Journal Hermetosphere

[zozo]

Can you use any plants or are some more suited than others?

Probably depending on available overall size and most important bottleneck size to get it in, in the first place.
Could give some limitations. For the rest anything perennial will do. Then it is waiting and see how it develops over the years. Plants also can compete with each other for space with different kind of strategies. Since it's a completely closed environment then trimming and shaping plants is out of the question. Thus some experience and general knowledge about the plant species to grow is a pre.

Can’t wait to see what you plant in it 😀

I yet have no idea with what kind of glassware he will turn up and what i can get in. But from our last conversation, i could make up that he is very interested in the Biophytum sensitivum (Video 2 min 41 sec) and a small Orchid and mosses.

 

[zozo]

Switched this Thread to a Journal. Because after a long search i finally found the stuff i was kinda dreaming about since the day i posted this thread.

A 30cm diameter handblown clear glass lamp shade bowl (sphere) +/- 14 litre.

(V = 4/3 pi x r³ schould be aproximately a tad over 14 litres?..)


Still have to customize the parts to make it all fit and make a hanging lamp with the brass/copper lamp parts on a brass chain. All collected from here and there. 🙂 I'll keep you posted on the entire process.

Then a Smart Wifi bulb will be installed as light source. These bulbs are Wifi controllable via Android of IOS app with a set time schedule per day independent. Already tested the bulbs and they stay pretty cool, so i do not expect temperature problems. Then the bowl will be scaped and planted.

Finally resulting in a Hanging terrarium lamp.

Actually in one word the:

"Hermetosphere".

 

[Onoma1]

Subscribed ...looks like a fascinating project.

 

[zozo]

As shown in the picture above, the 3 screw Lamp Shade Holder is not designed for the E27 lamp fitting i choose. And visa versa, the fitting is not designed for such a shade holder. Usually, in this kind of build, the lamp fitting is completely in the shade.



Thus, i had to cut a 32mm hole in the shade holder to get the fitting in the holder but biggest part outside. 🙂.

I choose this custom option to get the lamp itself higher up in the globe. It gives me a few cm more height and workspace in the Sphere. 🙂 Next to this, the fitting is brass and will conduct some heat/warmth from the lamp, now it's outside the sphere i will have a beter temperature control inside.

 

[Guest]

What great idea Marcel, that going to look amazing.

 

[zozo]

What great idea Marcel, that going to look amazing.

As said i'm already running around for over 3 years with this idea. 🙂 Meanwhile, as usual with about all creazy ideas, i found out i'm not the only crazy one. It's done before.. 🙂





Then imagine the first one is from a shop for sale for € 250,- 🙄 And a tad smaller with 25cm diameter en less heavy-duty material than i'm making now.

I'm currently at a €140,- material for the lamp only ex. hardscape and plants. 🙂 I was lucky to find me a local supplier that sells the glass spheres as spare part in stock.

I wanted to go bigger, but 30cm is still relatively affordable at € 58,- inc shipping.
35cm is already 2x more expensive 40cm 3x more expensive 60cm was also an option 5x more expensive.

Now i trying to scape it a tad more intriguing than the above examples. A tad Wabi Kusa style with terrestrial and aquarium plants, Dw and stones.

We will see, first task is get it hanging in place and running, then test the temperatures for a few days to know where i'm at. 🙂
Then its scaping time..

 

[zozo]

Yet not fully sure about the height and if it should hang a tad lower. But for now, it hangs. Still can tweak it a bit.


I decided to place it in a corner because then I'll have a bit more scaping freedom than if it was above a table in the middle of a room for an example in a 360° view. Then i kinda feel forced to make it a flat island scape. Now in the corner i can slope the substrate uphill to the back and play a bit more with depth perception. Still have a few smaller pieces of DW resembling small tree trunks.

Some plants are already ordered. 🙂

Biophytum sensitivum


Drosera aliciae


Utricularia minutissima


Actiniopteris australis

Definitively a small epiphytic Orchid i yet haven't decided on.

