Well Lit Tabletop Plant Bowls

Click to enlarge. Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig) is a popular vine with building and landscape architects here in Southern California. Here is an example of a building in downtown San Diego covered with Creeping Fig.

Unfortunately, Creeping Fig is a bit tricky to maintain inside buildings—until now. The two problems are a need for higher light (150+ footcandles for a 12 hour day) and high sensitivity to drying out. Unlike the tree form the Creeping fig will not tolerate drying out. When it crashes from insufficient water there’s no return. It goes into ‘unsurvivable’ wilt. The leaves crumble and the plant is gone forever.

The new Fluorex tabletop lamp solves the light problem and hydroculture solves the watering problem. Either a commercially made water level indicator or the inexpensive homemade pipette tubing indicator will readily tell you if it needs water. There’s no error prone finger poking required.

This lush bowl of Creeping fig was created from propagated cuttings. The cuttings were hydroverted on September 15, 2005. They have grown significantly in less than a month. This will become an even more beautiful plant as the vines mature over time. I’ll post photos to mark it’s progress.

Click to enlarge. As you likely already know, Pothos (Scindapsus aureus) does not require high light levels. It is one of the most durable low light tolerant plants available.

This hydroculture bowl creates a lush, but relatively compact presentation. With this much light, it will require regular pruning which is a most beneficial plant care practice.

It is likely you would also enjoy sub-irrigated bowls of flowering plants such as gesneriads. My plan is to create a few flowering hydroculture bowls some time in the future. Cacti and succulents would also make a nice presentation. It's also time to try maintaining Maidenhair ferns (Adiantum) again.

High Light Required Tabletop Plants

Click to enlarge. A Dendrobium orchid from Trader Joe's (purchased September 16, 2005 for $7.99) and immediately converted to expanded clay pebble hydroculture. The photo was shot yesterday.

The plant is 18" tall from desktop to top of flowers. There are over 2,000 foot-candles of light at the top of the flowers and about 500 f.c. at the bottom of the flowers (12" from desktop).

Even though most would consider the hydroculture conversion a major shock to the orchid it has lost no flower petals since mid-September. It has been growing on one of the lab shelves next to a vertical fluorescent shop light.

Click to enlarge. A Ficus benjamina (Weeping Fig) with Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig) from my applied research lab. The tabletop tree about 22" tall, was a 6" pot plant from a home improvement store installed June 1, 1999 in soil based media. It has been sub-irrigated semi-monthly and converted to hydroculture on August 16, 2005.

There are over 2,000 foot-candles at the top of the foliage and about 100 f.c. at the bottom of the foliage. About 70 f.c. fall on the Ficus pumila ground cover.

Note that the lamp is angled to accommodate the height of the tree. This is an advantage rather than a disadvantage. It's good that the light is falling from the side in order to light all of the foliage.

The tree is mounted on an inexpensive plastic turntable which is a reminder to rotate it. It's a simple matter to rotate it occasionally to balance the growth.

Tabletop Plant Light

Click to enlarge.This new desklamp is a winner. It’s elegant in design and functionality. It’s the first practical, affordable plant lamp I’ve seen. I’d rank it among the top ten technology advances for plants in buildings (has there been 10?).

It’s from Lights of America and incorporates Fluorex (compact fluorescent)technology. Some have used the Fluorex worklights for plant lighting. Worklights may be suitable for the basement or a dedicated plant room but not as an interior furnishing. This new desklamp can go anywhere.

Would you like to simulate how it adjusts? Place your elbow on your desk or tabletop. The lamp emulates the movement of your forearm and hand. It is very flexible as you will see when you buy one.

For some reason, the new desklamp is not on the Lights of America website.

This information is direct from the box graphics.

Sun Light Desklamp

• Natural Full Spectrum Lighting
Simulates Daylight Inside
• Saves Energy
150 Watt Light Output Uses 27 Watts of Energy
• Brilliant White Light
FLUOREX Technology Creates Sharper Images and Reduces Eyestrain
• Long Lasting and Cool Operation
Fluorescent Lamp Last Up To 13 Times Longer and Produces 80% Less Heat Than a Regular Light Bulb
• The Sun Will Always Shine!
The SUNLIGHT lamp brings many of the benefits of natural daylight for glare-free full-spectrum lighting that’s perfect for a variety of indoor activities such as reading, writing and sewing.

It’s interesting to note that nowhere does it mention, or display a photo highlighting it’s use to maintain plants in buildings. Such is the current low level of knowledge and awareness of the subject.

I bought the lamp at Costco for just under $20. You can also buy it online. Sams Club has it for the same price plus shipping. You can also find it on eBay.