Anyone ever try this?

[jay]

Came across this and wondered if anyone has tried it. It's called the Swamp Stick. Would this help offset having lower humidity than desired for mounting?

jay

[kmarch]

Never tried one....never even heard of it until today.

[pikevi]

jay: The idea seems to be good.

There may be some practical problems. How does one replace the 'stale' water?
Would it be stable even if it is filled to the brim with water? Shouldn't the mount be in full contact with the surface to benefit from the moisture?

I hope someone will enlighten us.

[orchid_girl]

That's intetresting but I think if I do mounting i would rather use something more natural like a tree...

[arleneg]

I've never heard of it until today. Interesting concept. Since I live in a low humidity environment, I wonder if this will help my mounted orchids.

pikevi - No need to replace stale water. Just pour it out.

[tom499]

Looks like a nice idea, no issues with insects growing in the mount, it wont rot like wood.

Being cermanic though Once the plant has rooted itself to it you'll have to pretty much rip the roots to get it off again if there anything like clay pots.

[pikevi]

arleneg: How does one pour the water out with the plants mounted? I am still trying to visualize it,lol

[tom499]

Think of it as a mug of water, with a plant growing on the side. As long as the plant is secure you can just turn the cup on its side and out comes the water.

[jay]

Could possibly syphon the water out as well. Just came across it and thought it was an interesting idea. I can't mount because the humidity is only around 30% or lower here. Thought it might help because the roots would have water available more often with it.

jay

[pikevi]

OK. I will accept that

I still can't help thinking of the adage: 'out of the frying pan and into the fire'... hehehehehe

Thanks.

[arleneg]

jay,

If the swampstick works like a clay pot, the stick should be a good wick and therefore keeping the orchid roots moist and supplying humidity. I'm seriously thinking of trying one out.

[jay]

arleneg,

If you do try one out, you will have to post photos as you set it up and maybe keep an online journal to let us know how it goes.

jay

[tom499]

i dont think i understand the concern :S lol

Apart from them being rather small it looks like a great hydroponic mount.

[GrowInHydro]

Hello Orchidgeeks,

I was working on getting Google to crawl my website properly and came across this forum testing search results! I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Jesse Wright and I'm developing the SwampStick ceramic mounts.

This product is brand new. I've been thinking about it for years, but started developing it February of this year. The SwampSticks have be for sale now for about 2 months. I just posted some updated photos on the website showing some root growth. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll answer the few I see in this post.

With this mount there is no need to dump out the reservoir water and it will not go "stale". Exactly like a clay pot, the SwampStick is going to wick the water and nutrients through to the surface of the mount, delivering moisture directly to the roots. The velamin in contact with and locked into the mount will take care of uptake and the rest of the root can work on gas exchange.

My idea for the SwampStick is to aid mounted orchids, as mine seemed to suffer even growing in the greenhouse, and I'm positive it will aid people growing indoors or suffering low humidity.

I would suggest following the same culture as any mounted orchid, misting and so forth. The SwampStick is going to lengthen the orchids exposure to water and nutrients for days instead of hours.

I've only been testing for a few months an am getting the results I wanted as dessicated leaves plump back up with a burst of new root growth. I'll continue to add updated photos every month or so.

Best regards!
Jesse

[GrowInHydro]

Here are few photos I just put on the website:

[fred]

GrowInHydro
We do not allow advertising on this forum sorry but that is one of the forum Rules
I have edited out your website with ( PM member for details )
Please see your PM box for more details
thank you Admin

[GrowInHydro]

My apologies. Since my website was posted earlier in the thread before I joined this forum I didn't even think. I deleted my signature. My intent was to post some information since there was some interest here.

Other forum Administrators have invited me to their websites for my input and I have reciprocated with donations, both monetary and in products to use towards contests and auctions to earn revenue for their forums.

Please accept my sincere apologies and feel free to delete my posts.

