u/abby-rreed — reddlx

SHE'S DONE

still adding plants obviously bc duh, but the cabinet is finally complete! the only thing left to add is another light on the bottom of the top shelf, i just didnt feel like manuvering the cords around earlier lol I'll probably do that tmr. but guys i am so stoked I'm obsessed with her!

also the bowl thats in there rn is not going to stay, i just need somewhere with better lighting to put it rn until i get a different spot ready lol. also the succulents on the small shelf arent going to stay there, planning on getting some small acrylic shelves for the back at the top for them so they can be close to the fan lol

u/abby-rreed — 14 hours ago

▲ 8 r/IkeaGreenhouseClub

any experience with adding beneficial bugs/mites?

question for the community lol

do any of yall have any experience adding beneficial bugs or like mites and stuff?

i make terrariums a lot so I'm very familiar with things like springtails and isopods etc, but over the years I had to give up houseplants bc my cats like to mess with them. until recently, thanks to discovering greenhouse cabinets (and also moving into a house 🙌) im setting up my first cabinet now (posted an unfinished pic yesterday in here) but i am very curious about adding beneficial bugs to my plants in the cabinet once i get it finished and all my plants back from my mom's house (she's been babysitting them for me bless her). i noticed a couple gnats popping up already, probably from a terrarium I built a few weeks ago, though im not too worried about the terrarium bc once the springtails establish well the fungus gnats are toast, but i saw one in my cabinet today and i dont like that.

i get nervous to use pesticides because of my cats, and also other bugs i keep. i have had success with neem oil in the past, so I'm not opposed to using that again. i know folks also use mosquito dunks, but I haven't tried that before.

i like beneficial bugs a lot though, and i feel like that could be a good solution once i get everything set up. let me know y'all's experience or if you have any recommendations on pet safe pest control! thanks :)

editing to add: i also am concerned about getting spider mites or thrips, not just fungus gnats, bc a couple of the plants in there are cuttings my friend sent from her yard, so i feel like the bugs would also be a good solution for that as well as the gnats lol

reddit.com

u/abby-rreed — 8 days ago

▲ 36 r/IkeaGreenhouseClub

a friend sent me some cuttings, they got here before my shelving did lol

obviously my cabinet is very sad right now lmao but idk theres something about seeing my first little babies in there that is making me feel really happy! the top light is most likely going to stay where it is, i may tweak my top fan placement too but I'm waiting until my shelves come in and get those set up before i start messing with that. i weather stripped it the other day and reinforced the adhesive with aquarium silicone so in theory it shouldn't have an issue with falling off after opening and closing the doors. my hygrometer is reading 84% so im feeling very confident about that. in a couple days most of the cuttings will be getting chopped into nodes and planted in nursery pots bc I like starting from scratch and watching them grow, just waiting on the roots to establish a little more :) anyways thats it really, nothing super impressive right now but I'll update when i get her finished 🙂‍↕️

using the unicoly cabinet off Amazon, i got the one with lights built in bc i thought i could thread some of my cords through those spots after i removed all the other wiring but my cords are too thick so ended up having to drill holes anyway lmao. lights are the Barrina T8, fans are the IP67 waterproof computer fans (i have 2), and then i just have a cheap little portable humidifier in there for now. i eventually want to upgrade my extension cord to a smart one so i can set timers for the lights and stuff but for now its just a regular one and I'll just turn them on before work and off when i get home. shelves are custom from etsy (and unfortunately SO EXPENSIVE so they better be great lmao)

any suggestions or tips are appreciated, this is my first time doing a greenhouse cabinet!

u/abby-rreed — 9 days ago

▲ 10 r/terrariums

guys i feel like there's been a crazy amount of growth in my newest terrarium and i am so stoked. i think i finally got my substrate mix solidified, bc these babies are thriving! first pic is the first day, second pic is today. (added a branch and lots of leaf littler in the middle bc its for isopods)

plant list:

- Iresine herbstii formosa 'blood leaf' (back middle)

- fittonia

- climacium dendroides (tree moss)

- Maranta leuconeura 'prayer plant' (back middle left)

- iresine herbstii acuminata 'blood leaf beefsteak' (back left)

- calethea picturata crimson/calethea rosey (back middle right)

- geoppertia ornata 'beauty star' (back right)

- davallia fejeensis 'rabbit foot fern' (right middle front)

- pilea spruceana 'friendship plant' (front right)

- pilea depressa 'baby tears' (left creeping plant)

- alternanthia (front middle left)

- sedum tetractinum 'coral reef' (right creeping plant)

substrate mix:

- organic soil

- rehydrated sphagnum moss

- rehydrated coco fiber

- worm castings

- orchid bark

- horticultural charcoal

20 gallon tank, two small grow lights at the top (kinda want to upgrade this soon), misting with dechlorinated tap water 1x daily

u/abby-rreed — 20 days ago