# Emergent Photo Journal



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I have accumulated an extensive amount of plants in my emerged setup over the years. As some of you may already know from APC, most of these plants are cryptocoryne. But recently, I've developed an interest in rare anubias and bucephalandra sp. as well.


Pictures will follow in a bit...


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Can't wait!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

My setup is not ascetically pleasing but it is functional. There are currently four containers, all plumbed together into one sump for easy dosing and water change. 

Another reason why I had the setup the way it is is because I am also a real sucker when it comes to fungus strikes. So, whey they hit, all I need to do is change the pvc pipe to elevate the water level to skim them out into the sump. Or, I could do the same when I want to grow something completely submerged.

Here is the 55g - mostly crypts:










30g - mostly anubias:










2 X 18g rubber maid tubs: 





















I will take some individual pictures when I repot some plants this weekend.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

mean while... can you guess who this spathe belongs to? It just opened up this afternoon.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Here are some anubias I have collected so far. Some of these are aquarium strains but most cannot be grown submerged in the long run.


Anubias coffeefolia










Anubias Minima










Anubias pynaertii --- true rare gem










Anubias sp Gabon 1










Anubias sp Gabon 2


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Anubias barteri var. caladiifolia











Anubias barteri var glabra










Anubias barteri var nana











Anubias nana x gabon









Anubias barteri 'Keglya' Hybrid caladiifolia x glabra


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Anubias heterophylla










Anubias barteri var. nana albo variegata cv. Marbled





















Anubias undulatus


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## dbLbogie (May 1, 2011)

I never hopped on the crypt collectoritis train, but your anubias collection sure looks like it might be in my near future.

Wow fantastic thanks for sharing !!


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

Of course _you're_ the first person I've seen on here with anubias sp. Gabon. You know if it flowers?


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## xJaypex (Jul 4, 2009)

Awesome setup, so you keep you're humidity really high?
Any tips on how to prevent/ rid of bga looking algae in the substrate? I seem to be getting it alot in my set up.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Wow those are some great Anubias that you have there.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks for the comments.

I don't check the humidity level but it looks like it is always on the low 90/high 80's.

For any fungus or this black slime algae (not sure what this is) issues, I raise the water level by swapping out the pvc pipe when either one of these gets out of control. The slime algae and fungus will float and skimmed to the sump. I'll take a pic of this later. I also have pond snails in there that will eat the algae and give back nutrients to the plants at the same time.






xJaypex said:


> Awesome setup, so you keep you're humidity really high?
> Any tips on how to prevent/ rid of bga looking algae in the substrate? I seem to be getting it alot in my set up.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I had one of the Gabon (2) bloom few weeks ago. As for the first one, I haven't seen it bloom yet. I only got a piece of rizhome when I got the plant but I am sure it will bloom eventually.





snausage said:


> Of course _you're_ the first person I've seen on here with anubias sp. Gabon. You know if it flowers?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey have you looked at acquiring any of those odd little SE Asia rheophytic aroids like _Piptospatha_, _Aridarum_ and _Schismatoglottis_?


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Goodness ! What a beautiful collection of Anubias you have there


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Not at the moment. There are many aroids to collect but funds are pretty limited. 

Those are great candidates for a rpiarium setup though 




hydrophyte said:


> Hey have you looked at acquiring any of those odd little SE Asia rheophytic aroids like _Piptospatha_, _Aridarum_ and _Schismatoglottis_?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Yep those are pretty amazing plants, but hard to get into the US. A few years back _Piptospatha reidleyi _was apparently pretty common in the hobby in Europe, but I have looked around and can't find it anywhere.

_Bucephalandra_ is in that same group of aroids with those other genera. 

I have _Schsimatoglottis_ 'Frosty Kiss' growing very well as a riparium plant.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Look at the awesome foliage, and spathes, on that Piptospatha ridleyi...

http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=opera&rls=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=piptospatha+ridleyi&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

No arguments here. http://photozou.jp/photo/photo_only/201087/41235067?size=450

I haven't done much reading on these sp. yet but will they survive in short/long term submergent growth?



hydrophyte said:


> Look at the awesome foliage, and spathes, on that Piptospatha ridleyi...
> 
> http://www.google.com/search?um=1&h...spatha+ridleyi&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

OK, I have an emersed setup going and it is nothing like this. I am wondering what you dose, your light, how you keep humidity in check, and how you have everything hooked to a sump. Sorry for all the questions, but I am a newb. Oh, yeah, do you have any experience with Java Fern in a set up like this?

And I am loving you plants by the way. I hope one day I can achieve something like that.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks for the compliment. 

Here is a quick and cheap visio diagram that will give you a better idea on how my tanks are connected. The pumps from the sumps are pretty strong. So I get a good amount of water flow coming from the initial 60g acrylic to the 30g acrylic. I will likely change the plants in this tank that would enjoy rapid currents.

I also setup another 60g recently. It's hooked up to a sump on its own and I intend to go black water with this one.

I use osmocote in the pots and I give a mild dosage of miracle grow every other week.














cableguy69846 said:


> OK, I have an emersed setup going and it is nothing like this. I am wondering what you dose, your light, how you keep humidity in check, and how you have everything hooked to a sump. Sorry for all the questions, but I am a newb. Oh, yeah, do you have any experience with Java Fern in a set up like this?
> 
> And I am loving you plants by the way. I hope one day I can achieve something like that.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Forgot to add that I also got two new additions to my anubias collection. Ellepticus and variegated nana. I'll take photos of them later.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Wow. That is quite a setup. Do you find that moving the water through the sumps helps the plants, or is that just to keep it clear and smell free?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I am sure the plant roots appreciate the oxygenated water but I was aiming to simplify maintenance


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

looking4roselines said:


> I am sure the plant roots appreciate the oxygenated water but I was aiming to simplify maintenance


Got ya. Before you set it up this way, did you have it the cheap way? Like just water in the bottom of the tank with no circulation and all that? That is how I am running my setup, and the water looks like crap.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I used to run my tank with at least a Low power pump to get the water moving but I have the tendency to neglect them when the water level is low and pump running dry


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

where did you get the acrylic tanks from? are they custom made..

I'm tossing some ideas around and i like the acrylic route for being able to drill

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

One of the 60 was in excellent condition. This was given to me from a distant relative. I bought the other 60 for 20 or 30 bucks at craigslist a few years back. This one was pretty worn down but I Polished the front pane and got rid of all the smaller scratches

The 30 g was given to me frOm a friend. This was also in good condition


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Tanks are all standard sizes


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Those are some great steals, I'm prob going to do a 40 breeder until I figure out something better for my rare plants and use the cheap ones for trimmings.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

My two new babies

anubias variegated nana









anubias ellipticus - this is one of my favorite anubias. I had to trim all the older leaves off since it came with a smaller rhizhome and the leaves were tipping the plant over. The two leaves shown here are new growth.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

looking4roselines said:


> I used to run my tank with at least a Low power pump to get the water moving but I have the tendency to neglect them when the water level is low and pump running dry


I am thinking I need to do something for water movement, but I am not sure what. My water looks like liquid mud at the moment. I was thinking of making a false bottom and putting a small power head in the water and maybe a heater for the winter. Not sure yet though.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

If temp goes below 70 in the winter, you definitely need a heater. My plants didn't grow very well in the winter without a heater. Keeping a heater will also help you maintain the humidity level


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Wow very cool. Do you know is that variegation more or less stable? 

I never heard of _A. ellipticus _before.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Looking around a bit I just ran into this page...

http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/articles/aqua/anubias_en.htm

That's more pictures than I ahve seen anywhere else. I guess there are at least two Russian experts on _Anubias_. I think it is another dude who has that blog.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

looking4roselines said:


> If temp goes below 70 in the winter, you definitely need a heater. My plants didn't grow very well in the winter without a heater. Keeping a heater will also help you maintain the humidity level


That is what I was thinking. I was going to try to keep the temp at about 80*F or so. I noticed the higher the temp, the higher the humidity. I am also thinking of putting in a false bottom so I can have more water in the tub. I figure that would also help with the humidity.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

How warm can you keep the water in the tank without it effecting the plants

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

High 80. Crypt leaves are prone to melting in higher temperatures. Especially the area where the leave make contact with other leaves


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## malaybiswas (Nov 2, 2008)

Awesome setup you have there? Share some of your crypt and bucy collection also pls.

How do you mist it?


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

I was wondering about that, I put a small heater in my setup and it was keeping the water about 85 the air temp around 78-80 and humidity at 100%. 

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I don't mist them.
I'll upload some of the older photos in a bit and get new photos up over the weekend.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Here are some older photos. 

C ferruguinea - This plant finally started to send runners. I'll have one or two ready to be detatched in a month or two. 










C noritoi









C cordata thailand











C cordata rosanervig









Rosanervig at her prime










C spiralis dwarf


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Wow very cool I don't know if I have ever seen 'Rosanervig' emersed before.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Here are two of the bucephalandra sp that I have. I have others. Ill take pics later...

Buce sp. "Kapit"










Buce sp. "S. Malinau"


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

The white circle is a quarter by the way.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Some crypt photos

c zaidania 









c fusca









c walkeri legroi










c cordata var. zonata 









C nurii










C bangkaensis bangka dwarf


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I forgot to put the lid back on one time!

This pot was taken out of water to be grown emersed.










It looks like this after all the leaves were dried out. Luckily the rhizome was still viable. There are a few new side shoots.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> I forgot to put the lid back on one time!
> 
> This pot was taken out of water to be grown emersed.
> 
> ...


How long did you leave the lid off for and do you know what the humidity dropped down to? 

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I left the lid off over night and didnt notice until the next afternoon. It was at least 12-15 hours.

I didnt check the humidity levels. It was probably 35-40%? The crypts and anubias weren't really affected by this though.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

I'm wondering how much going from submersed to emerged had to do with it, I noticed that I lost a couple leaves on the sokan I got that was submersed but the other two had no issues. The leaves on the sokan were also a little pale compared to the others..

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Great observation - the cuticles on the submerged leaves should be much thinner than the emerged leaves. I didn't think of that at all. 

Did the sokan send out new roots yet?


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Great observation - the cuticles on the submerged leaves should be much thinner than the emerged leaves. I didn't think of that at all.
> 
> Did the sokan send out new roots yet?


