My s/h adventure

[BGGraham1]

I've taken the advice of some knowledgeable geeks and am taking the plunge into s/h for my oncidium / odontoglossum orchids that I have been attempting to kill for a few months now. I am an overwaterer and a root rotter, and this seems to be the best possible solution other than for me to quit trying to grow them.

I ordered the things I needed from Ray's, and have rinsed and soaked the LECA since Thursday. Today I potted two of them up - a Miltassia C.M. Fitch 'Izumi" and a Beallara Marfitch 'Howard's Dream'

and away we go...

Here are the roots, or what was left of them after my shenanigans





I did look for, and find, new roots growing on the newer growths. This could possibly bode well for this new situation.

Here they are potted up





And here they are in their temporary, shady home. I have them in a nursery tray which is sitting on a seedling heat mat.



Ray said that the heat helps with the new root growth. Obviously I don't know any better, so as far as I'm concerned, he's the man!

[orchids4me]

Hi
Is that a regular pot? I was wondering because s/h have holes in the side walls of the pot and I'm not seeing those on this pot.......

[DesertRayne]

orchids4me,
There are small two holes next to each other near the bottom and front of the pots. I used some soup containers that look like that and used a soldering iron to melt two holes on the side for my s/h stuff.

Good luck BGGraham1 on s/h. I'm pretty new to s/h too and finished potting several orchids into it a couple minutes ago. I'm real hopeful about it. I read that overpotting isn't a concern since this media doesn't decompose, so pot size won't matter. Unfortunately, I've waited too long to finally convert several of them (I think the roots stopped growing for now, the tips aren't new green anymore). I've soaked the media for several days with KLN in the water, would that be enough to stimulate a new growing roots phase for them?

[NiNiDazzle]

Good luck with those two. ALL of my chids are in S/H. I've noticed that most will stall for about a month when changed over to the new medium, but once they get used to the constant moisture, they all take off.

I am an over-waterer so S/H has been a lifesaver.

[syndywindy]

Hopefully they will adapt to the new growing situation. Normally you want to move them into S/H when there is new growth. You might have been able to get by with smaller pots for the time being until new roots come in. Other than that, it looks very nice. Good luck and keep us posted.

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

Hi
Is that a regular pot? I was wondering because s/h have holes in the side walls of the pot and I'm not seeing those on this pot.......

Hi Emmaye! Yes, the holes are there at the water / reservoir level. I got them from Ray, too, so I could see what they looked like in case I need to make more.

Originally Posted by DesertRayne

orchids4me,
There are small two holes next to each other near the bottom and front of the pots. I used some soup containers that look like that and used a soldering iron to melt two holes on the side for my s/h stuff.

Awesome idea...I'll have to keep that in mind! Thanks!

Good luck BGGraham1 on s/h. I'm pretty new to s/h too and finished potting several orchids into it a couple minutes ago. I'm real hopeful about it. I read that overpotting isn't a concern since this media doesn't decompose, so pot size won't matter. Unfortunately, I've waited too long to finally convert several of them (I think the roots stopped growing for now, the tips aren't new green anymore). I've soaked the media for several days with KLN in the water, would that be enough to stimulate a new growing roots phase for them?

Hopefully that's the ticket! I read and re-read Ray's website, and followed everything to a "T". In fact, I am hoping that because I have new roots growing that were not too long yet, this would provide an optimal adaptation situation!

Originally Posted by syndywindy

Hopefully they will adapt to the new growing situation. Normally you want to move them into S/H when there is new growth. You might have been able to get by with smaller pots for the time being until new roots come in. Other than that, it looks very nice. Good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks, Synda. Yes, according to Ray's website, that would be the best time to attempt the transition. On the Milt., there are two new growths, 3-4 inches along now, with some little stubby roots growing. The Bllra's newest growth is already a pseudobulb, but it was in such bad shape that I had to do something. The new pbulb does have some new roots, though, so I am hoping that helps. We'll see!!!

[Ray]

Considering they have essentially NO roots to start with, I recommend keeping them shady and quite warm. A seedling heat mat would be even better, but not absolutely essential. That will accelerate the root growth.

One of those plants had quite a bit of desiccation already, so expect to lose some pseudobulbs on it.

