Overwintering ideas please

I have some metal shelving (like car auto parts warehouses use) in front of the window of my home office for overwinterising things that need warmer than 5C. They get some reasonable light from the window.

 

Like the colour of the coleus Sal, but the colour of the Persian Shield is amazing.

 

Has anyone got Persian Shield that they can share? If not I'm going to buy one to propagate so everyone else can have some. I hope it is as amazing in the flesh as the pictures?

 

Kristen , your more then welcome , will it be ok to root in water?

 

Thanks Sal. Would just sending me a bit, with some wet kitchen paper around the stem, be OK do you think? I can then have a go at rooting it.

Hmmm ... Googled it:

http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/Persian-shield.html

"Cuttings can be made in the usual manner (see cuttings page) but a far easier method of propagating is by simply placing the cutting in water
The best time to take cuttings is September/October time but before the the first frosts."

 

I have an old fish tank, so I'm thinking maybe I could stand mine in there . The only issue would then be: where to put the tank? I don't have a sunny porch, or conservatory or a greenhouse Even the garage and laundry room windows face North

 

Sow them in the Spring then. Or blag some off a mate next year

 

Kristen , I`ve just looked at the persian shield and not big enough , to take cutting .......but I really would love you to have one in case I lose one of mine , so wait a bit

 

It looks fabulous ... but small. Happy to wait , many thanks

P.S. Maybe Father Christmas will bring you a kitchen-table-top Tissue Culture kit?

 

I'll go blagging (where the heck do you get seeds? ) But, I'll do the fish tank attempt first, just as an experiment

 

OK

http://www.jungleseeds.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d119_Top_Selling_Flower_Seeds.html#p136

 

Ok I`ve just received a mail from one of the world expert in acquatic plants who lives in zone 6

floating plants will only survive in fish tank or with at least 8 hours of light if planted in moist soil .

papyrus need loads of lights and roots need to be kept in a warm place ....... head hot and roots cold , it`s heading to failure ....so i will try to keep the roots dry and warm.

nothing to do with the thread but my other question was about lotus and the answer was :
even the strong variety of lotus will need to grow in a warm and light envirement untill the rizhoma will form at the second year and then the plant will take all the cold we give to them .

 

My solution to overwintering is to have two grow tents in the basement using LED grow lights. Although the lights give off very little heat, being enclosed in the tents they maintain a comfortable daytime temperature around 23C with the humidity around 50%. I have a small heater/fan for ventilation, but seldom have had to turn on the heater. Additionally, an inline duct fan exchanges the air a few times an hour. Inexpensive timers keep the systems running, so there is very little maintenance involved.

 

Thank you Hydro , you really open my eyes to new ideas ...overall I will take part in a Hydrophonic course this winter , even how to set a dutch bucket ...btw the guy is American

 

Hydro,
Are LED's easy? Do you just plug them in?
Or do you also need a ballast?