When do you water with hydroponics???

[occ2405]

So at the bottom of the container, there should be a water reservoir???
Do you wait for the water to dry out before you water again? or how do you do it????

[orchids4me]

I'm new to this way also but yes to the water in the dish part one I have set up this way what I've been doing is keeping the dish water level up and once a week I flush by watering top an let the water run through change the water in the dish and top off by watering from the top and re setting the water level in the dish that way.
I'm interested in how others do this and how to do the fertilizer step do they let it run though with out the dish or let some get in the dish ???? And what strength for leca. I usually use 1/4. Sometime 1/2 strength depending how often I'm fertilizing regular plants but not sure with the leca.

[occ2405]

Thanks for your reply, i just dont want to have it sitting in the water and then i get root rot... not cool at all... hopefully someone else will answer all our questions.

[orchids4me]

Type of orchid is it ?? I do know the switch tends to kill some roots usually the new roots adapt to growing in this way I remeber reading some threads stating this so in the beginning you may loose roots. The one I have growing this way was gifted by another member who was groing it in this manner so I kept it this way.
Have you cheked out the threads in the forum on s/h semi hydroponics yet?

[sunshine]

I have s/h and I use the plastic pots with the holes in the bottom and have some of those clear plastic bowls you get in the garden center. I water when almost dry and oops, sometimes they have gone dry for a a day or 2 but it doesn't hurt anything.

Sometimes I water from the top and other times I just add to the reservoir.Depends on my mood But I will flush the pot and the reservoir will sometimes get algae and I just wash that out with some hot soapy water and rinse.

When I fertilize I usually water from the top but then again I suppose it doesn't matter as long as they get fertilized.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by occ2405

..., i just dont want to have it sitting in the water and then i get root rot... not cool at all....

Roots tailor themselves to the environment into which they grow. The new roots grown into a hydroponic setup will not rot unless you do something else to cause it (such as letting them get too cold). The roots that grew in another environment are a different story.

The answer to your original question has no "set" answer, but I can tell you this: Once the plant is established with its "hydro roots", you cannot water too often. Think about it: in a hydroponic environment (I'm assuming semi-hydro, but it's reasonably applicable more broadly) the roots are sitting in an airy, moist environment. Now water it. The roots are now sitting in an airy, moist environment....no change that could cause harm.

I will add that more frequent watering is better than less frequent. As a plant absorbs nutrients, two things happen - 1) it changes the chemistry of the solution within the medium and in the reservoir, and 2) it emits waste products that go into that solution. That means that over time, the plant ends up sitting in a cesspool of who-knows-what chemistry. By watering more frequently (again assuming you use a dilute nutrient solution at every watering), you clean out the system and return it to your target "normal" chemistry.

[occ2405]

I am trying phalaenopsis and ocidium. The phals roots are doing pretty well but some of the older leafs are wrinkle dont know why... Is this normal??

[NancyH]

I LOVE SH! I converted all my orchids ( I have many different families) and they are all thriving. I have a greenhouse with a misting system and I love to water. That was the reason I had been dealing with so much root rot. I knew nothing about orchids and then was given a collection of about 250. Wow what a learning curve it has been. All evviornemts are so different, that is why there are not to many hard and fast rules when it comes to your own growing space. I did not purchase any fancy SH pots. I Just used regular orchid pots and bought the little plastic saucers that the orchids sit it. I use LECA in everything. My orchids are so happy and putting out all sorts of new roots and shoots, much more that I ever had had before. I fertilize with everywatering. First I water, then wait awhile, then fertilize. This forum has really helped me and Ray's advice has been terrific. Go with the SH and have fun.
Nancy

[NiNiDazzle]

Originally Posted by occ2405

I am trying phalaenopsis and ocidium. The phals roots are doing pretty well but some of the older leafs are wrinkle dont know why... Is this normal??

Pretty normal. Every time I convert a Phal into S/H, the bottom two leaves wrinkle and then eventually turn yellow and fall off. Takes about a month or two. I have noticed that when the bottom leaves start to wrinkle is when the roots start shooting out.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by NiNiDazzle

Pretty normal. Every time I convert a Phal into S/H, the bottom two leaves wrinkle and then eventually turn yellow and fall off. Takes about a month or two. I have noticed that when the bottom leaves start to wrinkle is when the roots start shooting out.

When you move a plant into a new root environment, the existing roots will likely not function as well as they did in the old one - that "tailoring" thing I mentioned earlier. So, the plant must consume some of its stores - leaves in phals, pseudobulbs in catts, for example - while it grows new roots.

You can accelerate the root-growing process by warming the root zone.

[NewGrower]

Question, I have heard in the past you can almost compare LECA with Lava Rock... is that true? I have a similiar set up with my plants but I am using lava rock

[bumpman]

Great thread! Now I know why my phals lost their bottom leaves after switching to S/H. For watering, I put my plastic S/H pots in a slightly larger plastic pot then fill it with dilute nutrient solution and let soak for 30 min to an hour, after which I remove the S/H pot and let it drain to the reservoir holes. I'm thinking that this is like a long tropical rain storm letting the roots soak up moisture as well as to wash away wastes and any salt build-up in the leca. P.s. From another thread a while back I asked about using S/H with an Epidendrum radicans. I can report that it is doing great, adding over a foot of growth since being in S/H.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by NewGrower

Question, I have heard in the past you can almost compare LECA with Lava Rock... is that true? I have a similiar set up with my plants but I am using lava rock

Sure you can "compare" them, but that doesn't mean they perform the same.

My primary problem with lava rock is its rate of mineral buildup, which is considerably greater than that of most brands of LECA, in my experience.

Fortunately, it's cheap enough that you can repot every year or so into fresh material. I'm lazier than that (OK, busier than that), so I prefer the life of LECA.

Incidentally, with either one, if you keep all of the medium moist at all times, mineral buildup is minimal, as irreversible buildup occurs primarily as the medium dries.

[empress]

Loving this discussion and listening in - ninja style!