Kindest regards,
Jesse

[Miki]

I have a few of questions:
1. How is the fertilizer delivered?
2. Are there any issues with salt deposits from the water reservoir?
Thanks,
Miki

[GrowInHydro]

Originally Posted by Miki

I have a few of questions:
1. How is the fertilizer delivered?
2. Are there any issues with salt deposits from the water reservoir?
Thanks,
Miki

Hi Miki,

The fertilizer is delivered through the mount by reservoir water and I mix a weak solution in my spray bottle. The mounts I have in the greenhouse get hosed down (and filled up) at 125 ppm (N) like all the rest

I haven't had any issues with salt deposits. My mounts in the greenhouse get hit by the freshwater sprinklers every 3 days and the one I have in the house gets a little bicarbonate ring at the top on the inside. I had a mount sitting in a pot wicking water up and it built up some hard water stains on the outside at the bottom of the mount when the pot ran dry.

Best regards,
Jesse

[kmarch]

I think it's quite clever and it would be interesting to see how genera like Masdevallia take to it since they like constant mositure. Have you tried Masdevallias on it yet?

[GrowInHydro]

Originally Posted by kmarch

I think it's quite clever and it would be interesting to see how genera like Masdevallia take to it since they like constant mositure. Have you tried Masdevallias on it yet?

Hi kmarch,

I have not tried any Masdie yet, but I can pick a few out this weekend and give it a go. Give me about a month to get some new roots going and I'll share some results.

[Tess1]

I am also very interested in your method growinhydro.

[arleneg]

Hi Jesse,

It's great to see you on this forum. I think you've come up with a cleaver product that I can hardly wait to try (waiting for you to completely "bake and glaze" the Swampstick with base). As soon as i get them, I'll be transferring two of my moisture loving mini/compact orchids.

[janet_a]

my orchid-group guy found some low fired clay pots a year or two ago and got a couple to try mounting on; same principle as the SS's (which he is also trying). he put some little bitty things (probably bulbos--he's into bulbos) on the pots, which are small and shallow, and he hung them up in his greenhouse. he keeps the bowls full of water and the plants *LOVE* it. it seems the SS's should work just as well.

he did say that a friend of his who's using the SS's finds that the bottoms tend to weep a bit, but that's easily handled by just putting a saucer underneath.

[GrowInHydro]

Originally Posted by arleneg

Hi Jesse,

It's great to see you on this forum. I think you've come up with a cleaver product that I can hardly wait to try (waiting for you to completely "bake and glaze" the Swampstick with base). As soon as i get them, I'll be transferring two of my moisture loving mini/compact orchids.

Hi Arlene good to see you too!

I am cranking these mounts out as fast as the molds will let me. I still have several molds I can't use yet, its taking about a week for the plaster to dry enough to pull an adequate wall thickness or let me turn the molds more than once a day.

I've built enough inventory to fill the kiln at least once this weekend. I'll go through them tomorrow and start filling it up so I can bisque fire it on Saturday, glaze and fire on Sunday, and pack and ship Monday.

Almost all of my backorders are waiting on the Medium size with the glazed bases, and they take the longest to dry. If I don't wait, they shatter and I make LECA

Here's the drying rack:


POP!

Originally Posted by janet_a

my orchid-group guy found some low fired clay pots a year or two ago and got a couple to try mounting on; same principle as the SS's (which he is also trying). he put some little bitty things (probably bulbos--he's into bulbos) on the pots, which are small and shallow, and he hung them up in his greenhouse. he keeps the bowls full of water and the plants *LOVE* it. it seems the SS's should work just as well.

he did say that a friend of his who's using the SS's finds that the bottoms tend to weep a bit, but that's easily handled by just putting a saucer underneath.

Hi Janet,

I hope I have the weeping issue taking care of now, but what are everyones thoughts on my applying a touch of paraffin to the bottoms of the baseless mounts to close (clog) the pores?

The hotter I fire the clay, the tighter the pores get and the closer to vitrifying it to glass. I'm happy with how its wicking now and its the fact that its doing it so well that is causing the problems.

Cheers!
Jesse

[sandra]

You are very clever! I'm going to have to check your site out and maybe give this a try. I enjoy growing my orchids in different medias and have recently begun mounting some on cork, which are doing really well.

I'll give this a try. I'm glad you posted. Thanks!

P.S. I've also converted quite a few orchids to semi-hydro recently and am extremely pleased with the results.

[berkeleysgr8]

Are there any updates from members about their experience with the SwampSticks? I found these online earlier while doing a search for MSU fertilizer. I like the concept and they seem like they'd work well.

[Vivienne]

Very cool idea! I'll be watching for updates on how the Masdevallia do on them.