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by Ray

Considering they have essentially NO roots to start with, I recommend keeping them shady and quite warm. A seedling heat mat would be even better, but not absolutely essential. That will accelerate the root growth.

One of those plants had quite a bit of desiccation already, so expect to lose some pseudobulbs on it.

Hi Ray!! Thanks for all of your help with this! I did get the seedling mat, its under the nursery tray. I think its the Bllra you are referring to...looks pretty bad, doesn't it?

The only variable is - how shady should they be? I though about putting them under the table, but then I just put them in my formal dining room. We don't use it so the lights are never on, and the closest window is a glass slider 10 feet away, but it opens into the sunroom.

[Joe Geoffroy]

Brigitte

Good luck with your new venture......but please don't get discouraged, because I lost several pots before they all settled down, Ray is the right person to ask for help with s/h , he developed it.

All the best

Joe

[beezermommy]

I don't want to sound dumb, but what is s/h???

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by beezermommy

I don't want to sound dumb, but what is s/h???

The only dumb question is the one that was never asked. S/h is semi-hydroponics, which was developed by Ray Barkalow. You use an inert media, in my case its Prime Agra LECA, in a special pot that allows a small amount of water to be left at the bottom. The LECA wicks it up and the roots take what they need. Check it out on Ray's website.

[NiNiDazzle]

Originally Posted by beezermommy

I don't want to sound dumb, but what is s/h???

Here is Ray's site with tons of information on S/H.
Semi-hydroponics Orchid Plants T5 Lighting

[Ray]

Personally, I put the heat mat inside of the tray, in direct contact with the pots. Putting it under the tray tends to do very little for the plants, as the "feet" of the tray and depressed channels in it provide too much separation.

[BGGraham1]

I'm moving it right now! Thanks again, Ray.

[BGGraham1]

OK. Seedling mat put inside the tray - check! Checked water level in reservoir - check! Area should be shady enough - check and check!

Fingers and toes crossed for success!!

[BGGraham1]

Nothing shocking to report as its only been 2 weeks, but one of the leaves on the Bllra. has turned yellow (from the tip). Its on the oldest pbulb, so I will guess that that would be fairly normal or at least expected given the sorry shape of the plant.

Today they were fed - 1/4 strength Grow More 20-20-20, with a dash of seaweed extract. The rest of my 'chids are going bonkers with it, so I hope it helps with these two.

[plantloverlisa]

Thanks for the update, at least you had some new root growth when you did it.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by BGGraham1

Nothing shocking to report as its only been 2 weeks, but one of the leaves on the Bllra. has turned yellow (from the tip). Its on the oldest pbulb, so I will guess that that would be fairly normal or at least expected given the sorry shape of the plant.

Today they were fed - 1/4 strength Grow More 20-20-20, with a dash of seaweed extract. The rest of my 'chids are going bonkers with it, so I hope it helps with these two.

As the plant has no way to absorb nutrients well until it gets new roots, it is absorbing energy and stores from the old pseudobulbs, hence the loss of the leaf. It also means fertilizing is a waste of time at this point. Don'teven worry about nutrition until you see new root growth.

[BGGraham1]

Thanks, Ray. Of course I hadn't thought about that 'minor' detail. Its a miracle the plants are clinging to life at this point.
So, should I pull them out of the pot from time to time to check for new roots, or do I wait untl I see them banging up against the pot?

Oh!!! And the newest pbulb on the Bllra. Sits a little higher so the roots that are there are not touching the LECA. Should I be top dressing it with a little sphag?

[Ray]

Originally Posted by BGGraham1

Thanks, Ray. Of course I hadn't thought about that 'minor' detail. Its a miracle the plants are clinging to life at this point.
So, should I pull them out of the pot from time to time to check for new roots, or do I wait untl I see them banging up against the pot?

Why would you want to disturb them over and over again? Plants dislike that, so learn some patience.

Originally Posted by BGGraham1

Oh!!! And the newest pbulb on the Bllra. Sits a little higher so the roots that are there are not touching the LECA. Should I be top dressing it with a little sphag?

That depends. Are the roots growing? How is your humidity - or maybe I should ask it this way: Is your humidity sufficient that the LECA stays moist all the way to the top? If that is a "no", then I'd mist or top-dress to keep it that way, preferring the former.

