Semi Hydroponics

[tom499]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWN:IT&ih=005

I bought this little starter set, it seems to be the thing i want, and at £7 with p&p im not at a major loss if it isnt.

I was going to stick my old faithful paph in it, it needs some new medium and i saw a post on a similiar scheme with a paph and hydroponics so i thought i'd give it a whirl.

its not so much i have a watering problem i just fancied trying something new, and if it means less work watering i'd be greatful, as watering all my plants is starting to become a major operation

[NancyG]

Hi Tom,

Good luck with s/h.

I changed about 6 orchids over to it a couple months ago. Mostly cats and a phal. Some of the cats have really done alot better since. The phal is taking the longest to adjust but is growing new leaves and roots and I know it will eventually look good again. It lost a couple of lower leaves and some of it's leaves wrinkled which was disappointing since it had been such a beautiful plant. I changed to s/h because when I repotted these orchids alot of their roots were rotten even though I was using the skewer method. But I do tend to fuss over them and give more 'care' than necessary sometimes. I'm a huge fan of worm tea and use it to water and mist.

I'm going to be gone for a couple of weeks soon and I am hoping they all survive.

NancyG

[pikevi]

I think it is a great idea, tom499.

A very interesting setup for Semi hydroponics.

I wanted to try it too but I am swarmed with other new adventures and I don't want to throw in another wrench into the situ.

Good luck with your trial.

[MariahK]

hmmm let us know how it works for you? I like the idea of not having to worry about watering especially when I go on vacation

[gerneveyn]

To repot into s/h, the plant MUST have new root growth. The newer roots will adapt better than the older ones, which may not survive. I have all my phals in s/h and clear pots.

[jerrymeola]

I notice the thread went from your desire to grow a Paph to instructions for a Phal.

Paph (Lady Slippers) do very well in hydro. I posted a tutorial on the Newbie section about closed container growing Paph with worm tea.

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/new...ight=paph+worm

A true hydro system will work well with Paph, but watch for the salt build-up in the hydro pellets. It can be flushed out occasionally.

With Paph do not let them dry out. Keep some water in the saucer.

[tom499]

Thanks for all your replies, The Paph I will be using is a strong grower and needs to be repotted so i thought this would be a nice time to try it.

Thankyou jerrymeola that was the thread i was referring to

Seems I'm not the only one who worries about watering paphs i find the worst to water because of getting the balance of moistness. My larger paphs are quite hardy in that respect but maybe having smaller ones in s/h would make it easier.

I've noticed you can buy the clay balls on their own, can they be used as a straight potting mix in normal pots? or do they need the watering thing to give work.

I've been after wormtea for awhile now, my parents refuse to let me set up anything and buying a wormtea filter machine thing (technical ) is too much for me.

does anyone supply it in the UK?

[NancyG]

Tom,

Below is a good link to s/h growing.

http://www.growinhydro.com/4436.html

NancyG

[c.whitcomb]

FASCINATING links. I had no idea semi-hyrdoponics could be so easy. I had always imagined anything to do with hydropnics to be more time, money and effort than it was worth for flowers and always assoicaited it with, well.... illegal plants... you know.... anyway, it it exciting to see this. love new info

[gerneveyn]

Ray Barkalow, a promoter of the s/h orchid growing technique, has often cautioned others about repotting orchids only when they have new root growth. There is more s/h info on his site: http://www.firstrays.com/semi-hydro.htm

[janet_a]

--and don't think this will let you off on the frequent watering; i have 2 plants in one-quart S/H containers and i'm flooding them once a week and having to top them off at least one more time during the week. when i go on vacation i think i'm going to have to sit them in containers that will hold a higher water leve than their drain holes so they won't dry out as quickly.

[tom499]

how are they a quarter s/h? are you using the clay pellets?