[kazjak]

Nice to see you on the forum Jesse! Inside joke for Jesse... I finally got my MSU on Saturday from Washington....and now I guess I'll be trying out a swamp stick soon. You've earned my repeat business! I've got this Tolumnia I bought from Jerry.....

[PhalPal]

I think it is a fantastic idea and I'm curious how it works for others. I have about ten orchids mounted on cork bark with spraghum and they dry out extremely fast. This works well for the few mini Catts I have mounted but my little Phals are not too pleased.

[arleneg]

Just a quick update...

I did buy a couple of the terracotta Swampsticks with the glazed base from Jesse. When I was preparing them, they leaked at the base. He's working on solving the leaking problem.

[GrowInHydro]

Hey all, thanks for your interest. Yes I am still working on the SwampSticks. Arlene I've had water in yours for almost a week and made some new ones yesterday. Problem is that they are moving water too well. Its not that they are leaking per say, but moving water through the clay faster than plant uptake or it can evaporate.

But to be fair, the leaking (looks more like sweating) is happening on the glazed bases, through tiny stress cracks in the glaze called crazing. Since I attach the SwampSticks to the bases while the clay is wet creating a single piece, the water is hydrating the base as well, and gravity is pulling it through the crazing.

My solution is to increase the wall thickness of the SwampSticks to slow water movement, and then create the bases separately and use the glaze to fuse the SwampStick to the base. This will put a barrirer of glass between the two parts and water shouldn't make it down into the base and then on to your table.

The solution to the white clay mounts weeping was wall thickness. It is a different clay body so water moved through the pores differently than the terracotta, but I think I should have things better sometime next month.

Its a tough balance there are a lot of variables. Higher temperatures tightens up the space or "pores" in the finished ceramic. If I fire it too hot it becomes vitrified and will be water tight even with out glaze.

If you ever left clay plant pots out through the winter you will see that some shatter where others won't. The ones that don't break were fired hotter and lost their ability to absorb water into the ceramic itself.

Not hot enough and the pores are larger and allow too much water to move to the outside surface; other variables are wall thickness and clay types.

At any rate I hope I can get things worked out to what we are expecting.

Worse case is I created mounts that are better suited for the greenhouse and will weep slowly but still do what I set out to accomplish, which is prolong the exposure to water and nutrients for mounted orchids.

Feel free to PM or post any questions and I'll try my best to get back to this forum as often as possible to answer and post updates!

Thanks, Jesse

[GrowInHydro]

Originally Posted by kazjak

Nice to see you on the forum Jesse! Inside joke for Jesse... I finally got my MSU on Saturday from Washington....and now I guess I'll be trying out a swamp stick soon. You've earned my repeat business! I've got this Tolumnia I bought from Jerry.....

Hey Greg, what a mess huh. Thanks for being so understanding
Take care!
Jesse

[mbasden]

Jesse, if you fill up the swampstick will it leak at all?

[Vivienne]

A thought... can these be made to hold water when placed on a horizontal angle? What would happen if, using them horizontally, they were packed loosely with sphag moss to help 'hold the water in'.

[GrowInHydro]

Oh they hold water now, just over the course of a day it will bead up droplets at the bottom, kind of looks like its sweating, and on some gravity pulls the surface water down and it collects into a drip off the bottom of the hanging mounts. The water isn't pouring out, it just works its way out over a few days.

The mounts will work sideways, I have had an idea for a Bulbo log that is sideways. You know a sponge or sphag moss may be a great idea, I'll have to give it a try and see what happens. It may hold enough water that is doesn't have so much hydraulic pressure pushing it through the clay and sill be able to release the water through the clay.

Neat idea, thanks I'll keep you posted.

[Vivienne]

Please do - I'd be interested in horizontal orientations... and a Bulbo log - KEEP ME POSTED!

[arleneg]

Viv -- I was thinking the same thing the other day! (great minds think alike )

Jesse -- Keep me posted, too.

[GrowInHydro]

Will do! Thanks

[GrowInHydro]

Well it looks like my solution may be water absorbing polymers. I hydrated a hand full of the crystals and filled the mounts when they plumped up, then topped it off with water and left them overnight; no leaks so far.

I'm thinking we may be able to reduce the amount of polymer to increase how wet the mount gets. So this appears to be a exciting solution thus far. I'll keep you updated and post a pic or two tonight.