Actually it did white kinda fuzzy roots coming from up on the stem, I was suprised to see them as quick as I did, there were some when I got it but more after a week.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Here is an observation of submerged growth VS emerged growth of bucephalandra sp. 

The two plant below is the Green Velvet. Notice a growth pattern on these two plants? Since the submerged plant can get nutrients through the water column, it is not too concerned with root development and more focused on sending side shoots.

Now look at the immersed plant, it has a massive root system but no side shoots.

*Immersed on the left* and submerged on the right:


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## TactusMortus (Jun 28, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Here is an observation of submerged growth VS emerged growth of bucephalandra sp.
> 
> The two plant below is the Green Velvet. Notice a growth pattern on these two plants? Since the submerged plant can get nutrients through the water column, it is not too concerned with root development and more focused on sending side shoots.
> 
> ...


Hmm, that is a pretty drastic difference. I would have thought the opposite would happen.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I screwed up - plant on the left is immersed and the one on the right is submerged


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Well I spent some time tonight researching rheophytic plants (plants that live between the low level and high level mark of fast moving streams, they are specialized to withstand the high current examples of other rheophytes that ppl would know are anubias and java fern) bucephalandras are all rheotypes and one thing I have read in a couple places is that during the rainy season when they are being submersed the most they enter a growth stage where they ae sending out shoots and during the dry season when they only get submersed sporatically they stop growing and focus on flowering. This may answer why you are seeing the shoots growing more while submersed. I'm not sure why root growth is more when emersed though.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

One of my newer addition
Aglaonema pictum velvet tricolor. Isn't she pretty?


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> One of my newer addition
> Aglaonema pictum velvet tricolor. Isn't she pretty?


It almost looks like a veterans day spoof, lol got a nice camo pattern going there..

Len


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## mcqueenesq (Aug 29, 2011)

Amazing!


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## zachary908 (Feb 12, 2011)

:drool: L4R, that last plant is amazing!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

zachary908 said:


> :drool: L4R, that last plant is amazing!


Thanks. This is one of those aroids that can tolerate lower humidity levels


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## bryfox86 (Apr 6, 2011)

I am absolutely in love with that last plant! all of your plants look amazing but she is a real beauty! where can I find one of those?


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

looking4roselines said:


> One of my newer addition
> Aglaonema pictum velvet tricolor. Isn't she pretty?


Where do we sign up for one of these gals? :drool:


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

That's like frickin camo dude....


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

speedie408 said:


> Where do we sign up for one of these gals? :drool:


I'm sure the tricolor version is hard to find but other than that Aglaonema sp are just the common Chinese evergreen you see in most nurseries, I'm going to start looking for neat hybrids of it now, that thing will get huge eventually (2' x 2') though so I'm sure Xue will have some to share eventually especially because you can grow it from cuttings, the Aglaonema pictum tricolor is actually a cultivar by the way and more commonly known as 'Indonesian evergreen' they are great plants because it is near impossible to kill them and they love low light.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Aglaonema pictum is an awesome plant. I wanted a bush of it for my livingroom so I got another piece to speed up the process. Adult size plants cost almost two benjamins. Only could afford a small plant on this round. 

Its sitting on a four inch pot for size reference. Cant wait for this baby to grow


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Although they are a little pricy there is always a good selection of them on eBay lots of nice red varieties, I'm not a huge fan of the reds I like the tricolor you found with the extra green added into the normal coloring.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

*Green velvet spathe*

Most buce have smaller spathes in general but buce green velvet has one of the biggest spathe I have seen. Its huge. Almost an inch tall.

















Here is an update on the shooters from the comparison on submerged VS immersed growth (post #53). The shooters are starting to become plantlets. This plant was planted immersed after taking it out of the water by the way. If you want to propagate your buce, submerge it.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

If jealousy is a sin, I'm sinning.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

I actually wanna get one of these for my future emersd setup someday... Someday when I'm out of my teens and get a job. :hihi:


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Most buce have smaller spathes in general but buce green velvet has one of the biggest spathe I have seen. Its huge. Almost an inch tall.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I just stuck my green velvet in my tank submersed, now I can't wait to get some shoots to start so I can take it out and see it flower, take some good pic of the spathe we need to compare shots because I'm cureous is some of these buces are actually different species


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## MoeBetta (Feb 5, 2011)

Very nice, i know what my 20L will be when I get a new tank.

Thanks for sharing.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

The spathe is about to open. Ill try to get better photos tonight. As far as I know, there are about 3-4 recognized species of bucephalandras. Motleyana is probably the sp we are circulating in the hobby. 

Did you find any distinctive characteristics of the spathe to differentiate?

Here is an article I found describing buce. gigantea 
http://www.springerlink.com/content/n47781456ug03658/fulltext.pdf


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Here it is. The spathe opened up tonight after I came home from work. It's the best I can do with a cheap point and shoot camera.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Why did you take the outside off? Just got a better pic? Or do you have to trim the flowers for better growth?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

jkan0228 said:


> Why did you take the outside off? Just got a better pic? Or do you have to trim the flowers for better growth?



I cut the flower off the plant so its easier to for me to snap the photos. I also trimmed the petal (is this what it's called?) to get a better look at the internal structure (male and female part of the flower, etc) of the flower. This could help us differentiate species.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Oh okay, yea well thats what I call them... petals.... like a flower petal 
Is it possible to create seeds if you had a male and a female?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

The male and female part of the flower exists in the same flower but I am not sure if bucephalandras are self fertile.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Then how would you make seeds? 

Since they're rhizome plants like anubias, do they work the same way with just splitting the rhizome to make two plants?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Some plants are self fertile (where the pollen of the anther falls into the stigma of the same plant) but some requires the transfer of pollen from a different plant. 

You're right. They're like anubias and rhizome division is another method of propagation.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

just got a fix to my addiction:

C auriculata "Betong"


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

I really like the random blotches of dark green on the leaves.


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

Beautiful specimen! I love the color and pattern on the leaves. Got any extra?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Sorry Hung. I just got one.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Are you going to try to pollinate the Buce with a paintbrush? I have never seen seeds from these guys.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Beautiful auriculata Xue!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks Steve 

Chad, ill try to manually pollinate next time when they flower. I am not putting my hopes up though


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

looking4roselines said:


> Sorry Hung. I just got one.


no problem... please let me know when/if you have a baby plantlet available to ship to me. :hihi:


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

A couple of my emerged buce. started to form variegated leaves spontaneously. Old growth are normal but new leaves and new shooters have become variegated. There were no drastic environmental changes so I am not sure what triggered it.


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Pink Leaves! Very cool


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Cool! More variegated Buces! Love the color.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

An update on a few things.

Anyone else traded with Chad for a crypt indonesia? I got it to send out a spathe and it almost confirmed my suspicion that this is a sri lankan crypt. Not indonesian. Just waiting for it to open now...








Can you see the spathe?










C cordata saimensis flowered again but this time I got a fruit. C cordata thailand, noritoi, ideii, and usterianaxwalkeri all had spathes that formed at the same time as c cordata saimensis. I am hoping to get a hybrid.


















Mother c ferruginea and cordata rosanervig is flowering again. Snapped these while I was at it.


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## Cardinal Tetra (Feb 26, 2006)

Hey Xue. I got the "Indonesian" one too. It looks like a _C. wendtii_ variety in my eyes. It's rather different from the other types submersed though.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I suspected that it was a c wenditii as well. But it is a nice variant. Not like any wenditii I have grown.

Here is the same plant when it was smaller grown submerged
It's the plant behind the driftwood to the right


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## Bahugo (Apr 18, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> A couple of my emerged buce. started to form variegated leaves spontaneously. Old growth are normal but new leaves and new shooters have become variegated. There were no drastic environmental changes so I am not sure what triggered it.


I know this is rather late, but are these buces ones that have bloomed for you? I have had some of my emersed plants begin too change colors too roughly the same color as the ones you posted after they have bloomed... Maybe it's just a coincidence.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I didn't notice any blooms on them. Plus, those are smaller specimen so I doubt that they bloomed.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Nice spathes!


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## wetworks (Jul 22, 2011)

What an excellent collection of plants!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

wetworks said:


> What an excellent collection of plants!


Thanks. Collection is still growing even though I am seriously low on space. All my emerged plants are still in my garage. I just got a nice package of some non mainstream anubias from Gordon. Great stuff. I'll post some new pics of them later.

I have the materials to build a greenhouse next to my garage since it is shaded most of the day. I've been talking a lot but no action. I need to establish a plan and set some goals to get the ball rolling.


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

sounds like you got a project to work!!!!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

n00dl3 said:


> sounds like you got a project to work!!!!


Made some progress over the weekend. 

Just hauled at least 500 lbs of sand into my backyard to clear some space. I got a lot more stuff to move. The previous owner was professional land scaper and he left a lot of stuff outside the garage. I might be able to use the sand for later


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## manualfocus (Jun 15, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Collection is still growing even though I am seriously low on space.


I have plenty of space for your plants, Xue! :hihi: 

Awesome plants, as always.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

manualfocus said:


> I have plenty of space for your plants, Xue! :hihi:
> 
> Awesome plants, as always.


I think my space issue just got resolved. My friend sent me a text about this sign yesterday








What the sign didn't mention is that they are all acrylic tanks


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Man you find some great deals Xue.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks. Bought 20 20g and a few 60g. This shop is downgrading and they got rid of their fish section.

One man's loss is another man's gain. +1 for the green house


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Took a few photos today.

repotted anubias ellipticus into a larger plastic pot.








some healthy looking roots. This was a diseased plant when I first received it.









Change your labels. C indonesia is c wenditii. Spathe is now fully open and id is confirmed.

















C ferruginea's spathe is still work in progress









C fusca flowering for the first time ever. Still no plantlets after two years.









Random shots of emersed stems poking out of my 90g. They are not planted by the way. Just floating on the back side of the tank to reduce light entering into the tank.
ludwigia pilosa and poly sp sao paulo









Sao paulo flowers









And it's seedlings


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

looking4roselines said:


> Thanks. Bought 20 20g and a few 60g. This shop is downgrading and they got rid of their fish section.
> 
> One man's loss is another man's gain. +1 for the green house


Awesome deal!!! The green house is getting closer. Can't wait to see it!!!

