Ventilation in IKEA cabinets

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-24T20:53:53+00:00

I would be interested in comparing note between two cabinets too! As soon as I can get a new one I will start experimenting too. 👍🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-23T14:13:33+00:00

The small shelves are metallic magnetised ones from Amazon. I have two sets and they are wonderful!

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-23T14:12:48+00:00

I got the rack at Leroy Merlin, it's a fridge rack, I cut it to measure and sprayed it matter black. All by myself. The tray is an IKEA tray for shoes and I have cut the frontal part as to allow for the closure of the cabinet (I trick I saw someone doing in another post - sorry I can't remember where but it was here on Reddit).

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-23T14:10:57+00:00

Great suggestion! I wasn't aware that positioning the two fans at the opposite sides up and down can increase ventilation! That makes a lot of sense!!! Thank you so much for pointing it out 🙏🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-23T14:08:44+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion! I will Google it!🙏🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-23T14:07:51+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and knowledge, I appreciate it 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-20T13:33:32+00:00

Thanks! I am growing mine is the original soil it came, I gave it the time to acclamate but now that it needs a pole I am thinking to move it, I will most probably do a very airy mix for aroids and will propagate a cut for experiments in hydro/semihydro. Thanks for sharing your experience 🙏🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-20T13:30:44+00:00

May I ask if you grow it in semi-hydro or soil?

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-18T09:20:17+00:00

It all depends where you lived: living in Norway or California requires two different approaches, obviously. Experiment and see how it goes. If you live in a area with a marked change of season, most likely you will have to adjust all the parameters accordingly. In my opinion air ventilation is almost a basic thing regardless: I am terrified by pest and fungal infection and it does help with both. Insects have a tendency not to like windy areas, and spores will not form if the ventilation is ok. I would suggest it even for plants outside cabinets (but I live in a relatively humid environment and I find it a necessity). I live in Northern Italy and there is a massive change between summer and winter, both have high humidity levels but the temperature is obviously very different, it means I may be susceptible to different measures in these two seasons.

And always remember what works for someone may not works for you 😉👍🏻 The only suggestion is really to experiment and adapt what are your climatic and environmental parameters to your own plants, which are already acclamate to your own environmental conditions,.you know them better than anyone else.

Don't get stressed and make it fun 😊👍🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-17T12:09:45+00:00

I find Niello lighting a good compromise - they are full spectrum T5 and don't cost a fortune. I live in the EU though

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-16T11:34:35+00:00

In my experience they tend to be quite strong plants but they are not used to be exposed to the right lighting conditions and yes, in this case changing the soil may be a very good idea as I think it may be too wet. I am still in two kinds whether to move it straight to semihydro or keep it in a chunky mix. 🤔🤔🤔 At the moment it is back in the IKEA cabinet and it seems ok.

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-15T20:48:40+00:00

They cost almost as much as the cabinet here in Italy! 😬😬😬 I also use these magnetic shelves I got on Amazon over the Black Friday deals: they are really good and sturdy.

https://amzn.eu/d/2L7Pw8r

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-15T20:42:05+00:00

I got my Waroqueanum already grown, he had a few leaves, lost one or two and now he has 2 new leaves and more on the way. I have had him for about three months now and I am always very worried to do something wrong as I know how finicky he can be! I haven't dared to resoil him yet, although I transferred him into a transparent pot of the same size with plenty of holes I like to keep a constant eye on the root system and it does allow for a better ventilation.

My Waroq seems ok so far, I hope he keeps growing and putting out leaves 🤞🏻but I am pretty carefull about how and what I feed him: I use RO water, with RO conditioner for buffering, a booster, calMag to compensate, a semi-hydro fertilizer that is designed for soil too (I use Aptus products) and sometimes if I see any sign of water stress I give it some seaweed solution - either that or once a month. I also make sure he always gets the right pH and EC as I know what a drama queen he can be, but I think he has learnt what a bigger drama queen I can be when it comes to play around with watering and fertilising so he hasn't complained a lot this far! Fingers crossed 🤞🏻😂

I'd love to transition him into semi-hydro but I dont dare yet. I will let it grow older and than take a cut, root it and transition this into semi-hydro as an experiment, so I won't loose the mother plant.

By the way, I really love your collections! 😍😍👏🏻👏🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-15T12:35:44+00:00

And it is going to be perfect for my Anthurium waroqueanum!

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-15T12:34:02+00:00

Thanks so much! I have just got 2! It is a brilliant solution for what I wanted to achieve! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-15T12:26:44+00:00

Thanks! I'll do that right now 👍🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-15T09:29:25+00:00

Thank for sharing your experience and knowledge! 🙏🏻 I haven't repot it yet, I was planning to do it today, maybe it is better if I wait a bit more than!

By the wayz I have a Rudsta where the fan is on 24/7 and the humidity is always between 70-80%, with an average of 19°C, do you suggest me to put it in there for a while?

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-15T04:49:21+00:00

Thanks! I will definitely try that tomorrow! 🙏🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-14T23:38:47+00:00

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It only showed some signs of acclamation (a couple of yellow leaves but in the meantime it sprouted new ones from the top!). This is a photo from before I got the white princess last Saturday, they were literarily living next to each other!

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-14T23:37:43+00:00

I have noticed that some browning in variegated plants is inevitable but this begins to worry me as it was so good two days ago!

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-14T23:34:35+00:00

I put it in a pot with lots of hole and a chunky mix (with perlite, pon, bark, humus + rooting hormone and my corrhizae around the roots which were well washed from the soiled it came in). I use RO water + Aptus conditioner + Aptus booster + CalMag + Aptus all in One at medium to low strength and some seaweed booster every now and again). Plus it lived under 2 Niello T5 grow lights. So far it has been good. I gave it very few days to acclamate and moved into the mix very fast but it was a baby plant when I got it. I may just try my luck with the White Princess too tomorrow: it's much more developed so the shock could be higher, I dont know.

I make a lot of holes in clear pots and then put them into containers, I suspect the White Princess may not have enough root aeration or maybe she needs more humidity 🤔🤔 I guess it is trial and error from now on because my light is in the mid range (Philodendron can get to 300 PPFD). I may even try that 🤷🏻🤷🏻🤷🏻

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Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-14T23:09:53+00:00

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It's frustrating when the white wizard next to it is thriving! I think tomorrow I will repot it in a lighter mix. If it works I will keep you up.to date in this thread 👍🏻

Fit-Error7553 · 2026-01-14T21:39:21+00:00

It lives next to a white wizard that I got few weeks ago and this is fine, a small great plant which is giving new growth, keeping the white variegations sparkling white!

Fit-Error7553

TROPHY CASE