I wouldn't use plastic over the light stands for very long. Can you put a heat deflector over the vent?

The plastic will cause problems with mildew and root rot.

Nancy

I also think the buildup of heat from the lights will be too warm as well if it is completely covered. If you just cover 3 sides it might help with the drafts and hold some humidity in. Are your plants in pots, on shelves, wicked, tray watered? what? slashing the plastic does seem like a good idea.

Maybe you could take the ones that are drying out more quickly and sit them over a tray filled with some water, the humidity might help those.

You know, house conditions vary. Its hard for me to understand your conditons without being there, to make suggestions. You know your location and your problems. Just keep experimenting to see what will work. Just check the plants often for any signs of problems, so you can correct conditions right away. Maybe someone will read your post that has had your issues and can comment on something that worked for them.

Good luck with your plants! tish

I only covered 3 sides. It never occurred to me to cover the whole thing.

I realized I couldn't leave a gap at the top of the big one because of the light bleaching too. It had been covered except for the front and one side so it didn't fade the wood. That one doesn't seem to be terribly warm.

The small one is probably warmer but since it's lower, I hesitated to leave an opening a the top since it would be around or below waist level.

I thought perhaps someone else had done this and had experience.

Thanks for the input.

Diana in PA

Hi Diana,

I did something similar a few years back. I put a plant light and plants in a bookshelf that naturally had three sides enclosed. I got powdery mildew like you wouldn't believe. The setup just didn't afford enough air flow. If you are going to do what you propose, I would try to set up a fan somewhere and get the air moving around those plants.

Larry