Congrats on the getting a spathe for c fusca.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

What kind of disease did the A.ellipticus have? Was it the same type Newt had on his coffeefolia over on APC? Just wondering if it was the same and if it is curable?

Good job on the C. fusca.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

It was some kind of root rot. He roots were brown, flaky, and brittle when I received it. I trimmed them to the rhizome and anchored the plant down to the pot with fishing line. It eventually sent new roots in a month or so. All the older leaves were trimmed or fallen off. 4 new leaves grew over the year with each bigger than the previous. This is one of the slowest growing Anubias I own. The previous owner had only two leaves in the last year when he had it


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Wow Xue, you done alot since I saw this thread last! I really hope you get your greenhouse up. I wish I was close enough to help you  It might be worth a trip to CA to see this thing when it really gets going. 20 20gs? Nice!
Thats cool on the Indonesia as well. Mine still hasnt done anything. It was one that got burnt by the heat episode. It has recovered but I dont expect any spathes soon.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks chad. Did the box come in yesterday? It is insulated with foam liners but I hope it comes on ok since I ran out of heat pads. 

Clear some more space today. Removed 95% of the sand. Still need to clear some river stone. 

This is the area I've been working on. It looks messy now but progress is being made. The area here is about 15'X30'.


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

looking4roselines said:


> Thanks chad. Did the box come in yesterday? It is insulated with foam liners but I hope it comes on ok since I ran out of heat pads.
> 
> Clear some more space today. Removed 95% of the sand. Still need to clear some river stone.
> 
> This is the area I've been working on. It looks messy now but progress is being made. The area here is about 15'X30'.


 Greenhouse?!?! Will you be accepting field trips after it is up?

Nice plants as always man. I lurk, but don't post much. I always enjoy seeing your plants though. Keep it up man, and I will be following this greenhouse business closely.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

C ferruginea in full bloom. I swear the spathe smells like sweat.

















C fusca still working on it









Lagenandra thawaitsii blooming for the first time. I had this plant for a very long time but it never flowered. The main rhizome was sold and this was the smaller piece that I kept. It evidently had a growth spurt after repotting and sent a bunch of side shoots and now a spathe. Not sure what tirggered it.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Cool looking spathe on the ferruginea. Seems like your hard to flower plants decided to surprise you all at once. Good job!


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## manini (Oct 18, 2007)

Congratulations on the c. fusca. Cant wait to see its spath.

Looking forward in seeing your build on the greenhouse.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks guys. 

I am looking to finish building the green house by the beginning of spring. It will be a "lean-to" type of green house where a wall is shared with the side of the house. Typical lean to green houses in the northern hemisphere is suppose to be facing south to maximize sun light exposure. But mine will be facing west so it will be shaded in the morning/late afternoon and it will receive a full burst of sunlight during the middle of the day. 



manini said:


> Congratulations on the c. fusca. Cant wait to see its spath.
> 
> Looking forward in seeing your build on the greenhouse.




Just to give you an idea of the location:









This is a prime location for the build. It is perfect for the type of plants I will be growing and this is a part of the property where visitors do not have access to. There is no foot traffic in this area and if my nosey relatives decides to pay us a visit, they won't even know I have a greenhouse. You wouldn't want your little cousins plucking out your buce and crypts do you?


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## manualfocus (Jun 15, 2011)

It's unfortunate that it's currently 20 degrees where I live. Building a greenhouse is simply not practical, otherwise, I'd be all over it. Good luck with the build! Subscribed.


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## manini (Oct 18, 2007)

The location sounds like the perfect spot for crypts and buces. Awesome!


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

I noticed my L thwaitsii has just sent out a ton of little shoots as well I'm going to have to look closer and see if it decided to bloom as well, by the way it really likes the hydroton clay balls I'm growing it in, I have a few crypts in hydroton as well and they are all doing good..

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

lbacha said:


> I noticed my L thwaitsii has just sent out a ton of little shoots as well I'm going to have to look closer and see if it decided to bloom as well, by the way it really likes the hydroton clay balls I'm growing it in, I have a few crypts in hydroton as well and they are all doing good..
> 
> Len


Maybe they know spring is coming. Either that or a transplant shock


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Maybe they know spring is coming. Either that or a transplant shock


I know it isn't transplant shock for me because I got mine from you like 4 months ago. It sent out a leave every month or so for the first few months but in the last few weeks it has sent out a ton of baby shoots at it's base. My guess is it was building up a root base and is now in a growth stage but I'm not sure, I almost want to pull it out of the hydroton and see how established the roots are but I'm going to wait to see what it doesn the next coulpe weeks.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

There are no nutritional value in hydroton. We're they heavily fed on root tabs?

The rootball can get massive. When they were in a four inch pot, the roots were pushing the dirt out of the pot


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Nope only the fertz I put in the water and that is just a light dose, I also spray micros once a month, I have root tabs on order and plan on using them in all my pots, I am interested is seeing how they will work with the hydroton. I actually just ordered a smaller sized hydroton than I'm currently using to see how I works.

Len

Len


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Nice work! That _C. ferruginea_ sure is cool.

I have bloomed _C. ciliata_ a couple of times and its spathe smells just like pumpkins, but only for a few hours and by the afternoon it starts to melt.



looking4roselines said:


> C ferruginea in full bloom. I swear the spathe smells like sweat.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks! C cilita has a very interesting spathe. Even it's seedlings are almost alien like. 






hydrophyte said:


> Nice work! That _C. ferruginea_ sure is cool.
> 
> I have bloomed _C. ciliata_ a couple of times and its spathe smells just like pumpkins, but only for a few hours and by the afternoon it starts to melt.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Xue

Here is the L thwaitsii I got from you in the hydroton, it likes the substrate










Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Looks pretty awesome. The silver edge sheen is pretty apparent in your plant. It's definitely a good candidate for a riparium setup. I know people that grew this plant submerged as well.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

looking4roselines said:


> Thanks! C cilita has a very interesting spathe. Even it's seedlings are almost alien like.


Have you noticed those little rhizome sections that snap off the base? They snap off clean and they have hard points like a red mangrove propagule. I am sure they work the same way and float away with the tide then plant themselves in the mud someplace else with that hard point...very unusual.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I haven't noticed the hard point but I've seem them send aerial shooters only and these seem to break off pretty easily. I no longer have this plant though. I was out of space and it had to go


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

here is an updated picture of my anubias sp gabon. there are blotches of random variegation.









here is another anubias sp gabon that i've been growing on rock wool


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Very nice Xue. How old is the big one?


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Cool patterning on the gabon. 

Any updates on the C. fusca and L. thwaitesii spathes?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Chad - I am guessing it is about a year and a half to two years.
Steve - I'll take some photos tonight. Spathes are still not open yet but c fusca is getting pretty close.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That _Anubias_ is cool. Is "Gabon" a species name or a variety/location?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

its a location. I should probably call it sp. Gabon. The two gabon above are two very different anubias collected in gabon by the way. the smaller one is about the size of anubias nana.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Nice, always love to see your spathe pics bro!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

C fusca's spathe finally opened last night. But is this truely c fusca? It is not the same c fusca I know from Jan's crypt pages. 


















The tip of the spathe is extremely short compared to the ones shown in the crypt pages:
http://crypts.home.xs4all.nl/Cryptocoryne/Gallery/fus/fus.html











Any ideas on the true identity of my crypt? A hybrid of some sort? I cannot find a spathe on anywebsite that matches mine.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Hmm, interesting....it certainly looks different from the pics of C fusca spathes I've seen. Maybe you should post this on APC? There seems to be a bigger 'world' audience there.

On another note, how's your greenhouse coming along? Can't wait to see it come to fruition.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

wabisabi said:


> Hmm, interesting....it certainly looks different from the pics of C fusca spathes I've seen. Maybe you should post this on APC? There seems to be a bigger 'world' audience there.
> 
> On another note, how's your greenhouse coming along? Can't wait to see it come to fruition.


I'll post this over at apc to see if I can get some more opinions on it

Not much progress on the greenhouse. I still have a ton of river stones to relocate. I did talk to my neighbor though. He is a retired contractor and he will lend me a hand on putting up the frames when I am ready

I have another bloom report. c legroi


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

It must be crypt flowering season!

Good to have a person in the trade to help you with construction. Move dem stones!


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## Fishies_in_Philly (Dec 8, 2011)

awesome setup roseline, did you ever get 100% id on the C fusca??


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Fishies_in_Philly said:


> awesome setup roseline, did you ever get 100% id on the C fusca??


Thanks. There were further discussion on my apc thread and came to the conclusion that not all fusca will have a twisted limb. We are suspecting that this plant is indeed c fusca


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

C legroi's spathe opened today but I am a bit confused. I originally thought this was a form of walkeri but the spathe resembles a c wenditti. I got the plant from chad but I think this was from a credible European source. 

The submerged and emerged form resembles the c legroi I came across on the Internet but the spathe is throwing me off


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

*Piptospatha propagation*

by side shoot. This is for anyone else that hasn't noticed how it propagates.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> by side shoot. This is for anyone else that hasn't noticed how it propagates.


Hmm is that a picture of your piptospatha Xue? If it is that's awesome because I've been trying to figure out how these things propagate, mine is looking amazing 7 leaves on it and each one is bigger than the last, my Bakoa are doing good as well lots of new leaves on them they seem to be a pretty fast grower.

Len


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

looking4roselines said:


> C legroi's spathe opened today but I am a bit confused. I originally thought this was a form of walkeri but the spathe resembles a c wenditti. I got the plant from chad but I think this was from a credible European source.
> 
> The submerged and emerged form resembles the c legroi I came across on the Internet but the spathe is throwing me off


I was informed it was another Wendtii variety, but I am also not sure. Mine has never put up a spathe. Thats TWICE one of the plants I sent has bloomed for you and not for me  I am glad someone is doing good with them  My setup is rebounding nicely but I dont expect too many spathes just yet.


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Great looking shots and plants, congrats on the blooms


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

2in10 said:


> Great looking shots and plants, congrats on the blooms


Thanks.

