Effects of humidity on dried culms

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Roy
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Effects of humidity on dried culms

Post by Roy »

I had planned on using some of my large diameter split culms as mini-gardens or pots for small bromeliads. My idea was to put some medium inside the split clum (as in the one labeled "inside") and have some small flowering bromeliads grow into the medium and stick out the top of the split culm. I thought that would look cool, but then I encountered a problem.

The image shows 2 pictures of the same culm section merged into one picture. The one labeled "inside" was taken while the culm section has been in my house with A/C running in the middle of the Summer. Humidity levels were in the low 50 percent and temps around 78 F.

When I took the same culm section and put it outside (labeled "outsice") for 24 hours, with humidity 75 to 80 percent and temps in the low 90's, the gap closed up and thus would crush any plant I would put in there.

I thought if I just left it in the house, then things would be OK. Not the case. In the Winter, without the A/C running, the humidity levels rise in the house to around 70 percent, thus creating the same problem.

My creativity shot down by humidity.


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RE: Effects of humidity on dried culms

Post by Jeff: Igor's Apprentice »

Interesting idea. Maybe something less precious or disturbable. How about a grass or grass-like plant. I can imagine that growing out out the narrow strip and looking quite interesting. Equisetum maybe? Or, maybe you'ld get lucky :wink: with a row of dracaena cuttings.
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RE: Effects of humidity on dried culms

Post by kstanwick »

Roy first off....nice culm big boy...lol....Anyway, since you are using them as a planter maybe sanding and finishing them with a sanding sealer or staining them and then a finish.....Just a thought. You don't have much to lose at this point.
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RE: Effects of humidity on dried culms

Post by foxd »

It looks like the culms "unroll" when inside. Have you tried putting plugs inside the ends to see if that will keep the culms from rolling back up when outside?
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RE: Effects of humidity on dried culms

Post by kstanwick »

what about a bolt in the culm in a few spots when it is spread...serving as a "spreader"....that way when it tries to roll back up...the bolt will keep it from closing up on you.
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Re: RE: Effects of humidity on dried culms

Post by Roy »

kstanwick wrote:what about a bolt in the culm in a few spots when it is spread...serving as a "spreader"....that way when it tries to roll back up...the bolt will keep it from closing up on you.
Kurt,

I thought about that one, but I go from simple and easy to more complex. I can make beautiful "rainsticks", with very extended rain cycles, from bamboo, but I have hundreds of dollars of labor in them and making more than 1 is not worth the effort.

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RE: Effects of humidity on dried culms

Post by kstanwick »

Well i'm out of options, sorry bout that....one thing is that at least you have some nice size culms to do something with.....vs us northerners...btw...that is a nice finish on that culm. that is a rain stick you made?? she is a beaut
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Re: RE: Effects of humidity on dried culms

Post by Roy »

kstanwick wrote:Well i'm out of options, sorry bout that....one thing is that at least you have some nice size culms to do something with.....vs us northerners...btw...that is a nice finish on that culm. that is a rain stick you made?? she is a beaut
Yelp, that's the rainstick. Several hundred toothpicks on the inside spiral up from the bottom to the top. I used small fine birdshot for the inside cavity. About 1/2 the size of a BB. If I ever refinish the outside and repaint it, I will paint it in a lighter color. The black finish gets extremely hot in the sun.
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