Also Cryptocoryne parva as a grassy nole at the for ground.
And i'm thinking of a Cryptocorye wendtii brown to pop some more color in there.

For the rest it will be mosses collected from the forest and in between the pavement mixed with some Pyrrosia nummularifolia and Ficus pumila climbing up the back slope. 🙂

🙂

 

[zozo]

Did hang it a tad lower and it looks better. 🙂 The wifi bulb is installed. And according to the app timer settings, it should sunrise at 9 am and sunset at 9 pm repeatedly 7 days a week.



Yet no idea actually how well this works permanently. Theoretically, it should.. SInce i still have to wait on the ordered plants i assume i have over a week to test it and keep it running and see how stable it really performs.

If these Wifi smart bulbs with the tiny chip build-in do as they promise that would be the hammer. No more use for supplementary timer switches, dimmers etc. 😎

 

[Guest]

That looks great hanging there 🙂

 

[zozo]

That looks great hanging there 🙂

Yes i think so too. Thanks.. It hangs there for a reason.. 🙂

This is the total view from the back wall in the dining room.. 🙂



That box above the aquarium is an old Phillips X ray light box. One day that will turn into a small terrarium as well.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/see-through-dilemma.58055/#post-566759

And i guess it wont take long and the Glass Candy jar on the table has go green as well. 😎 I bought it for that purpose anyway.

It seems i'm far from done planting and collecting yet.

 

[Guest]

Looking good Marcel, the light is excellent in that spot 🙂

 

[zozo]

Haha.. 😀 I scaped it a bit with some DW and some soil. Did it with a false bottom, black gravel capped with some mesh, a carbon layer and a peat soil layer mix Carnivor and Orchid soil.

Tho i'm pretty pleased with the results but it is hard to see after an hour. 🙄


The globe gets steamy windows inside and i didn't even water the darn thing. It's from the moist that was already in the soil.
Tho i must say i'm pleasantly surprised with the Smart Wifi LED bulb, its a 4,5 watt with a 40 watt tungsten equivalent. The timer works like a charm nothing to complain, the temperature doesn't rise above the 21°C. The humidity is currently at 82% thus here i also still have room to play. So that's near perfect.

But now to the foggy glass? Since this is a first-timer for me, to set something up like this.. Is this because there is no plant respiration in it yet. Or simply physics? It's winter my house doesn't get warmer than 19°C, that's how i did set the heating. The globe is 21°C inside, that's a 2°C and 42% humidity difference and the water condenses against the cooler glass?

There is only one way to find out, now i know i'm good to go temperature-wise.. Thus i have to plant it and see how it goes. Maybe it improves with the foggy glass or i might have to wait for the springtime for the room temperature rising ≥ 21°C
🙂

All i can do is wait and see. And plant the darn thing up.

 

[sparkyweasel]

Or simply physics? It's winter my house doesn't get warmer than 19°C, that's how i did set the heating. The globe is 21°C inside, that's a 2°C and 42% humidity difference and the water condenses against the cooler glass?

That's it; when the warmer air touches the glass it cools down, then it's capacity to hold water vapour is reduced and some of the vapour condenses into liquid. Yes, it should stop when your room is warmer, unless the light keeps the inside warmer than room temperature.

 

[zozo]

Just to be sure in the future, if i ever need it. I gave it a little vent valve.

It has a cap too. 😎😀 This is fully opened with the cap off


Cap on and valve closed, but i can fine-tune it in 3 stages, take out the screw and it has a 3mm vent. Screw out the knee it has a 5mm vent. Take of the complete cap it has a 6mm vent.


And it also adds a tad more intrigue as well.

 

[Matt @ ScapeEasy]

Might be an idea to hand the vent on the other side. It looks like the bowl is leaning probably due to the weight of the wood piece. As much weight as you can balance on to the other side the better 🙂 Excited to see where this goes!!