Len that is one of my plant. I thought it was a root originally but it looked a little odd until I saw a tiny leaf forming

Chad, I have plenty of the two crypts you sent me, if you need any back to repopulate your culture, let me know and I'll send some back to you


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Hmm, now I'm going to have to look a lot closer to both my piptospatha and bakoa because both have a lot of new roots shooting out, I'm wondering if any are offshoots, I'd love to split the piptospatha it has doubled since I got it from you and by the number of shoots into the soil I'm sure it has a nice root base forming, ill find out soon because my terrarium is almost ready to plant and it will go into it.

Len


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Any updates on this project, Xue?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Hi Don,
If you are asking about the green house... I got a little lazy and there were some other minor setbacks. I have been busy working on other parts of the house. I am currently replacing some rain gutters all around the house and redoing some of the copper pipping on the back side of the house. I'll resume when these are complete. 

But if you're asking for spathe updates, I have my red affinis flowering under water. Although it is not "emerged".

See the dark spiral limb?









Here is the affinis family


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Cool! Looks like it's developing nicely.


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## manualfocus (Jun 15, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> I got a little lazy and there were some other minor setbacks. I have been busy working on other parts of the house. I am currently replacing some rain gutters all around the house and redoing some of the copper pipping on the back side of the house. I'll resume when these are complete.


You need to get your priorities straight, Xue. Plants > Choirs. :hihi:


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Those are some beautiful affinis. Malaya has taken most of mine down so beware of that stuff


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Malaya has done horrible for some things I have but the red affinis I got from Xue lives it, I put a root medic cap below the plant and it now has a out a dozen leaves all about 6-8" long. The Malaya has been in my tank almost a year now so that may be why it isn't having the same effect that new stuff does.


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Right on, Xue!! That affinis patch is perfection! I was referring to your plants, but was hoping you would provide a "greenhouse" update too!  I would agree that your priorities are out of order...I mean, "gutters"??? "Copper Piping"??? "Lazy"?????!!!!! 

Very nice spathe...pretty remarkable that you were able to get it to flower underwater!

Everything looks wonderful, as I suspected......too much to ask for a fts sometime soon?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Haha you guys are too funny. 





crazydaz said:


> Very nice spathe...pretty remarkable that you were able to get it to flower underwater!


There are a few members who had flowered their crypts under water. C nurii, usteriana, and usteriana x walkeri seems to flower easily submerged.

I am keeping an eye out on my c keei patch also. A lot of the plants are showing prominent cathaphyls. This is usually a sign when crypts are attempting to flower


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Noticed two anubias flowering today during maintenance. 

anubias barteri var glabra


















anubias glabra x caladiifolia


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Some non aquatic aroids

aglaonema pictum tricolor update









my new adiction. Phalaenopsis sp. I am still trying to get a good handle on how to culture these before I play with the expensive sp.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Looks like you'll really be needing that greenhouse sooner or later! Got any sprays from those Phals yet?


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Actually I see some support stakes for the sprays. How bout some pics?


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

I may be getting a huge order of jewel orchids in, you need to hurry up on your greenhouse so I have a place to send some, 200 plant minimum orders make for alot of plants, they have alot of phaelonopsis as well and I was 
thinking of getting a few of them as well.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Yeah I know I have been lagging it as far as the green house is concerned. I am not pulling your leg and i need to keep my handy man hat on for at least two more weeks. Rain gutters are almost done. With the help of a good friend, we already installed the back and the sides of the house to get a good handle before we screw up the front. Looks almost professionally installed considering the fact that we have never done much home improvement...check it out

The glendora foothills in the background.
You can almost see my emersed setup in the other photo


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Almost forgot about this guy. The piptospatha keiki is showing signs of growth but it appears to be slow growing considering how fast the mother plant is growing



Xue


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

lbacha said:


> I may be getting a huge order of jewel orchids in, you need to hurry up on your greenhouse so I have a place to send some, 200 plant minimum orders make for alot of plants, they have alot of phaelonopsis as well and I was
> thinking of getting a few of them as well.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD



Len,

When are you placing your order for the orchids? I might be interested in a few sp. 

Did you get an import license?

This is for Steve.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Good job on the raingutters. 

Did the mother Piptospatha already have 2 shoots? Is that two keiki in the first photo? One near the rim of the pot and another coming directly off the mother?

Still waiting for mine to propagate.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

wabisabi said:


> Good job on the raingutters.
> 
> Did the mother Piptospatha already have 2 shoots? Is that two keiki in the first photo? One near the rim of the pot and another coming directly off the mother?
> 
> Still waiting for mine to propagate.


Glad to see this is how they propogate, I've been waiting to see how mine would multiply, it has tons of roots and throws a new leaf every week or two so it must like it's home. My bakoa is growing fast as well and will be moved to my terrarium soon.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Got new plants earlier this week but didnt get a chance to plant them until now. I'll get some better photos later once potted. there are some sp that are pretty hard to track down. 

They are mostly crypts and two lagenandra collected from india. Specie is not confirmed but it appears to be meeboldi at first glance. But then again, the leaves are only 1/4 the size of the l. meeboldi I used to grow.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

New crypts after planting






















































Experimenting with charcoal on c bullosa. Already sent a second leaf. This plant was planted about a little over a month.










Xue


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## cableguy69846 (Dec 13, 2010)

Jeesh man. I have total Crypt jealousy now. Nice plants bro.:icon_cool


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

I'm jelly too. Especially for that thwaitesii!

Have you had any luck finding C. dewittii?

Where'd you get the charcoal idea?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

wabisabi said:


> I'm jelly too. Especially for that thwaitesii!
> 
> Have you had any luck finding C. dewittii?
> 
> Where'd you get the charcoal idea?


I saw the charcoal idea from a Japanese blog. 
No luck on the dewitti. I'll trade you with any crypt or buce I have in my collection if you can find one of these guys. 


Xue


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

C striolata bloomed today















This Anubias was grown in extremely low humidity. I was aiming to to see if I can convert it into a house plant. It has been over 6 hours after it was taken out of the emersed set up and it has not wilted yet. We'll see how this goes. 











Xue


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Beautiful crypts, awesome on the spathe and good luck on the Anubias.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Nice! That striolata looks nice and healthy. Sure doesn't look like you were struggling with it!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

The green house build is now officially work in progress. I spent the entire weekend cleaning the clutter in the back yard and finally cleared the space I needed. I relocated the tool shed hauled the remaining beach pebbles that were sitting next to the shed. Size is at least going to be 20X10 feet. 

Went window shopping yesterday, literally. I found two good size windows from a "bone yard" for a great deal at $100 ea. These are brand new dual glare vinyl framed windows that were left over from different construction projects. It's a 4x4' and a 4x5'. Sizes are different but it has the same height so I am not too concerned. I do plan on getting another 4x5' from the hardware store.

Here are some preliminary planning on shading, cooling, humidity etc. The greenhouse will house mostly orchids, crypts, buce, and other aroids. For the shade cloth, I plan on getting a 50% shade cloth to cover the clear corrugated roof and the sides. 

To maintain the humidity, I plan on using pea size gravel as the ground cover and setup a swamp cooler. I'll also setup a diy mister (or a mist king) that will run intermittently throughout the day. 

For air movement, I might setup a few solar fans that will draw cold air from under the foundation into the greenhouse through the foundation vents. This would help keep my foundation dry and provide cool air for the greenhouse. I also ordered two automatic window openers that would open to a certain angle when the temperature rises to a certain degree. When it's cool, the windows will automatically close to keep the heat in. 

I am not sure what I need to do for heating yet. Might get a natural gas heater. I'll need suggestions or some inputs on this.

To prevent fungus, mold, or algae from growing on the inner walls, is there a spray or specific paint that will prevent these type of things?

I am not 100% set on these so let me know your thoughts. If anything does not appear to be feasible, I would greatly appreciate it if you can point me into the right direction.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Here is a before photo
I'll try to keep this updated as things progress.

A concrete curb will be poured for the wall. This is to prevent water from coming in during the rain and I can use this as a storage shed if I decide to shut down the green house.

Xue


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> The green house build is now officially work in progress. I spent the entire weekend cleaning the clutter in the back yard and finally cleared the space I needed. I relocated the tool shed hauled the remaining beach pebbles that were sitting next to the shed. Size is at least going to be 20X10 feet.
> 
> Went window shopping yesterday, literally. I found two good size windows from a "bone yard" for a great deal at $100 ea. These are brand new dual glare vinyl framed windows that were left over from different construction projects. It's a 4x4' and a 4x5'. Sizes are different but it has the same height so I am not too concerned. I do plan on getting another 4x5' from the hardware store.
> 
> ...


I don't think you should have too many problems with mold / fungus as long as you keep air movement going. When you have stagnant, saturated air is when you'll get fungal blooms.

As for algae though . . . try not to keep surfaces constantly wet.

Honestly though, I'd be more afraid of snails / slugs than algae.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I am trying to keep it as dry and cool as I can.

My main concern is keeping the temp below 90 during the So Cal heat waves where it could reach up to 110-115. Since crypts are more prone to melting in warm temperatures, I am going to do an experimental run on some of them this summer before bringing everything out. If all goes well, they're all coming out in the fall.

I also have aphids in my emersed setups and I have no doubt that they will get into the greenhouse. Any thoughts on how to keep them under control? pitcher plants? lady bugs?


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> I am trying to keep it as dry and cool as I can.
> 
> My main concern is keeping the temp below 90 during the So Cal heat waves where it could reach up to 110-115. Since crypts are more prone to melting in warm temperatures, I am going to do an experimental run on some of them this summer before bringing everything out. If all goes well, they're all coming out in the fall.
> 
> I also have aphids in my emersed setups and I have no doubt that they will get into the greenhouse. Any thoughts on how to keep them under control? pitcher plants? lady bugs?


Ladybugs absolutely destroy aphids. You could also try garlic spray.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Instead of pouring a concrete curb, it was easier to do it with concrete blocks instead 


My little helper










Xue


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

My automatic window openers also arrived


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I feel like its Christmas today

I was greeted with a box of orchids when I came home from work









Xue


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## Zefrik (Oct 23, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> I am trying to keep it as dry and cool as I can.
> 
> My main concern is keeping the temp below 90 during the So Cal heat waves where it could reach up to 110-115. Since crypts are more prone to melting in warm temperatures, I am going to do an experimental run on some of them this summer before bringing everything out. If all goes well, they're all coming out in the fall.
> 
> I also have aphids in my emersed setups and I have no doubt that they will get into the greenhouse. Any thoughts on how to keep them under control? pitcher plants? lady bugs?


