fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on Apr 21, 2013 7:32:22 GMT -5
I'll finally get a better idea at what temperatures my Darlingtonia are growing in. Two or three years ago I acquired several aquarium thermometers and sank them in the Sphagnum. Here lies the problem, Sphagnum grows, thermometers disappear so you have to remember where they all are. Then they have to be lifted out to be read, no reading in passing. The result is that no meaningful information was obtained. This winter I acquired several digital thermometers with external probes. These are very cheaply obtained from China costing much less, about half the retail price, than the aquarium types and that includes postage from China. Which is also a fraction of what the exact item retails at in the UK. Below are the temperatures as at 10am this morning.  Top line :- Top greenhouse; There are other thermometers in this greenhouse recording air (current) and air max - min Left - Othello root temp Right - Junior colony root temp Bottom line:- Bottom greenhouse Left to right 1. Colony No 3 root temp 2. Standard tray size, Mike Brooks (Giant?) seedling root temp 3. Air temp ( white) ( the probe is under the staging) 4 Mother colony root temp  This set up is much better, easy to read in passing and from a distance. At last I'll know exactly what is going on  Oh and yes that is Blu Tack they're sitting on |
|
|
|
Post by stevebooth on Apr 22, 2013 7:15:30 GMT -5
Hi Fred
I presume you will be posting updates thriough the summer, I shall follow this with interest, long have I wondered what your trays in a greenhouse actually get to temperature wise.
Can you link these sensors to a data logger at all?
Cheers
Steve
|
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on Apr 22, 2013 10:32:25 GMT -5
Steve, I have them linked to a data logger called Fred's brain . That's about as high tech as it's going to get. When I'm around there I'll just take a mental note. I worked out the cost of these thermometers in $US if anyone is interested. Using todays's exchange rate they were $1.89 (£1.24) each inclusive of postage and batteries. |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Brian Barnes on Apr 25, 2013 12:19:29 GMT -5
Hey Fred, Very interesting indeed. Now we'll know your secret of growing such fantastic "cobras".  Don't ask to see mine...  Brian |
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on May 5, 2013 14:47:16 GMT -5
Temperatures today May 5th  |
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on May 6, 2013 12:46:12 GMT -5
May 6th 6PM, hottest day of the year so far.  A clear sunny day with temperatures in the greenhouses reaching 30c+ at times. The Mother Colony is the higher temperature as the air temperature decreases. Although this is in the same sized tray as two other colonies it has more bulk as the sphagnum has grown higher over the years. the temperature rises slower than the other trays but also falls slower. MrsG reports that at 6am the trays are now still about 2C above the ambient greenhouse air temperature. Flowering is looking to be less this year, both the original colonies have been thinned to younger growth. |
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on May 7, 2013 11:59:28 GMT -5
A quicky.
Minimum greenhouse temperature last night was 11C (52F)
Mother Colony minimum 17C (63F)
None of the others fell below 15C
Day temperatures in the trays 24 -26C ( 75 - 79F)
|
|
|
|
Post by Brian Barnes on May 9, 2013 10:18:07 GMT -5
Thanks Fred! Some very useful information indeed. Your truly pioneering a wonderful topic!  Brian |
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on May 16, 2013 14:50:43 GMT -5
We're having a cold wet spell at present, so nothing untoward for the plants.
Tonight 16th May 8PM the root temperatures are 16 - 17C ( 61 - 63F)
|
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on May 18, 2013 12:59:55 GMT -5
It's like autumn (fall) is setting in. The root temperatures are only just scraping 14C (57F) today. This is not normaL
|
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on May 19, 2013 12:01:54 GMT -5
It looks like the mini cool spell has passed. Quite a lot of sunshine today with root temperatures back up to 22 - 23C (71-73F).
I've replaced a pane in each greenhouse door with wire mesh to increase ventilation and keep temperatures down a little.
That will be it for the top lean-to greenhouse. The bottom greenhouse will normally have the remaining two panes removed later.
|
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on May 28, 2013 16:53:48 GMT -5
Just back from a week up North.
The max -min thermometer recorded 31.4C (88.5F) while I was away, probably over the weekend which was very sunny.
I have no observation to confirm but the root temperatures must have reached 30C (86F)with that air temperature.
It's cool again now 15C (59F) and drizzling at 4pm today
|
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on May 31, 2013 13:28:09 GMT -5
After 4 days of temperatures where day and night only varied 3 or 4 degrees C and barely exceeded 16C (61F) we're now back into the twenties. 22C ( 72F) today Edit :- I forgot to mention I removed the remaining two glass panels from the door of the bottom greenhouse. All three sections are now meshed. |
|
fredg
Senior Member
Slightly (*cough) eccentric
Posts: 316
|
Post by fredg on Jun 6, 2013 12:53:48 GMT -5
June 6th.
Daytime root temperatures over the past week have been around 23C (73F).
Night air temperature has been down to 11C (52F) on one night but the root temperatures didn't fall below 17C (63F)
It takes until about 10AM before the air temperature exceeds the overnight root temperatures.
The colonies are now in full pitcher production.
|
|
