Here I’m going to go into some detail about my set up and list some of the products that I utilize that i frequently get asked about. I grow the entirety of my collection in semi-hydro and so the products will be tailored towards that. I’ll add some pictures of my set up later probably as well.
Pots/Planters
For my larger seedlings and mature plants I grow in self watering pots in pon. I don’t like self watering pots with wicks as in my opinion they result in inconsistent levels of moisture and stay way too wet in the middle right around the wick. I also don’t like home made/DIY pots especially utilizing clear pots as they quickly result in algae build up which can mess with reservoir pH and sap nutrients from the solution.
For my smallest plants in self watering I like these fairly cheap pots off of amazon: https://a.co/d/hmOpJdx . The diameter is 5.5 inches and they fit medium to large seedlings pretty well.
The next step up in size typically for young cataphyll sized plants or mature individuals from more compact species where I use these 7 inch diameter pots also from amazon: https://a.co/d/8vn2inf . The indicator/gauge on these can be a bit fiddly so you have to keep an eye on them but I haven’t found a better alternative at this size.
For larger plants requiring 9+ inch pot diameters I typically shell out for the lechuza pots which are unfortunately much more expensive as I haven’t found a great cheap amazon alternative with most of the decent knock off brands being only a tiny bit cheaper. My favorite lechuza series are the Quadra LS. Most of my plants don’t ever require anything larger than the LS21 with a few big boys like circus peanuts eventually graduating to the LS28.
For my seedlings I use the 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch square seedling pots from bootstrap farmer. I also use their heavy duty trays as they are strong enough to not bend when trying to carry them filled with water so I’m not constantly spilling fertilizer every time I try to move anything. https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com.
Substrate
I moved my collection over to pon fairly early in my plant journey and have used Lechuza brand pon since the start. I tried a couple of home made mixes over the years both from 3rd parties and myself with unsatisfactory results and have always gone back to the lechuza brand despite declining quality control over time with decreasing particle size at times resembling kitty litter more than a nice chunky pon. More recently with supply issues I’ve once again set out to make a home made pon mix which is what I’ve been using for the past few months. So far about 1/3rd of my collection is in this new mix with positive results but still needs more testing before I would feel confident recommending it to others. I would still personally recommend the lechuza brand if you can find it and if not use a mix from a reputable seller with a good amount of positive reviews. I think an average particle diameter of 1/4 inch is a good size for most velvet leaf anthuriums.
For seedlings I use pure tree fern fiber and place them in communal tray reservoirs.
Nutrients
I use the Tezula 13-3-15 MSU orchid fertilizer as the basis for my reservoir solution. I also use CaliMagic calmag although I’m sure any reputable brand is fine. I also use hydro guard at the recommended rate. I am constantly trying and removing other additives/supplements but these have been fairly constant and probably get me 99 percent of the way there.
Shelves
I get asked fairly frequently about the fine mesh shelving I use in some of my tents. This is a product my friend Juan (@gayplantheaux) originally recommended to from DesignIdeas called meshwork shelves. The mesh is nice because it is a flat surface as opposed to the typical wire mesh shelving which has numerous gaps which can lead to tipping of particularly smaller pots. Line to the meshwork shelves: https://designideas.net/collections/meshwork-shelving-1/products/meshworks-shelving-5-tier
in my new larger 10 x 10 tents I opted for more industrial wide span racks around 8 x 2 ft. I got these from Uline and a brand on Amazon that happens to perfectly fit the dimensions I needed but otherwise I don’t think is special enough to specifically recommend.
Tents
I use the gorilla line of tents mostly due to their ability to be height extended up to 9 or 10 ft allowing me to extend my grow space vertically by a couple of feet over other popular tent brands like AC infinity. This allows me to add basically an entire additional motherplant shelf level which is invaluable for me. That being said these tents are quite a bit more expensive than other reputable brands and if you can’t take advantage of this extra height in your growing location then it’s likely not worth it. I have also used AC infinity tents in the past which I liked as well.
Climate control
-AC infinity cloudforge t7 humidifiers (keep these outside your tent if possible using the provided piping as they seem to break down very quickly in high humidity conditions)
-AC infinity cloud line inline exhaust fans (size appropriately to your own tent size)
-AC infinity controller 69 pro WiFi (get the WiFi one the Bluetooth only one ends up being very limited and isn’t that much cheaper)