Lol, I laughed so hard the first time a saw that you could buy live lady bugs by the 1000s. Who wants pet lady bugs!

It might have been explained already, but if you don't mind me asking, what kind of media are you using for you crypts? I saw one in some activated carbon but what else do you use? 

TIA


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Hirt's gardens by me sells 1500 for $9.00. I need some for my emersed tank but 1500 is a few too many.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Send some my way Len 
I don't need all that many either 
We can share a batch


Xue


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Xue, just clarify the Automatic Window Opener: does your "Big Guy" automatically open the windows for you then?  Looks great, Bro! Nice boy you got there too!! Interested in seeing how this develops in the coming months!


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Send some my way Len
> I don't need all that many either
> We can share a batch
> 
> ...


I may have a better option my parents always have ladybugs at their house I'm going to go there and see if I can collect some if not I'll stop by the greenhouse and see if I can get like a 100 and I'll send half your way..

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Zefrik said:


> Lol, I laughed so hard the first time a saw that you could buy live lady bugs by the 1000s. Who wants pet lady bugs!
> 
> It might have been explained already, but if you don't mind me asking, what kind of media are you using for you crypts? I saw one in some activated carbon but what else do you use?
> 
> TIA


I have used a different combination of earth worm castings, red clay, used aquasoil, oak leaf, charcoal, and even kitty litter. Of all the ones I've tried, using pure kitty litter is the least effective. The best combo that worked for me was earth worm casting mixed with clay and used aquasoil. This grew my ferruginea, zaidiana, and noritoi, and ideii really well. C fusca doesnt appear to appreciate this as much though. I grew the plant for almost two years and it never had more than three leaves at a given time. It did send a spathe though.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

crazydaz said:


> Xue, just clarify the Automatic Window Opener: does your "Big Guy" automatically open the windows for you then?  Looks great, Bro! Nice boy you got there too!! Interested in seeing how this develops in the coming months!


Thanks Don.

I am not sure what you mean by "Big Guy" though. lol


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I am still trying to figure out what my options are to keep the greenhouse warn and matintain the heat during the cold winter nights. The temperature can drop as low as 50 degrees and I want to at 70+.

The walls are going to be insulated and the windows are dual pane but I am afraid the heat cannot be maintained because of the the corrugated roof.


----------



## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

I would think a simple space heater would do fine whether electric or gas.


----------



## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

I would use a propane heater on a temperature controller, my concern with electric would be humidity and electricity don't always mix well, I think propane is what a lot of greenhouses use. And they arn't terribly expensive the controller would be the most expensive but with the size you are going I would get a temp, humidity controller that can handle heating cooling and misting. In the long run it would probably be the most economical way to go

Len


----------



## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

"big guy"=your son


----------



## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

Xue, 

You really got two options:

1st - Piped heating and cooling from your house to the green house. Add dampers to control the output. You'll probably need to add an exhaust fan for circulation.

2nd - If you want more controls, I would recommend adding individual heating and cooling unit in there. It might cost $$$ upfront but it will provide you great controls and stable environment.

I am not a heating and cooling guy but I know people if you need a recommendation of type.


----------



## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

2in10 said:


> I would think a simple space heater would do fine whether electric or gas.


Not a big fan of space heater if you're spending this kind of $$$. Just too much of potential problems and hazards.


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks for the input guys. 
Hung, can you see if you can recommend a heating and cooling unit? 

For the swamp cooler, I am looking at this from amazon but I dont know if it will be sufficient
http://www.amazon.com/SF-609-Portab...8G5K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1336670871&sr=8-3


----------



## Zefrik (Oct 23, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> I have used a different combination of earth worm castings, red clay, used aquasoil, oak leaf, charcoal, and even kitty litter. Of all the ones I've tried, using pure kitty litter is the least effective. The best combo that worked for me was earth worm casting mixed with clay and used aquasoil. This grew my ferruginea, zaidiana, and noritoi, and ideii really well. C fusca doesnt appear to appreciate this as much though. I grew the plant for almost two years and it never had more than three leaves at a given time. It did send a spathe though.


I have been using potting soil and sand. It compacts after a while. I am needing to find something else. This stuff turns into concrete!


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Got another orchid package today. This is just one of the sp. 
I'll get photos of the rest this weekend.

Bulbophyllum maximum














This thing much bigger than I expected and it came in with three spikes 


Xue


----------



## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

I was thinking you may want to think about making the emersed setups separate from the rest of the greenhouse, here is the thought if you are really getting into orchids you will be limiting what you an keep by shooting for high humidity and temps all the time like crypts and buces like. A lot of the really neat orchids out there need cooler nights and dryer periods. If you separated the emersed section or used tubs covered with plastic you would also make temperature control for the emersed setups easier.

Len


----------



## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Got another orchid package today. This is just one of the sp.
> I'll get photos of the rest this weekend.
> 
> Bulbophyllum maximum
> ...


Glad it kept the spikes! I included two stakes in the box, I would recommend staking the spikes to support them since the bulbs they are growing from are . . . floating. I'm personally not a fan of stakes, but this monster actually needed it.

Hope the others made it ok as well.


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

toksyn said:


> Glad it kept the spikes! I included two stakes in the box, I would recommend staking the spikes to support them since the bulbs they are growing from are . . . floating. I'm personally not a fan of stakes, but this monster actually needed it.
> 
> Hope the others made it ok as well.


I just finished watering them and I was actually about to PM you.

Everything came in great condition. All nice and healthy specimen. Many thanks again!

If you are interested in trading again later, hit me up!


----------



## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

I try not to disappoint :icon_wink


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

lbacha said:


> I was thinking you may want to think about making the emersed setups separate from the rest of the greenhouse, here is the thought if you are really getting into orchids you will be limiting what you an keep by shooting for high humidity and temps all the time like crypts and buces like. A lot of the really neat orchids out there need cooler nights and dryer periods. If you separated the emersed section or used tubs covered with plastic you would also make temperature control for the emersed setups easier.
> 
> Len



Hey Len,
I am aware that some will require colder and a drier period in different times of the year. Just like bulb. maximum. It requires a drier resting period during the winter time to promote vigorous growth in the next season. The greenhouse will be crypt and buce dominant along with a few anubias. There will be some orchids but not a whole lot. I've seen some neo. species that are over $1K and I don't want to lean towards that side of the hobby.

ive developed an interest in cattelya species and a lot of these seem to appreciate the heat and high humidity so it looks like I am going to have a few of these.


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

These are the procurements made over the weekend. I had to order another window at full price, which was 3 times the ones from the bone yard.

I also bought a nice door with windows in the center. I was looking at the fancy glass doors and wife denied me before I even opened my mouth. I had to go through the economy route.

Also going to go with steel studs rather than the wooden 2x4s. This is to avoid termite attacks and rot

























The door is designed to be a left swing, opening to the inside of the green house. I am going to turn it around, making it a right swing, where it opens to the outside of the greenhouse to maximize the usage of the floor space


Xue


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

C noritoi wongso has been circulating among collectors in the US for a while now. I recently acquire another form of noritoi from Kalimantan. Below is a photo to show the difference kalimantan and Wongso.









The one to the right was from Kalimantan. Growth appears to be more compact with more rounded leaves And the overall size is a bit smaller. 

Here is another shot of noritoi Wongso flowering
















Xue


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Nice, Xue, nice. I'm sorry, but how many square feet is this going to be again??

Good thinking about using metal studs...you'll be thankful you did. Especially considering how humid everything is going to be in there, it would probably be the perfect environment to rot any wood, even pressure-treated.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

I was actually wondering the opposite, how are the metal studs going to hold up to the moisture. Also it seems like you are using insulated windows and doors and a non insulated vinyl top, I'm wondering if there are any roofing options like a skylight, double paned panels etc that might be a better option for you so it is then easier to regulate the temperature.

Len


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

lbacha said:


> I was actually wondering the opposite, how are the metal studs going to hold up to the moisture. Also it seems like you are using insulated windows and doors and a non insulated vinyl top, I'm wondering if there are any roofing options like a skylight, double paned panels etc that might be a better option for you so it is then easier to regulate the temperature.
> 
> Len


 
I know I am going to loose a lot of heat during the winter but i've looked around and I cannot find a better alternative for the roofing material. I thought about skylights too but I am not sure who is going to have the sizes I need. It is a good thing that the average temper in Glendora is ~55 degrees during the winter season based on historical trends. 

As for the studs, moisture can affect both wood and metal but wood is prone to mold and insect damage. I can make a vapor barrier for the wall but it wouldn't be worth the effort since the wall will be mostly covered in windows with 12-15" of space in between each window.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

crazydaz said:


> Nice, Xue, nice. I'm sorry, but how many square feet is this going to be again??
> 
> Good thinking about using metal studs...you'll be thankful you did. Especially considering how humid everything is going to be in there, it would probably be the perfect environment to rot any wood, even pressure-treated.


I initially estimated it at 10'X20' but the actual usable floor space is 9'x19'. So it is about 171 sq ft.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

I wonder if they make aluminum studs they arn't really support structures so they would work perfect.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Aluminum is a lot more expensive than both wood and steel. For our purposes, it would be perfect but the demand is not there for manufacturers to produce

The greenhouse kits are usually made of aluminum frames


Xue


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

For some reason I thought you were going to go the traditional greenhouse route with all polycarbonate panels.

I'd be scared to use glass to be honest.

Though I suppose if the structure were entirely polycarbonate you wouldn't be able to store anything in there with any degree of privacy.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

toksyn said:


> For some reason I thought you were going to go the traditional greenhouse route with all polycarbonate panels.
> 
> I'd be scared to use glass to be honest.
> 
> Though I suppose if the structure were entirely polycarbonate you wouldn't be able to store anything in there with any degree of privacy.


 
I wanted to make sure I can use this as a storage shed down the road if I ever rent the place out. While I stayed at my parents for a few days when I was redoing my copper pipes, I realized how short my old commute used to be and how much I miss it

There arent too much traffic in tbe back house so i am not too worried about glass.


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Another way to prevent the studs from rusting is to grow my crypts in an enclosure like the photo below. Not only this will minimize moisture, the enclosure will also allow me to retain the heat during the winter. What do you guys think? 

