SH pots water guage accuracy with pics

[whalloper]

I have so many questions, thanks everyone for all your help!!!

When I started switching to sh a few weeks ago, I got the pots with the water guage attached to them (like the ones at kkorchid.com or hydro-orchid.com). I was wondering how anyone felt about the accuracy of them. A couple that were re-potted last week, for example, were taken out of the outer pot to look at the inner pot. Just on the middle or "optimum" water setting, the water line was above the reservoir the inner pot creates. That means some of the roots are probably sitting in water.

Do you think I should repot using more pebbles at the bottom? Do you think I should just keep the water level lower?

Here are some pics:

This one shows you the indentation at the bottom of the inner pot which creates the reservoir. Notice where the wet water line is located...at least as high as the indent, maybe more.




This picture shows where the water guage was measuring for the same plant in the above picture. In case you cant see, it is between minimum and optimum. Doesnt the water line seem high for that reading?




When I re-potted, this is about how much leca I put into the inner pot before adding roots...just to the top of the reservoir indent.

[Ray]

Definitely repot with the roots higher in the pot. While a plant will grow its roots down into the reservoir - and that's OK - submerging non-s/h roots will suffocate them.

I am not a huge fan of those pots for orchids, as you can overwater and drown the plant (if you ignore the gauge), you need to dump the outer pot before each watering, and you must periodically remove the inner culture pot to flush the medium with plain water. The simple pots with the sidewall holes are self flushing at every watering. However, these do look a lot better, and I have some large tropical houseplants in them.

Try this to "calibrate" your gauges: using an empty pot, add water and establish its depth at the "optimum" level of the gauge. Then, when you pot up a plant, always make sure the LECA is above that level before placing the plant in it. As long as you don't exceed that level on the guage, you're fine.

[janet_a]

i killed a gorgeous phal in one of these. i asked the woman at parkside's fest who was selling them what the trick was--she said you have to let them totally dry out before watering again. hmm.

i'm with ray--i'm doing better with the pots with sidewall holes. (although i killed a couple plants in those, too. but at least i could see what was going on with them.)

[exasperatus2002]

When I use the guage (only one pot has it) I just let it tell me that theres water in it. I judge for myself if theres to much water based on where the roots were when I planted it. I usually only put 1/2" of water at the bottom because of displacement by the pot will raise the water level.

[whalloper]

Originally Posted by exasperatus2002

I usually only put 1/2" of water at the bottom because of displacement by the pot will raise the water level.

aaahhhh good point! I guess Ive just been afraid of underwatering because the top layer seems so dry. I would love to be able to see whats going on about half way down...they need to make clear inner pots

[exasperatus2002]

Originally Posted by whalloper

aaahhhh good point! I guess Ive just been afraid of underwatering because the top layer seems so dry. I would love to be able to see whats going on about half way down...they need to make clear inner pots

heres the original s/h pot & meter I got when I was first introduced to s/h. Now that Im switching my collection over, I've been using clear juice bottles that I cut down so I can see the roots & water level. If you do it, dont forget the holes for ventilation.


newly deflasked noid Cattleya -



original orchid bought as a seedling (Psychopsis)-

[flyfishdoc]

Greetings from Lewes. I switched to s/h during the first 2 weeks of this month. I used some soda bottles for some of the smaller plants and for the bigger ones I used the semitransparent pots that Ray sells. I like the semitransparent better. I am looking across the room (15 feet or so) and I can see the water level in the semi transparent pots from here, but the clear ones I have to be on top of to see the level.

My suggestion is to look for something other than clear if you can find it