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by Ray

Why would you want to disturb them over and over again? Plants dislike that, so learn some patience.

That depends. Are the roots growing? How is your humidity - or maybe I should ask it this way: Is your humidity sufficient that the LECA stays moist all the way to the top? If that is a "no", then I'd mist or top-dress to keep it that way, preferring the former.

I do have patience, Ray. I'm just not clear on how to know when roots start growing so that the fertilizer will be needed. The pots I got from you are not "see-through' clear, so there is really no way to know when I have roots. I suppose I will wait until I see something up against the side of the pot. I'm very new to s/h, and some clarification will be needed from time to time. Yes, I have read through your website, including the forum, but I guess I have different questions than others.

The roots on the pbulb that sits above the LECA have active root tips, but they are growing in an upward direction. They are nowhere near the LECA. To answer your question, the humidity in that area runs between 50% - 70%. I do have the two pots sitting in the seedling tray on top of the heating mat, and both pots show condensation up to the top of the LECA. I will try misting them, just to keep things consistent and to follow your advice. Thank you.

[BGGraham1]

Well, when I got home last night, I checked on my s/h babies and misted the upward (aerial) roots on the Bllra. When I turned the Milt around to look for any aerials, I found this!!





I hope this means that little 'Izumi' likes its new digs??

[plantloverlisa]

That is great Brigitte, hard work pays off!

[Ray]

Perfect!!! As that new growth gets bigger, you'll see the roots grow into the medium.

Referring to a post-or-two back: yes, you will see the roots up against the pot wall. In general, plants tend to send them in that direction in any pot, as it enables them to stabilize themselves better than by just putting them down into the bulk of the medium.

[BGGraham1]

Just shy of a month in, and the Bllra. is not showing much improvement. Its not dead yet, either, so I guess that's good.

The Mtssa., however, had another little surprise for me this weekend. The first photo shows the new growth I found last time I posted, and the next photo is another new growth. Maybe this one is liking the s/h?





This is all I have to show on the Bllra. There are still green tips on the aerial roots, but no new growth anywhere that I can see.

[iluvorchids]

Brigitte this has been an interesting thread as I have been wanting to do this with my nelly isler that lost its roots (I overwater as well) Tell me about your lighting. Was it in a room that has a window? Did it receive any natural light?

I have the clay pellets, but not a pot with a reservoir. Would a regular pot with a humidity tray work?

TIA

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by iluvorchids

Brigitte this has been an interesting thread as I have been wanting to do this with my nelly isler that lost its roots (I overwater as well) Tell me about your lighting. Was it in a room that has a window? Did it receive any natural light?

I have the clay pellets, but not a pot with a reservoir. Would a regular pot with a humidity tray work?

TIA

Hi Tia. According to Ray, the plant has to be in a shady location in order to promote root growth. I have it in my formal dining room that is about 10 feet from my sliding glass doors that lead to my sunroom. We only use that room for parties, so we don't turn on the lights. Its the shadiest room in my house. Oh, and Ray recommended the heat mat, too. He says that the heat helps promote root growth.

As far as the pot goes, if you want to do semi-hydro, it has to be in the right kind of pot. I have read in other posts where others use a regular orchid pot sitting in a saucer that they keep water in to simulate the s/h system. For me, though, I wanted to do it the way Ray developed it, so I ordered the pots from him. You can make your own s/h pots, though. Ray explains how its done on his website. Check it out here. Semi-hydroponics Orchid Plants T5 Lighting

Let me know if you have any other questions. I'm very new at this, but willing to help.

[Ray]

Actually, the use of an inert medium in a regular pot sitting in a tray of water is simply semi-hydroponics with an external reservoir, rather than the internal one of my design.

And to correct something Brigitte stated, shade is not necessary to stimulate root growth at all, but it does help a bit.

[BGGraham1]

Originally Posted by Ray

Actually, the use of an inert medium in a regular pot sitting in a tray of water is simply semi-hydroponics with an external reservoir, rather than the internal one of my design.

And to correct something Brigitte stated, shade is not necessary to stimulate root growth at all, but it does help a bit.

Thanks for the correction, Ray. This whole experience is a lot to take in at first. I'm still going on the website to see if there is something I missed. We'll see what happens...