This was how the OG crypt growers rolled


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

The set up above looks pretty awesome. 

Are you using two of the exterior walls of your home as walls for your greenhouse?

What material will you be using for the inside walls? What about the exterior walls? Are you looking into foam insulation? Just curious.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Xue

That's what I was thinking of when I mentioned you could have a different area for the crypts I think it will allow you to better regulate with a lot less chance of a humidity or temp drop wiping out your collection. That would be my biggest concern with a greenhouse for a lot of plants its not a concern but I have seen some of my buces and crypts react really bad to even short temp or humidity swings.

Len

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

wabisabi said:


> The set up above looks pretty awesome.
> 
> Are you using two of the exterior walls of your home as walls for your greenhouse?
> 
> What material will you be using for the inside walls? What about the exterior walls? Are you looking into foam insulation? Just curious.



You're right Steve, two of the walls from the house is used. The interior and exterior are going to be a high quality plywood that will be coated with waterproof paint. I dont know if I want to insulate with foam since I am already loosing heat from the corrugated roof and there is very little "wall".





lbacha said:


> Xue
> 
> That's what I was thinking of when I mentioned you could have a different area for the crypts I think it will allow you to better regulate with a lot less chance of a humidity or temp drop wiping out your collection. That would be my biggest concern with a greenhouse for a lot of plants its not a concern but I have seen some of my buces and crypts react really bad to even short temp or humidity swings.
> 
> ...



Right on! This is exactly what i will setup then.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Frames are up

Above the cinder block and the small gaps in between the windows is the plywood/wall area. There isn't much to insulate










Xue


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Lol! There is hardly any 'wall'. Wall of windows is a more appropriate term.


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

Pretty cool! Er, warm.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

i agree you should set it up like Niels Jacobsen's greenhouse

here's the link
http://www.rva.jp/plants/cryptocoryne/gallary_copenhagen2.htm

but i don't think i see any sprinklers / auto misting in his setup though, i don't know why.
maybe the water tank provide enough humidity with that plastic cover.

and i read there too that before opening the plastic cover he always wet the floor first 

tropica setup is quite the same though
http://www.pbase.com/plantella/tropica

if you look closely there are ones with plastic cover on even they have auto sprinklers there


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

ikuzo said:


> i agree you should set it up like Niels Jacobsen's greenhouse
> 
> here's the link
> http://www.rva.jp/plants/cryptocoryne/gallary_copenhagen2.htm
> ...


 
Thanks for the links. I am going to run something similiar with automatic misters but at a much smaller scale. Not sure I'll wet the floor when I open the plastic cover but might be a good idea to mist the plants first. I got a bunch of 20 gallon acrylic tanks as well, I'll make sure to put those to good use.






toksyn said:


> Pretty cool! Er, warm.


warm? not sure what you mean


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

Oh just that the temperatures in there won't be cool. Being facetious.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

toksyn said:


> Oh just that the temperatures in there won't be cool. Being facetious.


 
lol kinda figured.

What % shade cloth would you recommend? I was thinking 50% shade. I am trying to keep it as "cool" as I can during the summer without loosing a lot of light.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

There's a bit of progress made. Frame is complete and one of the window is up. The remaining two windows will be installed once the plywoods are up. The remaining windows are "replacement" windows with frames that will overlap the plywood









Door is also up.
















Corner view











Xue


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

Xue,

That is awesome... I am totally jealous.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Polycarbonate roof is going up today 

















Xue


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

I cant even come up with a comment. I am absolutely speechless at this fine piece of work. NICE JOB!!!!!!!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks chad 
Roof is done and I can already feel trapped heat
All I need now is a shade cloth 

















Xue


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Looking good Xue!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks Steve 
I am going to need some major cooling power
It's currently 95 degrees,one of the warmer days in glendora and I am getting a reading of 99 inside the greenhouse 
















I'll need to at least bring down 15 degrees with the swamp cooler, misting, and fans. 


Xue


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

awesome xue! What is your strategy for cooling the space?


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

Wouldnt a small window AC unit at least bring it down 15*. They come with a thermostat so it wouldnt run all night and day. I would set it for 82* and not worry about the rest.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

chad320 said:


> Wouldnt a small window AC unit at least bring it down 15*. They come with a thermostat so it wouldnt run all night and day. I would set it for 82* and not worry about the rest.


The biggest issue is going to be cooling it while maintaining humidity levels. Air conditioning units dry the air out while cooling it.

Len


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

Some firm of geothermal heat pump may work, swamp chillers are tricky because they work on evaporation so you will need to mount it outside the greenhouse and bring the cool air in because the high humidity in the greenhouse will keep it from working.

Len


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

How about some sort of evaporative cooler? It would add a little bit of humidity to the greenhouse as an added bonus. 

Great project you have going on here. I can't wait to see it all filled with plants!


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

I considered geothermal but it would really be cost effective I wouldn't think. Do you have a basement? You could vent some cooler air from there into the greenhouse. Got a beer fridge down there? You can run plumbing through your fridge as a chiller. I would guess your best bet is going to be AC. With misting and battling heat you're going to fight a bit of humidity anyway. Will you run a humidifier and a dehumidifier?


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

http://www.scitopics.com/Greenhouse_ventilation_and_cooling.html

Here is a good article on cooling a greenhouse, I was kinda thinking of the sprinkling water on the roof route prior to reading it so that may be an option, misting/fogger might be good too, I have a fogger set up in my terrarium as a way to lower the temperature if it creeps up too high.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks for your valuable input guys. This helps a lot.

I didn't want to use the window AC due to power consumption and the fact that it will reduce the humidity. 

Geothermal is not a viable option or may not be cost effective. I have concrete all around the area and I don't have the space for the underground pipes.

I dont have a basement but there are three foundation vents at the far end (south side of the greenhouse). I am considering three 6" inline booster fans to draw cool air from underneath the foundation. This should provide enough dry air for the portable swamp cooler to be effective. At the front (north side) wall of the greenhouse, I planned on mounting a 17" solar powered fan that will pull out the warm, saturated air out of the greenhouse. The fan will be modified with a thermometer to operate if the temperate reaches over 85 degrees.

A DIY mister will be installed and run probably 8-10 times a day for 5-10 minutes each run?

I also considered adding a double layer of 6mm polyethlene cover throughout the entire greenhouse for added insulation.* 
*


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

lbacha said:


> http://www.scitopics.com/Greenhouse_ventilation_and_cooling.html
> 
> Here is a good article on cooling a greenhouse, I was kinda thinking of the sprinkling water on the roof route prior to reading it so that may be an option, misting/fogger might be good too, I have a fogger set up in my terrarium as a way to lower the temperature if it creeps up too high.
> 
> Len



Thanks for the link Len. There are a lot of good info here


----------



## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

looking4roselines said:


> I also considered adding a double layer of 6mm polyethlene cover throughout the entire greenhouse for added insulation.


This will only helps! roud:


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Finally picked up some neofinetias






























I have another neo coming in this week but it's a bean variety - black pearl

Also picked up a Vanda coerulea











Xue


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

wow very nice greenhouse~!!!!!!


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Finally picked up some neofinetias
> View attachment 47895
> 
> View attachment 47896
> ...


Haha so you ended up with Kuro Shinjyu anyway. Nice haul!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Haha yeah. The more I look at the bean varieties, the more I like them


Xue


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Most of the plywood went up today















Z bars are added to prevent water from getting inside the wall when it rains










Xue


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Amazing job, Xue!!! I'm amazed at how quickly everything went up...I didn't see the thread yesterday, and BAM! It's up already! It looks wonderful, and it is going to be well worth the effort! Keep up the great work!!


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

I can actually read those Chinese Characters. LMK if you want a little corny translation :hihi:

Job well done Xue!


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Finally picked up some neofinetias
> View attachment 47895
> 
> View attachment 47896
> ...


Hey Xue

I don't think you put those in your aquarium they might not like it, lol....

By the way you are going to need a display vivarium if you keep it up, I'm thinking that whole back wall in your greenhouse.

Len


----------



## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/47195-big-terrarium-construction-journal-13.html

Check this set-up out that someone built in a greenhouse.

Len


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

lbacha said:


> Hey Xue
> 
> I don't think you put those in your aquarium they might not like it, lol....
> 
> ...


haha they probably wont appreciate it very much if I submerge them.
I am hoping to do a nice vivi centerpiece in there.




lbacha said:


> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/47195-big-terrarium-construction-journal-13.html
> 
> Check this set-up out that someone built in a greenhouse.
> 
> Len


Ive been lurking through Dev's flickr account and I wanted to do something like this but the branches will be planted with orchids rather than bromeliads.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelgeko/7143799071/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelgeko/7143799169/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelgeko/7143799659/in/photostream

That thread has a nice setup as well but I am still debating on whether I wanted a running stream or not. If I did, it will a faster flowing stream with some c bullosa grown submerged


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

crazydaz said:


> Amazing job, Xue!!! I'm amazed at how quickly everything went up...I didn't see the thread yesterday, and BAM! It's up already! It looks wonderful, and it is going to be well worth the effort! Keep up the great work!!


Thank you Don. I want to operationalize this project before the peak of summer so I can test out some plants first before going all out.



jkan0228 said:


> I can actually read those Chinese Characters. LMK if you want a little corny translation :hihi:
> 
> Job well done Xue!


Thank you. I can read a few words as well but not very fluent. And you are right about the literal translation. It is pretty tacky... I believe the tags reads "pearl sky/heaven king" & "??... pretty wind orchid" if I recall.


----------



## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

looking4roselines said:


> View attachment 47846
> 
> 
> I'll need to at least bring down 15 degrees with the swamp cooler, misting, and fans.
> ...


too hot and need
more humidity!

my closed tank measurement during a hot day









what's your humidity target?


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

ikuzo said:


> too hot and need
> more humidity!
> 
> my closed tank measurement during a hot day
> ...


The greenhouse is not complete yet. That was just to show how hot a typical summer day will be. 

I am looking to maintain humidity at 80-85%


Xue


----------



## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

This explains a sudden spike in views to my Flickr account! I should have taken more photos of their mounted orchid displays. Actually, the next time I'm in Ft. Lauderdale I should revisit the AOS Botanical Garden and take photos of their conservatory. Mounted orchids, mounted orchids everywhere.


