right an unknown aloe. It's like A.arborescens, but smaller and more compact. And the teeth are rather orange, which I have not noticed on A.arborescens ( by which I mean plants that I think are a.arborescens). But I guess it could be a cultivar or hybrid. In the front are some echeveria (I think? Or maybe hybrids). The cuttings on the left are rather tragic, they came from a friends plant. I think the plant suffered some sort of severe mechanical damage at some point, and has been rather neglected since. I have some leaf cuttings as well. Hopefully something will work : )...See More'Aloe' plants of 2018, please let's see them!
Comments (75)I have a few dwarf aloes due to space considerations. Mine are all under lights during the winter. Seattle light is very poor for succulents in the winter. I also tend to collect species rather than hybrids, but I have both. Seattle is a lousy place to buy aloes. Onward to the plants: Aloe 'Walmseys Blue' Aloe dichotoma, a tree aloe. Unkown Aloe hybrid? Aloe bellatula Aloe striata Aloe sp. Aloe juvenana Another unknown hybrid Aloe brevifolia Aloe sinkata...See More
jaittasa
6 years agoStill using my quantum board LEDs and really liking them. Definitely going to order more once I get a new multishelf grow tent.
myermike_1micha thanked jaittasa
ewwmayo
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoWinter light is pretty scarce, so I'm using grow lights. T5HO serve me quite well. Some plants stay inside under lights all year because it's easier to control the growing environment, where other plants of mine go outside on the roof from late spring to late fall.
Took these photos just now:
Jeff (5b)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoI just posted this in another thread. These are my new T5HO grow lights in the kitchen (not the top shelf), which is where I have most of my plants. Two bulbs in lower light, one on middle shelf.
This is a big improvement. Time will tell if I want more power. I was so frustrated for so many years that I wasn't really into it, even though I've had many of these for a long time. I had given up on all but about 2-3 Echeverias. E. purpusorum is a great one. Haworthias are what I got to like the best. Some got cut off in this photo.
I have a 4 lamp 4' T5HO in the basement for seeds and cuttings, but that's way too messy to show. People here have such immaculate setups.
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoJeff (5b)
6 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
Christina Bay Area
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoI'm in Northern California, where we get nice 70s sometimes in the winter, but despite the fortunate conditions we get here... I like to be in control of the environment especially with how precious some of the plants I have are to me. Some are hard for me to replace.
The position of my house is also unfavorable for winter sunlight, whether plants are indoors or out.
Actually, a huge reason for artificial lights is probably the lack of square footage I have. I can only go up. Artificial lighting allows me to stack my plants. It’s very messy in the garage as you’ll see :).
Lastly, BUGS & mold. The garage where my plants reside is dry enough that I think it deters gnats and mealy bugs. Not all my plants are in non-organic matter.
Some pics:
mini setup - fluorescent 2ft. T5 lights only. Held in place with zip ties, daisy chained
Main setup taken in the fall - mix of fluorescent 2ft and 4 ft LEDs. Held by zip ties and S-hooks. I use 1 timer for the lights, and have a oscillating fan on 24/7 + Humidity and temp monitor (thanks to Kevin for the suggestion... (: )
myermike_1micha thanked Christina Bay Areamyermike_1micha
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoJeff (5b)
6 years ago
Krista Shaffer (Philly 7b)
6 years agoI use T8s. I have lost a few echeverias to rot outside in the summer due to humidity and rain and winters are far too cold for them to be outside right now.
My plants are also small and don’t require a ton of space.
ewwmayo
6 years agojaittasa
6 years ago
Sugi_C (Las Vegas, NV)
6 years agoI have never used lights, but for a few years now, those of you who do use lights have fascinated me, and often tempted me. And recently, especially starting my seeds, I’ve been hellbent on installing grow lights, either in my eat-in kitchen area or in my garage.
Since seeds are merely a springtime 5-7 week activity for me, I couldn’t justify the cost since I only plant what we can cook with and share with friends and neighbors, but providing better and more consistent light to my succulents or cuttings/propagations when not growing seeds sounds enticing.
So I know nothing about lights, but this is what I am considering (and it’s probably priced and marketed to someone just like me, haha):
https://www.gardeners.com/buy/t5-grow-light-stand-three-shelves/39-357.html
It’s a little overkill for me in terms of space if it’s just seedlings, where I’d really only need one shelf, but if it’s for the succulents, OK. I googled separate components first but by the time I have my boyfriend rig it to work in a similar fashion and putting holes in ceilings (and potentially bringing the house down), the cost won’t be all that different if I shoot for three tiers, it seems (or will it?). Besides,I should then be able to dedicate a whole level to microgreens, or temp-sensitive herbs like cilantro, etc. with no consideration for season and outside temperature, no?
What I don’t know is whether the lights are strong/good enough for what I’m wanting, and whether, in your opinions, it’s a fair price for what it offers. If not, can you recommend what I should buy? There seem to be purplish disco light-like gadgets, bulb lights, fluorescent lights, etc. and each claim they’re great.
Any guidance you can offer would be appreciated!
jaittasa
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
ammar nadeem
6 years ago
SpanishFly - (Mediterranean)
6 years agoammar nadeem
6 years agoJeff (5b)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
oks2n2_Siberia1