Finally, a real shelf/light!

[BrucherT]

It's the Spider Farmer SF300. The SF600 is the same, just longer. Bought here: Amazon link
I guess if I had thought deeply about the name this might have dawned on me, but apparently a lot of weed growers use these lights. Like that is almost their whole audience it seems!
A little thread from this fall when I was deciding on the light, that has some graphics from the company if you scroll down. Also someone else with the same light very helpfully told me parameters they had tested at home: Thread 'Light height/strength with inflorescences' https://www.slippertalk.com/threads/light-height-strength-with-inflorescences.57491/

Thank you very much! I'm thinking about it!

 

[Adam Seward]

I mix it a gallon at a time and go through it pretty fast, especially during the winter because my air is dry and I'm paranoid about spider mites. Been awhile (more than a year) since I've seen any but I spray down each and every orchid plant surface every third watering, or so. Mites are just insidious for me. I stupidly spent too much money at Hausermann's yesterday and today I'm repotting everything after a soak in Physan and then a spray-down with the soap mixture.

I do not use Neem oil; the smell makes me blortch. So, the recipe I use is as follows:

1 gallon RO or distilled water
3 tablespoons Dr. Bronner's liquid soap (currently using the citrus scent but you can use whatever you want, or the unscented
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use olive oil but have used corn oil and grapeseed oil in the past; it doesn't matter)

That's it. Sure, you can put Neem oil in if you want, some put in cinnamon, some add chili powder. If I didn't have Dr. Bronner's on hand, I'd use classic Palmolive ("look Madge! I soaked in it!). Dawn is nontoxic but I don't like how it seems to separate in the mixture. Of course, ALL these mixtures separate and you have to shake them up to mix them, then shake very well in the spray bottle and spray several times into the sink before you start spraying the plants, and then shake often during the spraying session.

If you don't have a lot of plants, just proportionally mix the soap and oil with the amount of water. I'm terrible at math but it's pretty simple to break it down by hallf-gallons or quarts or ounces.

Recipes online recommend only making what you will use that day; I think this is silly. It's just water, soap and oil. It doesn't go bad.

Good luck!

Thank you! Great info.

 

[Adam Seward]

Water 20 prts
Bronners Lavender Oil soap 5 parts
Alcohol 12 parts
Neem oil 5 parts
(secret ingredient that rhymes with "bear it") pinch, this stuff is lethal.

Thanks very much!

 

[southernbelle]

Wow, okay, that is pretty intense. I have no idea with the magnification is on my phone app. But I am definitely not swabbing and looking at the cotton. I think I need to be doing more. Appreciate the detailed info.

This is inexpensive and 40x lighted. Works great. Hold it to your eye and bring the object to you or bend down to the plant.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZXBW1H...k2_1_7&=&crid=3TRMWDIVXL8D9&=&sprefix=40x+mag

 

[southernbelle]

You’re so responsible! Wish more growers thought through poisons.

Have I used some? Yes. Safari (Diflurcan) is my last resort when ALL else fails. But since I started using the USDA insecticidal soap recipe with Dr. Bronner’s and vegetable oil, I’ve even ridded a very stubborn round of mites (I also did a massive repotting 2 months into treatment, thoroughly spraying each plant, bare rinsed roots and all, with the mixture). Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap is great because it comes in many scents as well as unscented. I use the lemon one. You know you’ve got to shake and spray before using because the mixture separates. Has worked on mites, scale, mealybug and thrips. Last time I used Safari was for a “strawberry thrips” infestation that threatened to carry off my Hibiscus schizopetalus, which I’ve had since I was 14. The soap didn’t affect those.

According to the St. Augustine Or hid Society website Safari only suppresses thrips, does not eradicate. I fought them with Safari for a year and finally got rid of them with Overture. Since they spread virus, I could not tolerate them only being suppressed to return.
https://staugorchidsociety.org/PDF/PesticidesforOrchidPestsbySueBottom.pdf