my S/H newbie experience...so far

[s.kallima]

I just wanted to share my (very newbie) experience with S/H, as I started in early August, after intensive reading of Ray's resourceful website and the OG threads.

I grow on a north windowsill with an extra fluorescent 40W spot ( I didn't have time to install the 2 x24 W high output T5 I got last month), between 60 to 70% humidity (on a humidity tray, and in humid Vancouver BC ), and actual temperatures day: 68-73ºF and night: 64-68ºF. I mist it every morning when I'm around, and water once a week with a mix of hydroponic fertiliser 5-0-1 and 0-5-4 (at 130 ppm Nitrogen = 2 tsp of each per gallon) flushing the reserve.
I also flush with pure water every other watering.

Everything has been doing good so far except Bulbo. wendlandianum (not doing anything and most of the new roots died when coming in contact with the leca) and Coelogyne cristata which has grown 3 new psb but no new roots... I really hope this one survives as I love Coelogyne !

Here is the list of my S/H :
- Neofinetia falcata (cf my other post on this one), photo 1 and 2
- Dendrobium kingianum (lost of new growths and few new keikis), photo 3
- Pleurothallis restrepioides (very small plant, lots of new roots and 3 new leaves), photo 4
- Masdevallia Dean Haas, only in leca since sept 12th, lots of new leaves and new roots, 1 flower bud, photo 5
- Phalaenopsis noid (Yellow treasure I think) : new leaf and new roots, photo 6
- Coelogyne cristata photo 9
- Bulbophyllum wendlandianum photo 10

I also repotted my newly bought Howeara Lava Burst, hopefully it will be ok (only a few new roots on one young psb), as it was flowering but in very bad decomposed soggy sphagnum ball when I got it last week photo 7-8

Comments are welcome, please tell me if you think I'm doing something wrong ...

[purplegirl]

Oh, I just started sh a few weeks ago, my Phals perked up when I soaked them in some rooting hormone and the ceramic pellets! While my Phals have stayed a light green, some of the wrinkly ones got firmer

[hera]

I tried an ascofinetia in s/h and it didn't like it at all. The roots eventually began to rot on the tips. My phals love it and an oncidium is adjusting very well also. I've never seen anyone use it for a Masdevallia. Could you keep us posted on that one. I'm very curious to see how it does over time. Looks good so far. Also, seems like a perfect medium for a bulbo.

[s.kallima]

About Ascofinetia, maybe your pot was too short ? Just for my 2 cents, these species do not like to have their roots very wet all the time. I read a lot about the Neos and other Vandeae relatives, and people who have success with them in S/H tend to pot them in tall pots (that's what I did, but I only have 2 months experience so far), so the roots stay far enough from the very wet part of the LECA (4-5 cm above the reservoir), but still get moisture from the wicking. My pot for the Neo has a ratio H:W = 2:1 (height : width)

The Masdevallia is in a short pot (ratio H:W = 1:1) for higher humidity. I will keep posting updates to let you know how it is doing. (cross my fingers !)

[tizzycat]

I'm only just on the threshold of trying S/H, but whatever you're doing, your plants appear to be loving it. Well done, keep up the good work. Oh and keep us posted.

[JamesK]

I've been using S/H for almost a year now. I have some great results and some almost dead plants. I planted one phal in a pot that was too big for it, but when I put it in a smaller pot, it took off!

I recently put a bulbophylum lilacrum into S/H because it wasn't doing well on the mount I had for it. It is firming up all of is PBs and is growing roots faster than I thought possible.

Love this stuff!

[articuno75]

I am curious about the Masdevallia. Since my apartment is really dry and arid I'm thinking this could hold potential. But the risk of fungus using this method is EXTREMELY high. Are you using fans on the Masdie by chance?

Good luck, and do keep us updated on this as I am curious about the Masdie's sucess.

[s.kallima]

Jenny: no I don't have a fan on the Masdevallia, but I am planning to get one. So far I didn't have problems with fungus. I spray occasionally with a cinnamon mix (Ray's recipe) and with Listerine. I also soaked my plants in copper (Bordeaux mix) before repotting but I don't spray this because the blue residuum !

[myorchid]

I am also interested in the sucess of the Madies. I have three and would like to try them in hydro.

Waiting and watching!

[s.kallima]

Little photo update : Masde. in SH
first pict. sept 20th
second pict today (12 days later)
Notice the difference in size of the new growths. The red lines are here to have the same scale between the 2 pictures (the red line on the right side is 2cm (.78 inch) above the hydroton)

thrid pic is the new flower just opening since yesterday. A new spike is also growig, just noticed it today

[s.kallima]

new growths (one on each pseudobulb recently grown) on my coelogyne cristata, psb or spike ?

[katrina]

Originally Posted by s.kallima

new growths (one on each pseudobulb recently grown) on my coelogyne cristata, psb or spike ?

I'm real curious how the coelogyne will do because I understood them to need a bit of a watering reduction in the winter. I just started w/these guys...LOVE THEM!...this year so still really new to what they need and like. Definitely keep us posted on how this is going.

BTW - I think those are new growths rather than spikes. My spikes and I believe all coelogynes spike from the top of the pbulb between the leaves.

[s.kallima]

Originally Posted by katrina

BTW - I think those are new growths rather than spikes. My spikes and I believe all coelogynes spike from the top of the pbulb between the leaves.

I just read in Charles and Margaret Baker's culture sheet that C. cristata is different and the spikes "emerge from the base of mature pseudobulbs, usually before new growth starts"...