 

[zozo]

It looks like the bowl is leaning probably due to the weight of the wood piece.

Looking at the pictures i thought so too, but it's due to my photography skills. 🙄 The way i tilted the camera. In reality, it doesn't look leaning at all.

Still waiting on the ordered plants to come in. I'm also planning a few stones in it to counterbalance. For now, it's just a rough scape of where i like to go. But that still might change if the plant placement requires it. Must confess, when the globe still was empty i looked in my imagination like a sea of space. But in reality, it is pretty limited now the wood and soil already is in.

The lamp fitting also has a turn switch, not that it will be used much. But i choose to keep it at the right side because it needs to be turned clockwise to switch. If turned counterclockwise it will screw off. And in a way, i guess it is a natural feeling to turn something clockwise.

 

[Oldguy]

And in a way, i guess it is a natural feeling to turn something clockwise.

Certainly is, one of my cars has left and right hand thread wheel nuts, always have to stop and think. Really like the vent.

 

[zozo]

The plants from Araflora arrived this afternoon. And as always a surprise, very nice shop i always get 2 plants extra as a bonus. Now that's what we call service!.. Ordered 4 plants get 6 pots.. And they are all top quality beauties.



Look at this gorgeous little fern Actiniopteris australis. It looks like a raged Parlor palm but mini it doesn't grow much bigger than this.


The Drosera aliciae 🙂


Utricullaria minutissima, you got to love it, this is a 9cm pot bursting.


Got a 2nd pot with i assume the same bladderwort, but what i'm most excited about is the additional mosses growing in it. I'm not sure but it looks like it contains some sp. of Umbrella moss. 😎


The Biophytum sensitivum a bit shook up from the journey in the box (Hence it's sensitive), but still in perfect condition. This will recover soon.


I feel like a kid in a candy jar... Lest start planting very soon. 🙂

For the rest, i still have some crypts and java ferns growing emersed ready to join in


Then steal some plants from the <Wardian case> in the background.

 

[zozo]

Btw mentioning Candy Jar!?.. I'm in the middle of another one.

It's a very kiss setup, some gravel, some pebbles and 1 piece of Opuwa driftwood that i seeded with mosses and it grew outdoor in <Mission Bathtub> all summer long. Took off the Hydrocotyl and it only grows mosses now. Did add a small utricularia as well, butyet not showing. Mosses do randomly not survive long term in the open indoors. But closed it rocks the Jar. 🙂

Unfortunately, the glass is a bit uneven and it's difficult for a camera to focus through the glass. This is actually something you should see real-time to get the full picture.

 

[zozo]

Work in progress... 🙂 Not all ordered plants arrived yet, still waiting on the mini Orchid for on the wood, had to order 2 because of a minimum order amount. My initial plan is the <Bulbophyllum taiwanense>, i know it and it stays very compact and has beautiful small red flowers.
The other one i yet never seen is the <Barbosella australis "4N Leaf">. When all arrives i make i pick which one. But for now and since i'm a theme freak i setlle for the Bulbo, all other plants are Asian as well. And Barbo is South American.


And while dissecting the Utricularia pot i see that tiny little thing i though might be a moss is actualy a plant?

The small round leaves that resemble Hydrocotyl? It clearly has a root system as you can see at the tweezers, roots and a leaf.


Does anybody have an idea what tiny plant sp. this might be? Darrel - @dw1305 maybe? My best guess is Hydrocotyl maybe, but i never knew there was such a small one around.

Anyway slowly getting shape. 🙂 The wood piece is yet not secured and stands lose, not yet in its final position.


Actually funny note to it. The Biophytum sensitivum, it retracts its leaves in the dark. It hangs under i skylight and even with the light on, it retracts its leaves when the sun goes down. I've seen the same happen with a Lily flowering indoors. It makes me wonder is this solely intensity, or is there something in sunlight we are unable to replicate with a lamp?...

Other angle showing the mosses collected from the local forest.