I took the plunge!

[Mercedes]

I love that there's a new section for S/H! I received my supplies from First Rays and Grow in Hydro (I ordered from both to see how service was from each co.). I used some of Ray's S/H pots with the holes on the side, some glass vases, and some plastic take-out soup containers (which look like Ray's pots, just w/o holes). I repotted all of my phals, a doritaenopsis, and one catt. I also repotted a paph that had lost all of it's roots and had been in a soda-bottle greenhouse with sphag for over two months. It had little green root nubbins, so I repotted in S/H and then took Ray's advice and put a plastic bag over it to create a greenhouse environment. It's too soon to see progress, but I'll keep you all posted.

One sad thing, I had a sick, sunburned phal that had a great root system but only one leaf left. I repotted in S/H, and two days later noticed the leaf yellowing. I put a plastic bag over it and moved it to a shady location, and when I checked on it yesterday, the leaf fell off! There was mold at the base of the leaf and on the crown. I put cinnamon on it b/c I didn't know what else to do. It's still plastic bagged. Any opinions?

[Tony]

Mercedes

I just bought a system called Luwasa from Interior Water Gardens in New Jersey. Its a two pot system. the interior pot has slits in it so that the medium can soak up the water. What I liked about it is that it has a water level indicator so you know when to water and you don't have to keep pulling the inner pot out to look at the water level. I just planted a paph and a cat into them and will let everyone know how they do. Tony

[jay]

Mercedes, glad to hear another orchidgeek taking the S/H plunge. I love it and have had great results with it. Keep us updated.

Tony, do you have a picture or a link to your new system. I would really like to see it.

Jay
'

[Tony]

Jay

Try these links. I purchased mine from the first link. Since I was near the store I did not have to pay shipping. The shipping is the killer. Tony

http://www.interiorwatergardens.com/...%20method.html

http://www.luwasa.ch/en/system.html

[janice]

Tony, I went to semi hydro last spring. My Phals, Dens and Catts have done very well. My Paphs are okay but have not progressed like the others. It sounds like you have done everything you can for your failing Phal.......keep us posted.................jan

[pikevi]

Mercedes: Good luck in your new venture!

[eldone]

I took the S/H plunge some time ago and due to some mistakes I made had trouble early on and almost lost many of them. Now that I have learned from my mistakes they are looking better and I now have 4 Phals putting spikes up. I don't know if S/H is for all types of orchids or not. However, my Phals seem to like it now.

Just a word of caution however, I had heard a rumor that some types of pellets have acidity problems and tend to have real low PH. I think that some people have solved that problem with alot of soaking and washing prior to planting anything in it. That was several months ago and they may have corrected the problem since then. I had some of the older product so I got lucky and didn't have that problem with mine.

Good luck with yours!