Mini Trees

[RaceMedic]

So .....

Just got my lights from CDI so I thought I would experiment with doing a mini tree. I am using a typical 3' tomato plant stand and was thinking 200 C6s ... it looks thin.

Do I need to add an extra 100 or any wrapping technique / tips would be GREATLY appreciated .!

Dave

[shfr26]

I used 2 cages to get a rounder look and 400 lights per tree. Incan lightstrings 100 per string. Some people use chicken wire over the cages to get a nice round look. Hope that helps.

Edit: Also get a lazy susan to turn the cages on if you can.

[wallleyes]

I wrapped my tomato cages with chicken wire.Worked great.I am only putting 100 c-6 led lights on my mini tree's.If i have to i will add more next year.

[crackchecker]

I took some of my 50# ocean fishing line and ran it up between the metal uprights to get the lights to stay rounder on my cages.

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[Dan Ancona]

Did the same as checker here, only 100 ct minis. Look fine to me.

[RaceMedic]

wallleyes wrote:

I wrapped my tomato cages with chicken wire.Worked great.I am only putting 100 c-6 led lights on my mini tree's.If i have to i will add more next year.

Do you have any photos ?!

How did you get only 100 to make it look full ?!

Thanks as always for all the quick replies !

Dave

[Mike Manzara]

I am doing mine a little differently. I am using cable ties and a plastic garden cloth I found at TSC stores tie wrapped to a tomato cage. It is taking more time but I was concerned with storage so this will allow me to remove the covering off the tomato cage and store them flat in a box and then I can stack the 12 tomato cages.

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[Mike Manzara]

Part two. There are a total of 140 M5 lights and I will alternate between red and green (C6) for the scondary color. Sorry fo rthe bluury pic is part one.

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[crackchecker]

here is my trees lite up.

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[bdeditch]

Remember its also a lot easier if you start from the top and work your way down. The wraps can't slip up on you, and makes for a tighter wrap.

[Guest guest]

I'm still searching for that perfect mini tree tutorial, but have enough from several sources to be dangerous.

I grabbed some cages from my local Ace...5 bucks for a couple of their two sizes, 32" and 42".

I'm going with the idea of wrapping the cage, using a vinyl chicken wire material from Home Depot.

I'm assuming 300 lights (1 each color, R, B, and G) for the bigger ones, not sure if that will be enough or not. Building a couple as tests, before I go place that budget-busting order for mini lights (unless I pick the right powerball numbers wednesday night, then we go LED). If I can hang in the 300-400 per tree range, I'll be happy.

[bdeditch]

I made my own 3 foot high ones out of 1/4 steel rod. I used 600 mini LED lights on each one and it was just about enough.

Making my own I was able to add in a lot more supports to make them look rounder.





DonFL wrote:

I'm still searching for that perfect mini tree tutorial, but have enough from several sources to be dangerous.

I grabbed some cages from my local Ace...5 bucks for a couple of their two sizes, 32" and 42".

I'm going with the idea of wrapping the cage, using a vinyl chicken wire material from Home Depot.

I'm assuming 300 lights (1 each color, R, B, and G) for the bigger ones, not sure if that will be enough or not. Building a couple as tests, before I go place that budget-busting order for mini lights (unless I pick the right powerball numbers wednesday night, then we go LED). If I can hang in the 300-400 per tree range, I'll be happy.

[lightzilla]

RaceMedic wrote:

So .....

Just got my lights from CDI so I thought I would experiment with doing a mini tree. I am using a typical 3' tomato plant stand and was thinking 200 C6s ... it looks thin.

Do I need to add an extra 100 or any wrapping technique / tips would be GREATLY appreciated .!

Dave

Will Dave you could use the smaller tomato cages 28-30 inch ones (use two per tree). I have two colours on my trees, but I cut the tops off the trees simply because I knew that I would have needed 210 (3 70 count strings per colour to complete the cage).......but I did not have enough lights...............so I went with the smallest cages possible.

I could have added a star to all 16 mini trees & made them look even better, but even with them cut down they looked o k to me, no one said otherwise.

Unless of course you are worried that the government of Ontario will charge you some kind of tax for not having full trees.

I would go 300 per tree for sure if you are going to continue to use the 3ft cages, 400 would be better.

[wallleyes]

RaceMedic wrote:

wallleyes wrote:

I wrapped my tomato cages with chicken wire.Worked great.I am only putting 100 c-6 led lights on my mini tree's.If i have to i will add more next year.

Do you have any photos ?!

How did you get only 100 to make it look full ?!

Thanks as always for all the quick replies !

Dave

Here's some pictures.This tree has m5 led red lights.The rest of my mini tree''s will have 100 c6 of each..Red,green,blue

[RaceMedic]

wallleyes wrote:

RaceMedic wrote:

wallleyes wrote:

I wrapped my tomato cages with chicken wire.Worked great.I am only putting 100 c-6 led lights on my mini tree's.If i have to i will add more next year.

Do you have any photos ?!

How did you get only 100 to make it look full ?!

Thanks as always for all the quick replies !

Dave

Here's some pictures.This tree has m5 led red lights.The rest of my mini tree''s will have 100 c6 of each..Red,green,blue

That is only 100 lights ?!

Dave

[wallleyes]

That tree would have 140 lights of the m5.

[TJ Hvasta]

My minitree assembly line I used a single cage, blak plastic chicken wire/mesh from HD, zip-tied starting from the bottom (where the plug is) and working up. Three 100ct RGB minis, I'm adding a second set this year for 600 total to light up each one more.. (and seriously condsidering adding white to the mix, for either 400 or 800 total) right now they look just real trees with just the 100 of each color, adding a second set will fill it out a lot more. They are also wrapped with green garland for daytime appearance, so they look like real trees.

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[lightzilla]

Dave I would go with 140 lights for sure, but 210 would be better (if 70 count) or 2 100 count strings of C6 or M5.

If those mini trees are the main special feature in your show then beef them up. You live in "Lindsay Lights country" when you live in Ontario.

http://www.lindsaylights.com

Just kidding about Lindsay Country, but I am serious about beefing those mini trees up.

Use your good CDI lights on the mini trees and when Costco brings out their lights buy more, and CT will have a sale in late October. CT here in the Edmonton area had a sale on LEDs for $6.50 per string in January and generally that sale carries on over when they bring their stock out in mid or late October.

This is just my opinion & it may not mean much, plus it is coming from some guy living in the Province flowing with Big Game & Oil.