[janet_a]

one quart containers; they look like the containers you get soup in from chinese restaurants. they'e in primeagra.

of course, that said, i'm thinking now they're actually 16 oz containers; about 5 inches across the top and 6 inches high. these, i think:

http://www.firstrays.com/cgi-bin/sto...dgoods&pid=435

i fill them to the rim with fertilizer solution and let it drain down, and then once or twice a week i have to put some more water in to make sure there's water in the resevoirs.

[tom499]

Well all seems well so far, the only issue is gettin a pot big enough to put the s/h pot in i could kill for a holeless pot that held a 15cm h/s pot.

I still have questions though Jerry, you seemed to have your paph in a glass vase with clay balls. To me it looked like you had the roots sitting in the worm tea? or have i got that wrong?

Most places tell me growing orchids in water kills them, and then i read about hydroponics where the roots re submerged, im so confused...

[gerneveyn]

There are outer pots for these s/h containers. Here is an example: http://www.kkorchid.com/hydro_pots.htm

[tom499]

ah i see, mine never came with one of those.

I've wedged it in an old pink plastic vase i bought a discounted phals a few months ago

Watering may need to be done just as frequently, but it makes it so much easier, i just have to top up the vase and wash it out every 3 weeks. No trudging down to the greenhouse everytime

[sandra]

Originally Posted by tom499

I've noticed you can buy the clay balls on their own, can they be used as a straight potting mix in normal pots? or do they need the watering thing to work.

I'm wondering the same thing right now. I went to a nursery yesterday where all they grow their phals and catts in are Hydroton (clay balls). They add coir/charcoal/perlite just to the top of the phals and nothing else but the Hydroton. The plants are all in regular slit pots, NOT hydroponic pots.

Has anyone out here used this for potting mix?

Also, question #2: My favorite phal is in trouble. I just got it, not even 2 months ago and repotted it immediately after purchase. Was in sphag. and put it in the medium I was using at that time which was primarily bark chips with a little peat moss. I've been using the skewers and watering accordingly as with all my phals which are all doing great. This phal started sulking recently and when I unpotted it to have a better look, I almost cried. All rotted roots but 1 with 1 new root beginning. I repotted into coir/charcoal/perlite after giving it a 15 minute dip in root stimulant and have not watered since. The coir mix was already prepared and slightly moist but added no more water to it. How long should I wait to water? Is it in the right mix for the conditions it's in?

[tom499]

I would give it enough chance to pretty much dry out in the pot.

I keep all my phals in tight pots with open media as im a regal root rotting rioter!

I wait till the roots lose their green colour, have you got a clear pot you could use? they are great for phal root spotting.

[sandra]

I went into this nursery earlier today and they told me to immediately un-pot it from the coir, that at this stage with the root rot, coir is too un-negotiable, that it will suffocate and rot the one good root. They told me to pot it into the Hydroton and apply the coir mix to the top and not to water until next week.

So, now I have this phal, two potted in the coir mix and doing great, one in coir and Hydroton mix doing great, and 5 potted in small bark mixture and also doing great. My fingers are crossed on this one phal....it's my favorite.

I look forward to the day when I feel confident and know E X A C T L Y what mixes work best for my growing conditions. This is exhausting.....

[tom499]

sadly, I think orchids of similiar type and even orchids of the exact same species can be different.

its just a matter of fiddling until something works

[Tony]

Janet A

I just moved one of my plants over to s/h. I picked mine up at Interior Water Gardens. They have a web site. Annie over there cautioned me about increasing the depth of the water while on vacation. She said don't go deeper, go wider. So be carefull. Tony Meola

[rlilia]

Originally Posted by tom499

Well all seems well so far, the only issue is gettin a pot big enough to put the s/h pot in i could kill for a holeless pot that held a 15cm h/s pot.

I still have questions though Jerry, you seemed to have your paph in a glass vase with clay balls. To me it looked like you had the roots sitting in the worm tea? or have i got that wrong?

Most places tell me growing orchids in water kills them, and then i read about hydroponics where the roots re submerged, im so confused...

A million dollar question indeed!

Can't wait to see the answer!

Lilia