Would like to try S/H- Any Recommendations?

[Julez]

Hi All

I would like to try this method of growing with my noid Phal. I rescued from Bunnings (A handyperson's heaven type of shop). (Well it just sort of jumped into the trolley from the 1/2 price table and begged me to take it home, now what was I to do).

Being abt 45 min west of Melbourne (Aust) I need to know where would I go to get supplies. I did find [www.simplyhydroponics.com.au] in Hoppers Crossing (Vic) and looking at the website they have Superthrive. Have any Melbourneits dealt with this company.

[-k-]

Go to the Semi Hydroponics / hydronics section and read Jays thread on S/H Explained, these are the steps I took and have had no problems so far...
I do not have any phals in S/H so cannot comment on that but many others have had luck from what I've read and others have not, I'm sure someone will stop in with more experience with phals in S/H...

It's allot of fun, being new to it myself I'm excited to see the results, so far I have 2 in S/H and one is spiking.

[orchidea]

I am sure you know, but just in case you don't - it's important to put your plant into S/H when it has new growth. Nice to have new roots and new growth at the same time, but new roots are very important.
The best time to do it is when new roots are not too long but just starting.
I have learned it a hard way..................
Good luck.

[Julez]

Thanks -K- for your input and recommendations. It was because of all the reading on this site that got me started on this Semi Hydroponic growing method. Just don't know where to get supplies here in my local area. No point re-inventing the wheel as they say.

[maiseymoo]

The link Ray has posted is great, I read this about 5 times before I took the plunge so to speak! I put three phals into s/h at the same time, one becasue it was kinda a last resort and the other two as an experiment. The one that was a last resort has really taken to it and has a spike and new roots, the others are looking good as well. Just read up as much as you can before you start, here in the UK I struggled to find LECA locally and then found in a hydropondic shop, so it may be worth looking for one of them. Good luck and keep us posted on how you get on.

[Julez]

Thanks everyone for your input I appreciate all the help I can get. As with anything you try for the first time, the hardest part is getting supplies.

Ray & Jay have really great info and it was because of reading & rereading and seeing some Phal. growers were using the S/H method that I thought I would give it a try.

I was hoping that some of my fellow Aussie growers would enlighten me in where to go for supplies as I would think that going o/s would not be economical.

[chromebright]

I went whole hog with the S/H method. In fact, eventually all my 70 or so orchids will either be mounted or in S/H. I have half the S/H plants in Prime Agra which I order from FirstRays (and pay more for shipping than the actual product costs, but wth) but probably Hydroton would work as well which I can get locally. The other half I have in Hygromite which, if I am not mistaken, is mined in Australia. I find no difference in the growth or health of orchids in either medium.

I am using the MSU fertilizer in RO water and raising the pH a bit with pH "up".

So far all the orchids are doing great (about 1 month into the S/H).

I would imagine you could locate some Hygromite in Australia? There is another product which is similar called Dyna-Rok but I think it may be tough to find in Australia.

Anyway, good luck. If worse comes to worse, just try some well washed red lava rock.........that seems to wick liquid pretty well, but not quite as well as either LECA or Hygromite.

Ken

[Algyros]

Thanks for the great information. One thing that has confused me about the transition to S/H is how, short of pulling an orchid out of its medium, one knows that there is new root growth.

[syndywindy]

Originally Posted by Algyros

Thanks for the great information. One thing that has confused me about the transition to S/H is how, short of pulling an orchid out of its medium, one knows that there is new root growth.

Usually if you have new plant growth you will have new root growth as well. I have maybe a 1/4 of my orchids growing S/H. For me it was a lot of trial and error as to which orchids took to it. Some I ended repotting in more traditional medium. I know many grow their phals in S/H, but for me, they declined rapidly. I have dens, catts, and oncs growing in S/H with the dens and catts really doing the best.

[squire]

oooo i must try this!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by chromebright

I would imagine you could locate some Hygromite in Australia? There is another product which is similar called Dyna-Rok but I think it may be tough to find in Australia.

Anyway, good luck. If worse comes to worse, just try some well washed red lava rock.........that seems to wick liquid pretty well, but not quite as well as either LECA or Hygromite.

Ken

Diatomite is mined in Australia and sold by the Maidenwell Co. That is the stuff sold as Dyna-Rok II in the US. It is the calcined muds of freshwater diatoms.

Hygromite is a US-produced product with similar properties, and is a combination of diatomaceous earth and volcanic ash.

I have experimented with both in S/H, and while they work, there are two shortfalls compared to a decent brand of LECA:

1) The light color really favors the growth of algae, especially on the top surface where it can grow enough to clog things right up.

2) While they absorb solutions really well, they don't re-release them very efficiently, leading to more rapid mineral buildup.