highland cooling

[wadave]

I've just realised that I'm not sure if the real issue with highlanders is cooler soil temps at night or air temps....

I have done lots of reading and research but always had it in the back of my mind that so long as my newly arriving highlanders experience cooler night time air temps they would be ok, now I'm not so sure.

Which is the most important?

I was looking to set up a highland terrarium where I could use a 2 litre juice bottle full of frozen water to drop the air temp over night, or do I need to cool the roots?

Dave.

[Dave Evans]

Dear Dave,

They are one in the same. If the air temperature drops significantly, the soil temp will drop as well. Most CP's are shallow rooted, so only the deepest roots will be insulated from temperature extremes.

[wadave]

That's good to hear, so I should be ok with my plan to drop a juice bottle of frozen water into my highland tank to keep them cool at night during our hot summer nights.

It tends to reach high 20's and even reaches into the 30's here at night during summer (deg C). It's great for lowlanders but a killer for highlanders.

The other idea I had was if I had some highlanders in the GH during summer I may get away with the frozen bottle idea if I place the pot into a styrafoam box complete with a lid of some sort to keep the air and roots cool during the hot nights.

Dave.

[vraev]

Hi Dave,

I use the water bottle cooling everyday. Every single night I haul 4 500 ml bottles, put 2 over the rajah, 1 beside the talang, one near the other 2 highlanders; mira and ramispina.

mira, ramispina are both pitchering. In fact mira has started growing and pitchering just after a week since I got it bare rooted. talang I got on oct 5th. It has made 2 leaves already and the tendril is trying to reach the moss ...its really long for that plant size.

the rajah....i think I had issues with low light. Now I got it an extra source. it remains to be seen if the honorable majesty becomes satisfied and decides to make me a pitcher. I still have problems of tendril development. The bud takes the typical shape of "pitchering" but the tendril doesn't drop.





Now I dont' know whats bad. I think light has been added. Humidity should be fine as others are all pitchering... pot size is huuuuuge so roots should be cool enough. temps are max 75 during the day. Night may go down to 60 or lower.

So yeah! It works! But, if u have too many plants, it might be a big pain.

[wadave]

Hi vraev,

Are you saying you suspend the bottles over the pots?

I was thinking that the cooling effect of the frozen bottle would be enough to cool the air in the tank sufficiently to cool everything down.

I also had the idea of lining the outsides of the tank with styrafoam to help keep the heat out and the cool in.

Dave.

[vraev]

Well. My enclousre is the typical one with SHELVES. So for the rajah, I put bottles on the top shelf to ensure maximum cooling (COLD AIR FALLS).

NOTE: VERY VERY OLD PIC. MY plant count has increased. The light sources have increased and pots rearranged. But yeah..basically this is what I use


By vraev at 2007-05-19

The bical grows on the topmost shelf with the ventrata which doesn't really appreciate lowland conditions. It seems to like highland conditions better. Only when winter started and the shelf experiences intermediate condtions, did it resume pitchering. Bical has become slow...but it still pitchers. this is one which is opening right now.



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Now as u can see the shelf above the wide pot (old pot of my rajah) is where I put the bottles for the rajah. For the ramispina, talang, mira, I put the bottles on the same level. REASON: It unifies cooling for these "highland" plants which is comparitively enough rather than the "ULTRAHIGHLAND" rajah.

Latest pic of my rajah from 3 days ago:



Hope this helps.

[sarracenialover]

I used an ultrasonic humidifier to cool my terrarium

[vraev]

I have one of those small ultrasonic humidifiers as well. It barely does nothing to the temp. So it comes on once every hour or so for 3 min pertime. Basically the enclousure ranges from 60+ humidity. I don't think the humidifier is doing much in my case for it seems really weak (need a new disk) and I don't leave it on long enough.

[sarracenialover]

well, i just turn it on shortly at night to raise the humidity

[vraev]

I guess it helps if u have a sealed space. MY enclousure is open all the way in the bottom and a bit on the top. Basically humidity gets maintained in there due to the sphagnum and the big pots + number of plants. It never goes below 55% or so. The mist produced by the humidifier in such short bursts as in my case only tends to be like a momentary humidity variation ...thats it. I guess its more of a "pscycological aid" in my current situation and I am pretty sure that my spraying 3-4 times a day is enough to warrant the humidity levels i see everyday.

[sarracenialover]

i use the ultrasonic humidifier on really hot days but I try to lower the amount I use it because it gets worn out eventually.

[sarracenialover]

I spray my plants more often.

[wadave]

Here's an update with my cooling.

Over the last few weeks or so our night temps have been well above the suggested range for my rajah and hamata so I've been placing them in a styrafoam box complete with matching lid.

I drop a 1.5 L soft drink bottle of frozen water into the box with the plants and then put the lid on top making sure it seals properly.

Come morning time I remove the plants and put them back in their normal place and the bottle goes back into the freezer.

The plants are actually looking much healthier, the leaves are much glossier and look a bit tougher.

Before doing this my tiny little hamata's newest leaf tip went black. But after giving it cold nights the new leaf is still developing well and the rest of the plant looks good.

Dave.

[vraev]

good to hear that Dave. Yup! the good old water bottle trick works. What u are doing is a lot more effective than me...as my enclousure is more OPEN space. My using that insulated box....you seem to have got it correctly.

Next summer if temps go really high...I will actually see if I can put the plants in the fridge at night.

[sarracenialover]

I just used two frozen water bottles but the temp just drops, like, 3 to 4 degrees.