Thanks!
Jesse

[Vivienne]

That is awesome news Jesse!! Great idea!

I'm saving my money up so I can purchase a few.

[GrowInHydro]

So far this is the solution. If I keep toping it off with water I can get it to weep a little but nothing like water alone. But if I leave it alone and let the polymer hold the water, it works great.

The water does still make it through the crazing in the glaze so the need to get a barrier between the mount and base is still needed, but the hanging mounts will be fine.

Heres a few photos. The bottom photo shows the polymers dry and wet, you can see it doesn't take much.

[berkeleysgr8]

The polymer does break down over time. It turned to slime in some of my outdoor planters after a couple of years. Hopefully this will not be an issue in the Swampsticks.

[GrowInHydro]

So far so good, but time will tell. I wouldn't think it would be a big deal to just replace the polymer when it starts to look funky

[jay]

Have you tried a ghost orchid with the swamp stick?

[GrowInHydro]

Nope...haven't tried a Ghost orchid at all...I'm chicken

[jay]

I was thinking of getting a couple of ghosts from Oak Hill in the fall when the temps here are better for deliveries. I was going to try a couple of different methods. I saw an interesting chicken wire method and was considering the Swamp Stick.

Is there a style or size that you would recommend?

[Jerry Delaney]

Hey Jesse, I'm not trying to throw water on your Swamp Sticks (no pun intended) but the idea is hardly new. About 25 or 30 years ago when equitant oncidiums (or what ever they are calling them today), a fair # of growers would purchase small (3") clay pots and seal the bottom drainage hole with silicone, bathroom caulk, etc. and then mount the equitant on the outside surface of the pot. Fertilizer solution was then put inside the pot. Some had great success with it, others just so so. Anyway, your Swamp Sticks probably have much better controlled wicking and are SURE a lot better looking than an old clay pot!!

[GrowInHydro]

Heck ChiaPet has been doing it forever

yeah clay pot growing has been around for a while. I've grown cuthbertsonii that way.

I just wanted to make a natural looking mount with more control on the moisture.

Jay, I think the medium swampstick would suit a ghost. I need to get on the ball and make the larger diameter mounts soon...

[arleneg]

Jay -- I suggest trying a ghost orchid on a Swampstick with no base. That way, the roots can freely grow even after the stick is covered.

Which ghost are you thinking of getting, Chiloschista or Polyrhyzza?

Jesse -- I'm looking into purchasing a few Swampsticks with no base. A month ago, I bought 3 ghost orchids and thinking of remounting them, since the roots are not too attached to the current mounts. Anyway, do you have some ready to go?

[jay]

Arlene, I am going to go with Polyrhiza lindenii. I have that mini greenhouse that my seedlings and CP's are in that would be ideal.

85% constant humidity, 70F night 85F day, very mild air movement in one corner.

[YardMeat]

I Just ordered one. This is great! Im not even that into mounting but this is Exciteing!
I Want to know when the pots will be available on the website.

[GrowInHydro]

Originally Posted by arleneg

Jay -- I suggest trying a ghost orchid on a Swampstick with no base. That way, the roots can freely grow even after the stick is covered.

Which ghost are you thinking of getting, Chiloschista or Polyrhyzza?

Jesse -- I'm looking into purchasing a few Swampsticks with no base. A month ago, I bought 3 ghost orchids and thinking of remounting them, since the roots are not too attached to the current mounts. Anyway, do you have some ready to go?

You know, come to think of it I did have a Chiloschista on the chicken wire for about 2 years, and I killed it when I brought it inside with my Masdies...go figure. I did get to see it bloom once at least before I DIMPED it.

Hey Arlene, sorry for the delay in responding. For the past few days every time I tried to come to this forum it would time out. Must be having some server problems

Anyway, I owe you a pair of SwampStick's. I'll have them ready to go out with Mondays orders. A small and medium on the glazed base.

Originally Posted by YardMeat

I Just ordered one. This is great! Im not even that into mounting but this is Exciteing!
I Want to know when the pots will be available on the website.

I see your package made it. Let me know if you have any questions. Are the "pots" you were asking about the covers I make that the plastic semi-hydro pots go into?
pot covers

Oh, speaking of Semi-hydro. I've a new media for s/h called HygroStone. Not as "pretty" as PrimeAgra, but works about as well without the high TDS and low pH issue, and cheaper because it is made in the US.

