Ok… I think it is time for a photo update of the cool vivarium. It is really starting to fill in now and I am quite pleased with how the viv is performing!! If you are curious to see exactly what orchids I am growing in there so far, you can look at this photo on Flickr instead. I have put up little notes on the photo labeling the orchids in it, just mouse over the photo to see the notes.
I am going to study the placement of all the orchids now in a little bit more detail and perhaps move them around a bit to find the optimal growing place for each plant. Since the left side is dryer than the right and it is about 2-3 degrees warmer in the upper half compared to the bottom half, there are actually a few different micro climates to choose from in there. For example, my two Diachea probably should more over to the right side where they will get a bit more water while I probably should move my Maxillaria collection up a little bit closer to the lights… there is much to consider. I have gotten so many new plants so quickly that I have not had time to plan this properly before. Everything is doing good so there is no great rush really, but me being a bit of a control freak – you know… I will also have a lot more plants coming from Peru and Ecuador to the orchid show in Sweden in September and I want to have everything in order by then.
How big is your Vivarium? I looked through all the photos on flicker but couldn’t get a good feeling for the size.
I’ve got an entire, unused room in my house and this looks like a great use for it. But from the flicker photos, it also looked like it might just be a large table-top unit?
Hi Kelly, it is quite large actually. It measures 175 cm wide, 160 cm high and 65 cm deep-
If you look under the tag cool vivarium build you can see all the notes on the build so far.
Hi Karma what a wonder4ful project and beautiful results. Really amazing! I will like to do one just seeing yours
I have a question I saw your pics on flickr and I want to know what were you using to make the moss grow? I saw that you were adding some liquid to the epiweb, do they sell that product to grow moss?
Thank you
Thanks Ysa.
I bought the tropical moss mix from the company who makes the EpiWeb. They mix it with some shredded sphagnum moss to help the moss seed get rooted on the synthetic material. You just mix it with water and spread it on. I bought mine from the Swedish company Dusk Tropic, but I know that Dartfrog in the UK sells a similar product. As long as you have good light and high humidity and never let the moss mix dry it is quite effective.
I love I want to maker one, but I cant find anybody who sells the same product in United States? Do you know any or why they don’t sell it here?
Than you
Sorry, I have no idea of a US dealer, but Dartfrog ships to the US… You can get 30g of moss for £9.95 and shipping to the US would be £6.00. Not too bad I think. Good luck!