Terrestrial Orchids in Semi Hydroponic Culture

[Rivka]

I would like to chat about Terrestrial Orchids in Semi Hydroponic Culture, what has worked or not worked for you. Do you make any particular adjustments for addressing the need that leaf little or soil nutrients usually bring to them?

Do others do this? I have a few semi terrestrial ones Phrags and such in it, though it has been like that for just a while so i dont know if its a go or not.

But now i have recently gotten some hardy Bletilla and I'm wanting to stay consistent to what has worked with the rest of my collection.

What do you folks know about doing S/H in full terrestrial orchids? or for that matter in other bulb/rhizome plants like irises?

[Rivka]

i currently have as my only terrestrials a Jewel Orchid cutting in s/h and it is doing only so/so, but i do not think that is particularly from the s/h

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Rivka

I'm wanting to stay consistent to what has worked with the rest of my collection.

Terrestrial orchids are fundamentally different than semi- and epiphytic orchids. They are designed to grow in various types of soils, not on trees and rocks. You need not feel it is necessary to be consistent with your culture across the board with all types of orchids you grow as doing so will mean that some of your orchids will not get the conditions they require.

There are many different kinds of terrestrial orchids. They possess different plant structures and require different seasonal conditions and growing medium. For example I'd never try growing my Pterostylis or Disa in SH but something like Ludisia discolor might do ok in SH..

SH works for your epiphytic orchids because using that technique enables you to give them the conditions they're expecting. That may or may not be the case with terrestrials. Can you be more specific about what terrestrials you're thinking of?

[LouisW]

I would bet Irises, and some other rhizomatic plants would do well. I have a cast iron plant that does really well.

As far as other terrestrial orchids, im sure that they could grow in S/H but personally I view S/H as a culture for air thirsty epiphytes (although I too have a Phrag that does well in it). I would opt for a culture closer to what they actually grow in, for me that would probably mean a choir, perlite, vermiculite, and charcoal mix.