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Haha yeah. The more I look at the bean varieties, the more I like them
> 
> 
> Xue


... and this is why I don't let myself do anymore "looking".


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

toksyn said:


> ... and this is why I don't let myself do anymore "looking".


Yeah it's best we stop looking. Almost got another today.

C nurii bloomed today. This was one of those with crazy white veination when I first got it but now it's just a regular nurii 










Xue


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Awesome spathe. 

Are you planning on having the shade cloth on some type of sliding system where you can easily shade the entire greenhouse during the summer and slide it away to allow more sunlight and hopefully more heat in during the winter?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

wabisabi said:


> Awesome spathe.
> 
> Are you planning on having the shade cloth on some type of sliding system where you can easily shade the entire greenhouse during the summer and slide it away to allow more sunlight and hopefully more heat in during the winter?


Good suggestion. I planned on a fixed shade cloth initially but it's a good idea to incorporate a sliding mechanism



Xue


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I am at the Arcadia arboretum and took a few shots of their green house

The begonia greenhouse
















Len's cane begonia 
this is as tall as 6'







































Xue


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Here's another greenhouse housing mostly orchids

























































Xue


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Here's the latest orchid added to the neo family - black pearl










Xue


----------



## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Here's the latest orchid added to the neo family - black pearl
> 
> View attachment 48106
> 
> ...


Very nice! I moved mine to a mount immediately after getting it and it sulked for half a year.


----------



## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Thank you Don. I want to operationalize this project before the peak of summer so I can test out some plants first before going all out.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you. I can read a few words as well but not very fluent. And you are right about the literal translation. It is pretty tacky... I believe the tags reads "pearl sky/heaven king" & "??... pretty wind orchid" if I recall.


Yea the literal translations make it sound all dramatic and corny but if you know the language(at your service) then the single words make phrases which eventually make sense 

Love that "black pearl"


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Woot!! My solar fan is here and it's working exactly as intended. I also installed the temperature sensor to let it run as soon as the temp reaches over 85











Xue


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

It's almost done. All the plywood is up and i am almost done staining it to be weather proof. The fan is also installed and I can definitely feel a lot of air being pulled out
















the last window will be picked up and installed tomorrow 


Xue


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

That is awesome Xue... you're pretty handy.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

n00dl3 said:


> That is awesome Xue... you're pretty handy.


Can't take all the credit. My neighbor next door is a retired contractor and he helped quite a bit

My neighbor across the street is an electrician and he will be installing a few weather proof outlets for me. The power will be sourced from an old service used by the jacuzzi. The Jacuzzi is no longer in service and he's going to route the wires into the greenhouse from under the foundation


Xue


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Wow, Xue! It looks great! A lot of progress in a very short amount of time!!


----------



## In.a.Box (Dec 8, 2011)

all tank are drill?


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Devon hooked me up with some really cool looking jewel orchids. he sent me two species and both have very interesting foliage with metallic lines. He also sent me a gargantuan bulbophyllum. It was overgrown in its original pot but I already reported it tonight. I'll snap photos of it later 


















































Xue


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

Glad the jewels came in alright! Hopefully the Grammatophyllum took the trip alright as well. The metallic veins are definitely hard to capture in a photograph.

I've got to do something about my name, haha. I just tell everyone Dev (short for Devron) but spell check / autocorrect / memories change it everywhere from Devin to Debra (true story).

Very fast progress on your greenhouse! It's looking great, man.


----------



## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

toksyn said:


> Glad the jewels came in alright! Hopefully the Grammatophyllum took the trip alright as well. The metallic veins are definitely hard to capture in a photograph.
> 
> I've got to do something about my name, haha. I just tell everyone Dev (short for Devron) but spell check / autocorrect / memories change it everywhere from Devin to Debra (true story).
> 
> Very fast progress on your greenhouse! It's looking great, man.



Oops! Sorry I butchered your name. If it makes you feel better, some people here at TPT thinks I am a she :hihi:. I dont blame them for my fobby name though hahaha

The Grammatophyllum came in great shape. Given that the leaves are so big and floppy, you did an awesome job packaging it to minimize damage during transit.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

In.a.Box said:


> all tank are drill?


My current emersed setup are all drilled and connected together with two sumps. Once I move the plants out, I am not sure on how to proceed yet. Maybe I'll put together a few planters. I also have some 20 g acrylic tanks that I plan on using for grow outs.

The two inline booster fans I ordered arrived today. These bad boys can pull an insane amount of air for their size. Hopefully they will provide enough cool air I'll need. if not, I got room for two more


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## jkan0228 (Feb 6, 2011)

Careful not to chop your finger into a million pieces Xue... 

Those orchids are stunning. I love that purple one with the orange veins for contrast. If only aquatic plants were *that* beautiful


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

The last window has been installed and I just placed an order for the share cloth. I got the white cloth for a 50% shade. It's a bit more expensive than the black cloth but it will be a bit more cooler than the black since it'll reflect light and heat build up. 

I also had the solar fan tested. This alone had reduced the temperature reading on my thermometer down to 83 from 93 in less than an hour. This is without a shade cloth or misting. The foundation vents felt like air conditioner vents. The solar can pull a lot of cool air in from the foundation. It's only measured at 1000 cubic feet per minute. I can actually feel warm air blown out by the fan


















I will need to start thinking about how to furnace this place and how to setup the vivarium display 


Xue


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## n00dl3 (Jan 26, 2008)

looking4roselines said:


> The last window has been installed and I just placed an order for the share cloth. I got the white cloth for a 50% shade. It's a bit more expensive than the black cloth but it will be a bit more cooler than the black since it'll reflect light and heat build up.
> 
> I also had the solar fan tested. This alone had reduced the temperature reading on my thermometer down to 83 from 93 in less than an hour. This is without a shade cloth or misting. The foundation vents felt like air conditioner vents. The solar can pull a lot of cool air in from the foundation. It's only measured at 1000 cubic feet per minute. I can actually feel warm air blown out by the fan
> 
> ...


That is pretty awesome! It looks well built. Have you thought about adding some insultation for the new exterior walls? It will add some extra R rating. Is there a floor drain? I didn't see in the picture.

Also, did you figured out what kind of heating system you're planning to use? If not, do you still need my recommendation? Sorry, I missed that post!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

No problem hung. See if you can recommend a cost efficient propane or natural gas heater

Came home today and found my shade cloth waiting on my door step. Shipping was pretty fast








Here's another update in that c affinis spathe. Surprise it hasn't opened yet








It appears that I have one of my piptospatha flowering as well. I'll snap pics in a bit





Xue


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## saddletramp (May 19, 2012)

Very interesting look at your greenhouse. It is sure different from what one would see in the Midwest. I assume those are steel beams and that the have some sort of coating so they will not rust.
I would suggest a nat gas furnace. I cannot imagine you will need much as it is not too cold out there and you have lots of sunshine. I have one which has been used in my fish room for many years. Just remember, high humidity can contribute to rust formation in things such as a furnace. Be sure to get a CO and a gas detector. They could save your life and your plants. CO is deadly for them.
Very cool greenhouse. When will it be finished? I want to see it completed.
Bill


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> No problem hung. See if you can recommend a cost efficient propane or natural gas heater
> 
> Came home today and found my shade cloth waiting on my door step. Shipping was pretty fast
> View attachment 49130
> ...


Which piptospatha if it's the original one I got from you make sure you take tons of pics we need to get an id on it.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Hey Len,
It's the original one you got from me

It's the shoot to the right that I am suspecting is the spathe
It's much fatter than the leaf to the left and I have never seen two leaves emerge simultaneously


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

saddletramp said:


> Very interesting look at your greenhouse. It is sure different from what one would see in the Midwest. I assume those are steel beams and that the have some sort of coating so they will not rust.
> I would suggest a nat gas furnace. I cannot imagine you will need much as it is not too cold out there and you have lots of sunshine. I have one which has been used in my fish room for many years. Just remember, high humidity can contribute to rust formation in things such as a furnace. Be sure to get a CO and a gas detector. They could save your life and your plants. CO is deadly for them.
> Very cool greenhouse. When will it be finished? I want to see it completed.
> Bill


Thanks for your input Bill

Both my wife and I have a long commute to work and there were a lot of discussions that we would move back to my parent's place. I made this so I can use it as a storage shed later if we decide to actually move and rent the place out

The greenhouse is also facing west VS the traditional south facing lean-to greenhouses. The reason for this is I do not want a lot of light coming in since my main focus is on crypt, which will be mostly grown on the south side where the most shade occurs. That area gets full a burst of sunlight at sunset for about 2 hours. The rest of the area gets a good amount of light from noon to sunset and this is where I plan on growing orchids. I hope things will work out as planned without too many oversight. And the best thing about this location is there is virtually no foot traffic. This is a good thing when there are kids around

As for the rust. I planned on adding a layer or two of polythene covering all around. This will be added insulation and could be used as a vapor barrier to keep the humidity in. I might as well spray a water proof coating on the steel studs and inner parts of the plywood to prevent moisture damage as added measure. 

I wanted to finish this by the peak of summer in July or August to test some plants out in our So. Cal heat waves but I don't think it'll be finished on time.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Hey Len,
> It's the original one you got from me
> 
> It's the shoot to the right that I am suspecting is the spathe
> It's much fatter than the leaf to the left and I have never seen two leaves emerge simultaneously


Nice, I was hoping the shock of transplanting mine into the terrarium might induce a spathe but no luck do far, the Bokoa spathe just looked like a leaf shoot at first so that's a good sign

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

It's currently 88f at the moment.








I am getting a temperature reading of only 80f inside the greenhouse after installing the 50% white shade cloth and the fan running

This is very good News. It's going to drop further once the mist system is setup





























And happy fathers day to all the daddies




Xue


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## CmLaracy (Jan 7, 2007)

really cool thread, learned a lot. You certainly have some beautiful, rare, and healthy plants.


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Xue....it looks so friggin' sweet now.....cannot wait to see how radical it's going to look when you start putting "stuff" within it. Glad to hear that you are starting to get the hang of the temperature issues!!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Looks like aglaonema pictum tricolor wants to bloom too
Found a bud forming today


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I got a cane begonia today from a coworker. Does anyone know how well this will do in an office environment?









