Mokara Chark Kuan S/H while in bloom

I thought my plant had fungus infestation but actually it was drying in the summer sun outside the window sill of my apartment in Manhattan, NY. Mokara can take sunlight and must be watered regularly...thats why I tried S/H...I drilled 1/2 inch holes in a heavy crystal glass on all corners using a diamond coated drillbit...after soaking leca on worm tea and seaweed mix overnight I cleaned the roots of the mokara and started to repot it on the glass...I filled 1/4 of the glass with leca and started to position the plant and cover it with the medium. I made sure that all of the container was compact and nothing was loose and filled in all the gaps. I put it inside a container and poured the rest of the worm tea and seaweed mix in the vase until water level inside the glass was 1/4. I need no gauge or meter stick for I can see the water through the glass and I made sure no roots was touching water...so far so good...I will monitor it weekly as I will flush it and see if the roots are healthy. You can see the holes in the glass in my pictures and the level of the water proportionate to the roots location and the plant is steadily mounted; notice the blooms are even refreshed and resplendent.

[pikkumyy]

Very cool Anky, and you certainly do like Vandaceous

and i hope you enjoyed your birthday. Get any orchids?

[jerrymeola]

Mokara do very well in pots. They are propagated in pots up to about 2 feet high. They can easily grow to 20 feet so you may have to cut it regularly.

They divide easily and all pieces are capable of growing.

[pikkumyy]

this is the first time ive heard of dividing a vanda, but i have heard of taking cuttings, are these terms the same?

oh and anky, if you ever wish to 'prune' yours then im sure that there will be plenty of people willing to help you get rid of them

[Ray]

Sorry Anky, but that's growing it in traditional pot culture using LECA as a medium, and not semi-hydroponics at all - which requires a reservoir of water maintained in the bottom of the pot. Looks good though!

Originally Posted by Ray

Sorry Anky, but that's growing it in traditional pot culture using LECA as a medium, and not semi-hydroponics at all - which requires a reservoir of water maintained in the bottom of the pot. Looks good though!

yeppers...its sitting in 1/4 water level of water in picture 5 (I drilled holes on each corner of the glass vase for the water to seep in from the round bowl of water...I didnt want the roots to be wet...

@Michael...Thank You ! I had a blast on my birthday party...I also got two orchid centerpiece...I would be glad to send you the smaller vanda babies but I dont think US and Australia have a plant delivery program...It might just be confiscated and trashed...

[pedidiva]

I see the water in the bottom of the glass vase. So it would be S/H, no?

Yes Pedidiva...its 1/4 water in the glass vase...I dont want the water touching any of the old roots; mokaras' roots are not meant to be under water; but hopefully the new roots will someday reach down to the bottom and can be able to survive touching the water.

[Ray]

Yeah....I just didn't see it at first.

Its the refraction of the glass on the water...its quite confusing, since its just from my iPhone cam...I'm not really a photographer and I am scared to dabble...its another expensive hobby LOL