Mike Corazzi
Masterpiece
In the movies, they seem to do okay placed on a desk or filing cabinet with no special lighting. 
Indoor Setup for Tropicals?
- Thread starter dbonsaiw
- Start date
Paradox
Imperial Masterpiece
And coyotes use explosives in cartoonsIn the movies, they seem to do okay placed on a desk or filing cabinet with no special lighting.
Kievnstavick
Shohin
As someone else mentioned, for an indoor set-up to be successful you first have to determine what type of non-cold hardy plants that you want to keep. Secondly, try to figure out what you would like to actually do during the winter months. Either sustain life/growth or actively grow them during the winter.
Some do just fine in the "full-shade." Others need a humid and warm environment. Some just need a bright warm place without too much water. You can keep all of them, but to be truely successful you will have to tailor their "homes" to their enviroment.
Once you figure what you want to grow, then you can begin planning a decent indoor set-up for said plants.
Some do just fine in the "full-shade." Others need a humid and warm environment. Some just need a bright warm place without too much water. You can keep all of them, but to be truely successful you will have to tailor their "homes" to their enviroment.
Once you figure what you want to grow, then you can begin planning a decent indoor set-up for said plants.
Ply
Mame
Just to add my 2 cents, in my experience a setup with humidity control and artificial lighting isn't always a neccesity, depending on your situation. At least speaking for ficus, no experience with other indoor suitable species.
Obviously humidity control and artificia lighting can create more optimal growing conditions, but if you have south/west facing windows and you're okay with your ficus only growing minimally throughout the winter than you can certainly skip the fancy setups if you would want to.
At least, that's what my experience has been. I usually take my ficus' in around october/november depending on the min temps (<5C) and I don't experience any leave drop, and they're all still perfectly happy when they go outside in spring.
Obviously humidity control and artificia lighting can create more optimal growing conditions, but if you have south/west facing windows and you're okay with your ficus only growing minimally throughout the winter than you can certainly skip the fancy setups if you would want to.
At least, that's what my experience has been. I usually take my ficus' in around october/november depending on the min temps (<5C) and I don't experience any leave drop, and they're all still perfectly happy when they go outside in spring.
shohin_branches
Shohin
I treat with orthene for two weeks prior to bringing them in and they get sprayed down with a basic insecticidal soap on the day they come in. Two of my Portulacaria afra had mealybugs so they're staying outside a bit longer for extra treatment.
If I don't spray ahead of time I end up making a terrarium of centipedes during the winter because they hitchhike in the drainage holes and I release them on the first nice day.
Sansokuu
Chumono
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The tropical tree shuffle is a big fat hassle. The trees drop all their leaves, get diseased or bugged, and then it is a mess to clean up in the spring. Right now my office bay window is full of adeniums and oddball African plants and orchids I probably shouldnt have gotten. 
The other spot for tropicals is under a work bench in a garage we no longer keep cars in. I keep hoping one day we can have a house with southern facing windows and a dedicated tropical plant room/atrium!
But if you have the space and the will, a friend recommended these grow lights: https://www.carnivero.com/collections/florawave-grow-lights
Avoid the blurple/magenta type lights, they are really harsh on the eyes.
The other spot for tropicals is under a work bench in a garage we no longer keep cars in. I keep hoping one day we can have a house with southern facing windows and a dedicated tropical plant room/atrium!But if you have the space and the will, a friend recommended these grow lights: https://www.carnivero.com/collections/florawave-grow-lights
Avoid the blurple/magenta type lights, they are really harsh on the eyes.
Those books are going to be a breeding ground for mold
Alaskanrocket
Yamadori
Ive had this setup for a few years and its been great, other than its prone to exacerbate pest issues. The ficus love it, the Chinese elm are a little more cantankerous. Its a 8X4X6 grow tent with two Spiderfarmer 2000 grow lights and I run a fan constantly. The lights are on a 16 on/8 off timer. Its usually about 75-80f and 65-85% humidity.
Attachments
shohin_branches
Shohin
Do you have fans?
MHBonsai
Chumono
Might want to consider laying the tent down on its side - that’s what I did with mine and now I have way more working space.
Alaskanrocket
Yamadori
Its a great idea, however I'm already pushing my luck with the TV room real estate, hahaha. I have 32sqft of floor space now, but if I laid it flat id have 48!!! You know how many ficus I could fit in 12sqft!
luvinthemountains
Chumono
But think about it...if you lay it on its side then you could build a platform, add another tent above it, and then you have 96sqft! Though watering the trees in the back might be tricky.
