# My Wife Calls this my ‘Man Cave’



## Phred (Jan 6, 2022)

We came to New Jersey 5 years ago to take care of my father-in-law who was in failing health. He passed away the end of October and we’re selling his house. The last part of the house to be fixed up is the area I have been growing my orchids in. 
It took me the weekend... but I got everything moved to the garage. I moved a small couch in there because who doesn’t like to sit on the couch and watch their orchids grow 
My wife saw me sitting on the couch and said, “I see you put a couch in your Man Cave”. 
I might have the only wife in the world who thinks my room full of orchids, of all things, qualifies as a Man Cave. How lucky am I...


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## Duck Slipper (Jan 6, 2022)

Very cool Phred!
Looks very organized, clean and impressive:


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## My Green Pets (Jan 6, 2022)

That looks so nice!! Please help me organize my apartment!
And the garage doesn't present any challenges with heating?


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## abax (Jan 6, 2022)

If there's a man in it, it's a man cave.


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## monocotman (Jan 7, 2022)

Great setup! Plus who doesn’t like communing with their orchids? A sofa is an excellent idea,
David


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## LadySlipper (Jan 7, 2022)

Looks really nice. So neat and organized. Thanks for posting.


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## Ozpaph (Jan 7, 2022)

Probably a bit humid down there - but an ice machine and large screen TV......heaven


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## gego (Jan 7, 2022)

My hat's off....wow!!!
Now for the watering? ,,, I can just relate...all for the love of these plants...


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## BrucherT (Jan 7, 2022)

Phred said:


> We came to New Jersey 5 years ago to take care of my father-in-law who was in failing health. He passed away the end of October and we’re selling his house. The last part of the house to be fixed up is the area I have been growing my orchids in.
> It took me the weekend... but I got everything moved to the garage. I moved a small couch in there because who doesn’t like to sit on the couch and watch their orchids grow
> My wife saw me sitting on the couch and said, “I see you put a couch in your Man Cave”.
> I might have the only wife in the world who thinks my room full of orchids, of all things, qualifies as a Man Cave. How lucky am I...
> ...


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## BrucherT (Jan 7, 2022)

Phred said:


> We came to New Jersey 5 years ago to take care of my father-in-law who was in failing health. He passed away the end of October and we’re selling his house. The last part of the house to be fixed up is the area I have been growing my orchids in.
> It took me the weekend... but I got everything moved to the garage. I moved a small couch in there because who doesn’t like to sit on the couch and watch their orchids grow
> My wife saw me sitting on the couch and said, “I see you put a couch in your Man Cave”.
> I might have the only wife in the world who thinks my room full of orchids, of all things, qualifies as a Man Cave. How lucky am I...
> ...


Where did you get the perfect shelves?


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## Justin (Jan 7, 2022)

Healthy looking plants and great looking set up! Are those LED lights? And how do you handle the drain water?


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## lori.b (Jan 7, 2022)

I wish my husband had a man cave like that. He's got a '74 corvette parked in his!


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## JustinR (Jan 7, 2022)

Haha "man cave", I like it. Well, it is a cave full of lots of orchids and a man, so I guess it qualifies


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## Paphman910 (Jan 7, 2022)

That is definately a "Man Cave". My brother has a man cave with all his comic character figurines with a computer and a chair! You are missing a computer to surf for orchid stuff!


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## Phred (Jan 7, 2022)

Thanks everyone for all your kind and funny comments.


My Green Pets said:


> That looks so nice!! Please help me organize my apartment!
> And the garage doesn't present any challenges with heating?


Hello My Green Pets
There is a heat vent in the garage and I leave the door into the house open... with the lights and fans running it stays in the 70’s even when it’s in the teens outside.


Ozpaph said:


> Probably a bit humid down there - but an ice machine and large screen TV......heaven


Hey Ozpaph
The humidity 40-60 average and 80 when I water a lot in one day. Goes down pretty quick with the furnace coming on.


BrucherT said:


> Where did you get the perfect shelves?


Hi BrucherT
The black shelves came from Lowe’s


Justin said:


> Healthy looking plants and great looking set up! Are those LED lights? And how do you handle the drain water?


Hi Justin
Some are cheap LED shop lights from Walmart and the rest are SunBlaster HO fluorescent T5’s. As for watering... I water everything at the sink a tray at a time. Can’t wait to have a setup where I can just water them where they are.


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## PhragNewbie021 (Jan 7, 2022)

Any idea of how many plants you have out there?


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## cnycharles (Jan 7, 2022)




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## My Green Pets (Jan 7, 2022)

> I water everything at the sink a tray at a time.


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## cnycharles (Jan 8, 2022)

monocotman said:


> Great setup! Plus who doesn’t like communing with their orchids? A sofa is an excellent idea,
> David


 many years ago in my apt I got carried away with humidifying and the couch and chair my landlord had given me started molding
So a good sign that the plants will like the humidity, will be your couch getting fuzzy


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## Justin (Jan 8, 2022)

Phred said:


> Thanks everyone for all your kind and funny comments.
> 
> Hello My Green Pets
> There is a heat vent in the garage and I leave the door into the house open... with the lights and fans running it stays in the 70’s even when it’s in the teens outside.
> ...



I feel your pain in watering. My indoor collection is about 28 trays. It is a few hours of work each week. I use slotted trays nested in closed trays, so i can just pop out the slotted tray to move it to the sink or outside to water and let that drain befor putting it back. 

I have gone to all LEDs and am vey happy. I have one 34 watt strip on each seedling shelf and 65 watt panels which replaced HID for the bigger plants.


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## NYEric (Jan 10, 2022)

My condolences on the loss of your Father-In-Law. I'm surprised yo grow Catts with no natural lighting. Nice set up but, are you selling the garage?


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## Happypaphy7 (Feb 3, 2022)

I'm almost given up hope in owning a greenhouse or living in a big house with extra space for plant growing like a basement, but still think about moving out to NZ somewhere to make it happen. 
Everytime someone I know move out of the city and to a bigger place in the suburb, I get tempted. haha


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 4, 2022)

Look at all those walkerianas!!


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