[arleneg]

Originally Posted by GrowInHydro

Hey Arlene, sorry for the delay in responding. For the past few days every time I tried to come to this forum it would time out. Must be having some server problems

Anyway, I owe you a pair of SwampStick's. I'll have them ready to go out with Mondays orders. A small and medium on the glazed base.

Yes, the site was down for a few days. We're all happy it's back up.

Can you hold off from shipping those sticks with the base? I'd like to order a few sticks without the base and have them ship with the ones with the base.

[YardMeat]

Jesse- Yea thats it- the covers,

also,
my swampstick arrived!
and i amtrying to decide whether to mount this one i just got -
Milt. warscewiczii x Mtdm. Issaku Nagata 'pint size'
or Pot. Free Spirit "Lea" AM/AOS
The second one i Know that it looks like; like a yellow and red Cattallea.
also there are little black dots on the Milt. is that normal?
this is my first of these two types.

[YardMeat]

Oh yea the ones made in the usa sound good better!

[YardMeat]

I Just dont know what i should mount on my swampstick? someone please give me some ideas. should i mount one of my Phaphs.? perhaps something without a plutobulb huh?

[GrowInHydro]

I would try that Pot. Free Spirit.

Phrags and Paphs are not suited for mounting. Miltonia's like to stay pretty wet so I think you would be better off growing it in moss.

In my experience, Cattleya, Laelia (actually any of the Catt alliance and hybrids do good mounted) also Brassavola and Dendrobium are good candidates.

I would start with these and then venture into others once you get a feel for it.

[GrowInHydro]

Originally Posted by YardMeat

Jesse- Yea thats it- the covers,

I am taking orders by request right now until I can build an inventory. I'm making them in terracotta right now. I can make the pots in a white clay, clear glazed, or custom glazed. If you interested, just shoot me an email and I'll work it into my kiln schedule. It takes on average about a week to 10 days to get a piece from wet clay to a fired ceramic. And I have only made one set of molds right now so I can only produce about 2 pots per day, per mold during the week while I'm at my day job. During the weekends I can get the molds cycled a few more times per day while the weather is warm.

Also, while I'm thinking about it. I wanted to leave a note that I have resolved the weeping issue with the SwampStick ceramic mounts with a light coating of AFM SafeCoat; a non-toxic soy based tile sealer dripped into the inside bottom of the mounts.

I have applied it to a half dozen different mounts and they are working the way I had always hoped they would.

So I can now offer them both ways. Either with the normal clay porosity regulated with the water absorbing polymer in the reservoir, or I can add a few ml. of the soy sealer and you can just add water without the polymer.

Cheers!
Jesse

[Lucinda Brown]

How well do the orchids root to the swampsticks?Seems they'd have a hard time-grabbing on.

[GrowInHydro]

They grab about as good as any solid mount. Once they get roots around the mount they are good and locked on. The surface of the mount is textured to try and give a little more grab.

Kind regards,
Jesse

[christinek]

ok.. I don't even want to say what these mounts look like.. LMAO But hey.. If they work and the orchids like them.. That's what counts.. right?

[martinvermillion]

I am going to try a couple Polyrrhizza's on them I am completely new to all of this orchid stuff in general. Common sense tells me this is the perfect set-up.Think I'll go without the base and use water alone. Anyone else out there doing this with the ghost? Bet moss will grow on these covering them completely?

[jay]

I am going to try this fall. Keep in mind you need a very stable environment for the Polyrrhiza lindenii. Constant humidity above 85%, little to now air movement, and stable temps in the mid 80's F. There are a couple of thread here of people trying them. I am working on my environment so I can give it a try in the fall.

[Ladyofthelakes]

Hi Jay

I am a newbie orchid grower. I have about15 orchids, various kinds.
I have been working off and on in my pottery studio with terra cotta for my orchids. Your Swampsticks look as if they will really compliment orchids in bloom or not. I like them, perhaps I will make a much shorter version

My plans were to make a pot with a slotted bottom that could get humidity from the lower portion of my pots. I just have not figured it out yet. I do like the look you have on the outside texture.
I live near Canada and from reading the forums it seems like I should have some good luck with Miltonia's.

Thank you for your post
Vivienne