Alaskanrocket
Yamadori
What I should do is pull a Jerry Meislik, tell the kids they're SOL on the TV/Play room, gut the entire place and have one huge grow room! I can tell them Im investing in their "future"...
LemonBonsai
Shohin
In my opinion a humidity tent is not needed. Im in ontario canada and growing a mango tree. Doesnt thrive, but makes it through winter looking very healthy.
luvinthemountains
Chumono
Definitely not necessary. I grew ficus bonsai in my house, unenclosed, for several years and it was fine. Like you said, they just did not thrive.
Here are my reasons for growing in a tent:
- Light - the high-intensity LEDs that I grow my tropicals under are very bright and harsh on the eyes, and could also potentially damage my family's eyesight
- Temperature - I am able to maintain a constant 85F-95F, 24 hours a day in a tent, which makes my trees happy but not so much me and my family
- Aesthetics - keeping my trees outside of our main living space works better for our decorating preferences (although I guess for the cost of a decent tent setup somebody could probably build a pretty lighted shelf)
- Moisture - my tents have sealed floors so I don't have to worry about condensation or being sloppy when I water; also, I can keep the air inside the tent relatively moist and dehumidify the area outside the tent to protect my belongings
Ugo
Shohin
All of the above!
My old ficus survived the worst conditions during its life but its now thriving in a growing tent for a few months per year.
Depends on your project.
I couldnt let this tree go bit if I wanted to push it further I had to buy equipment and learn how to use everything but in my case it worth it.
Horticulture inside is something to learn.
You can read, get guidelines but in the end it is what work for you in term of equipement and setting. Shame on me it took me almost 2 years to test and try to adjust everything proprely and start seeing gains.
Im now due for a slightly bigger tent as this tree almost touch the walls.
You're biggest investment will be for the full spectrum light dimmer adjustable.
That will allow you to cover alot of different setup (see spider farmer as a suggestion)
I also use a heat mat...
The mat is there to raise the temperature of the overall setup, that allows me to rise the humidity over 80% and create aerial roots on this tree.
A small circulating fan is vital ( buy 2 just in case one fail) while an exhaust fan is for me almost useless.
You can choose all size of growing tent but dont forget the bigger it is the hardest it is to maintain your desired enviromnent which might require a step up in equipment.
Please dont copy what you see in this picture!
This is how it work for me after a few years of testing but dont forget all parameters are taken into account and theres also alot you dont see!
My old ficus survived the worst conditions during its life but its now thriving in a growing tent for a few months per year.
Depends on your project.
I couldnt let this tree go bit if I wanted to push it further I had to buy equipment and learn how to use everything but in my case it worth it.
Horticulture inside is something to learn.
You can read, get guidelines but in the end it is what work for you in term of equipement and setting. Shame on me it took me almost 2 years to test and try to adjust everything proprely and start seeing gains.
Im now due for a slightly bigger tent as this tree almost touch the walls.
You're biggest investment will be for the full spectrum light dimmer adjustable.
That will allow you to cover alot of different setup (see spider farmer as a suggestion)
I also use a heat mat...
The mat is there to raise the temperature of the overall setup, that allows me to rise the humidity over 80% and create aerial roots on this tree.
A small circulating fan is vital ( buy 2 just in case one fail) while an exhaust fan is for me almost useless.
You can choose all size of growing tent but dont forget the bigger it is the hardest it is to maintain your desired enviromnent which might require a step up in equipment.
Please dont copy what you see in this picture!
This is how it work for me after a few years of testing but dont forget all parameters are taken into account and theres also alot you dont see!
shohin_branches
Shohin
Got the Ikea grow cabinet cleaned out and sanitized. Moved the carnivores to the basement. Starting to move the trees in for winter
luvinthemountains
Chumono
You might have fewer watts going into your tent than I do (~400W-500W per 2x4x6 tent). Without my thermostat-controlled exhaust fans my trees would literally be toast. Not everybody will need it - like you said, people need to find what works for them. The one thing I think is essential in an enclosed environment is circulation fans, to keep temps even and bugs down.
Cool setup! I would totally do this and maybe rotate trees from the tent, but my wife would not go for it.
shohin_branches
Shohin
I have the doors open for the photo but the humidity is around 80% with the doors closed. No need to rotate trees to the tent, it keeps my ficus from dropping leaves during the dry indoor winter air.