Here are some of my other office plants
My money tree









And some type of succulent










Xue


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

I think it depends on the species. For example, I love Begonia chlorosticta and amphioxus but you put them in a cold, dry office and you can literally watch them die in minutes.

Afraid I don't know too much about garden variety or hybrids... 



looking4roselines said:


> I got a cane begonia today from a coworker. Does anyone know how well this will do in an office environment?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Xue, 

My Grandma had an angel wing (Cane Begonia) in a room where the drapes were always drawn over the only window and the only light it got was diffused from the light that escaped from the sides. She rarely turned on a light in that room, like maybe in the at night to look for something It did beautifully, grew very tall and even bloomed once a year. My mom took it home with her after she died and put it in a bright light and the only difference is the blooms are more abundant and it grows at a faster pace. So, yes I think it would do nicely in an office.

By the way, I am loving this journal. I normally just lurk, but I actually had something to say for once.


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## klaus07 (Nov 23, 2011)

The biggest dangers to Begonias are cold and an excess of water at the roots. I suppose you would have to count bugs in there also. The soil has to stay moist but not retain water. A lot of cane begonias grow very well with typical room humidity. I am not sure what you have there in CA, but mine are at about 30-40 %. I have some miniature cane types that need high humidity. Begonia amphioxus or poliillioensis would look stunning in a terrarium. Grow them just like jewel orchids. When you look at only the species Begonias you would be astonished. Right now I have a dozen species under glass, and only one cane and it's outside.

When you get around to having some aglaonema available I may have a begonia we can trade. 

Klaus


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Thanks for the input guys. Looks like I am going to keep it in the office for a while to see how it does. 

Klaus 
You or photos of your begonias? Do you have them in a terrarium display? Or are you just keeping it under glass to maintain some humidity? I'll let you know when I am able to propagate that aglaonema. I am a little hesitant to cut it at the moment. 


Xue


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## klaus07 (Nov 23, 2011)

Hi Xue,

Sorry about my post... I am amazed how much your pictum has grown. As I understand it is a very slow growing species and commands a high price. 

I am still collecting plants for my philippines setup, so by under glass I mean in setups to maintain humidity and to hopefully grow and propogate a few.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Nice Begonia.

The succulent looks like a type of Aloe.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

klaus07 said:


> Hi Xue,
> 
> Sorry about my post... I am amazed how much your pictum has grown. As I understand it is a very slow growing species and commands a high price.
> 
> I am still collecting plants for my philippines setup, so by under glass I mean in setups to maintain humidity and to hopefully grow and propogate a few.


No problem at all Klaus 
It is a slower growin plant and I don't have a lot of experience in propagating aglaonemas. I'm too chicken poop to cut and try to propagate it. Got any tips? I read that they can root easily in moist potting media or you can root them in water first before planting

Thanks Steve 


Xue


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Awesome plants!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Does anyone know where I can find a nice DIY plan for a greenhouse bench or shelve?
I am looking to put together a shelving system but can't seem to find any DIY plans.

I may also want to do something like this. Maybe I need to find a welder to custom make this?


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## Kai808 (Jul 19, 2011)

Wow! Very inspiring! You make me want convert the rubbermaid storage unit I recently put up into a green house. 

You probably would need a welder to build that. Have you looked into making a the frame from PVC pipes or using metal canopy fittings? I'm not sure if this will work but at least it would be easier to move/break down if you do decide to move. 

Great Job!


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Does anyone know where I can find a nice DIY plan for a greenhouse bench or shelve?
> I am looking to put together a shelving system but can't seem to find any DIY plans.
> 
> I may also want to do something like this. Maybe I need to find a welder to custom make this?


You may want to think about PVC you can make any shape frame you want with very little effort and it will be waterproof.

Len


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## flowerfishs (May 6, 2009)

great looking plant!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Aglaonema pictum tricolor finally opened it's spathe


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

I made another batch of potting media for my emersed plants yesterday and took some photos just in case some of you may want to try this.










I used mostly oak leaf litter, topsoil, and worm casting. I just poured the ingredients into a mixing tray. There were no precise measurements. 



















These are some c bullosa that were potted a few weeks ago using the same potting media. I am getting nice new growth so I am pretty satisfied with the mix considering the amount of money spent.

For size reference, the crypt is potted in a 6" pot


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

Interesting substrate recipe. I assume you use cat litter with no additives - so essentially, calcium bentonite?


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## xenxes (Dec 22, 2011)

Yes, why the cat litter?


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

xenxes said:


> Yes, why the cat litter?


I know that some dart frog guys mix calcium bentonite clay to compose backgrounds or into the substrate to provide calcium both for plants and to microfauna. I guess its importance here is as a source of calcium?


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Nice plants, Xue! Thanks for sharing the mix formulation.....can you provide ratio information regarding the amounts of each part of the mix, or is it propitiatory?


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

If I were to guess, it's probably 20% worm casting, 20% topsoil, 20% oak leaf litter, 10% perlite, 15% kitty litter, and 15% red clay powder.
The kitty litter is basically a budget friendly alternative to laterite for me. It's pure clay with no additives. I use this for a source of iron and clay based substrates have the ability to absorb and store nutrients for the plant's roots. 

I also have been using kitty litter to grow submerged bucephalandras for almost a year now and the plants are doing equally well in the same aquarium compared to other bucephalandras potted in ADA aqua soil. 










Note that if you ever plan on using the cat litter inside the aquarium, it does need to be rinsed really well. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with cloudy water. Also note that the clay is mined and processed locally to reduce shipping costs. My cat litter will be different from yours


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

It appears that one of my jewel orchid is attempting to flower. 
Goodyera pusilla

















Here's an update of my other jewel orhids


























These are fertilized with very diluted orchid fert each week



Xue


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Just a quick update on the schismattoglottis I got a few months ago. These two plants are massive and have roots overflowing their 4" pot. They recently went on a growth spurt after a weekly dose of weak orchid fert. One of them even sent out a spathe.





































Xue


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

Holy Cow!! Wonder what would happen if I drank some of that diluted Orchid fert!  the plants look wonderful, Xue!


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## jediwiggles (Oct 20, 2009)

*stunned*

Hey, Lurker up in Canada. Just read through the thread, love everything your doing here. Beautiful plants, excellent progress on your green house. 

Wish I could get my hands on even a tenth of the crypt collection you have. 

Exotic crypts are rare up here, I've collected wendtii, tropica, parva and some nurii.

LMK if anyone is willing to ship up north! 

Again great work, love the anubias too!

Cheers,

Matt


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

Do you have any experience growing _Schismatoglottis roseospatha_, Xue?
Mine are growing REALLY slowly emersed.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

AzFishKid said:


> Do you have any experience growing _Schismatoglottis roseospatha_, Xue?
> Mine are growing REALLY slowly emersed.


They are pretty new in cultivation but I wouldn't expect them to grow very fast they will probably be like Buces in that regard maybe a leaf or two a month

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

Len is right. This appears to be a slow grower. I submerged mine about a week ago. No noticeable leaf growth. I did see root development though.




AzFishKid said:


> Do you have any experience growing _Schismatoglottis roseospatha_, Xue?
> Mine are growing REALLY slowly emersed.


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## lbacha (Apr 13, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> Len is right. This appears to be a slow grower. I submerged mine about a week ago. No noticeable leaf growth. I did see root development though.


I have mine pinned to the foam rocks right at the waterline like I saw in pictures Mike Lo posted. This way they get submerged twice a day, my buces are starting to fill in the rocks like they would in nature so I'm hoping this will as well. I actually have started putting small peices of buce rhizome in different parts of the tank to see if it will just start growing in a natural way in these spots, when I pulled the big Schismatoglottis out i found a couple buce plants I didn't even know were planted so I'm wondering if eventually I might get some spontaneous growth from small peices of plant.

Len


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

lbacha said:


> I have mine pinned to the foam rocks right at the waterline like I saw in pictures Mike Lo posted. This way they get submerged twice a day, my buces are starting to fill in the rocks like they would in nature so I'm hoping this will as well. I actually have started putting small peices of buce rhizome in different parts of the tank to see if it will just start growing in a natural way in these spots, when I pulled the big Schismatoglottis out i found a couple buce plants I didn't even know were planted so I'm wondering if eventually I might get some spontaneous growth from small peices of plant.
> 
> Len


 
As long as you have at least a node or two in each pieces of rhizome, I am fairly certain that plantlets will sprout. I find multiplying buces faster this way, especially if you planted them submerged. Each trimmed rhizome will sprout multiple side shoots.


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

This is the first bulbophyllum that spiked under my care. It reminds me of the first time I had a crypt send a spathe. By looking at the leaf shape and size, any idea of what species this is? This was from Borneo. The pot is 4 inches for size reference.


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## toksyn (Aug 15, 2011)

looking4roselines said:


> This is the first bulbophyllum that spiked under my care. It reminds me of the first time I had a crypt send a spathe. By looking at the leaf shape and size, any idea of what species this is? This was from Borneo. The pot is 4 inches for size reference.


Maybe someone else may disagree but I think an ID is going to be impossible without a photo of the bloom.


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## wabisabi (Jan 31, 2011)

Hey Xue,

Do you keep your bulbophyllum in an enclosed tank, just like your crypts? I've seen bulbophyllum on display here in Hawaii just in open air. I know it's more humid here but looks like yours if very damp. Good job on the spike!


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

*FYI: Crypt. sp. Bukit Ibam "Yellow Ring"*

For those who received a Crypt sp. "Bukit Ibam" from me, Jan had recently described this as a natural hybrid between c nurii and c cordata.


http://crypts.home.xs4all.nl/Cryptocoryne/Gallery/yel/yel.html


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## looking4roselines (Mar 28, 2008)

wabisabi said:


> Hey Xue,
> 
> Do you keep your bulbophyllum in an enclosed tank, just like your crypts? I've seen bulbophyllum on display here in Hawaii just in open air. I know it's more humid here but looks like yours if very damp. Good job on the spike!


 
Sorry for the late reply Steve. I didn't see your question until now.
The bulbo was grown in the open in my living room. The spike dried (probably due to central air running) out so I am growing it in a enclosed container to maintain a 70-80% humidity.


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## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

Great thread!


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

Awesome thread. Any updates?


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## johnson18 (Apr 29, 2011)

Any updates on your emersed plants?


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