Lava Rock?

[orchidaddict789]

Anyone tried lava rock?

I drains really fast and contains lots of air so the roots don't get rotten. I have a dendrobium growing in it and it seems really happy. Only problem is that the roots have an extremely strong adhesion to the lava rocks, so it'll be a pain to repot the plant by removing the rocks that are "glued" to the roots.

I love experimenting and trying different types of mixes...

[Kev]

But that's the beauty of this stuff. You don't have to remove anything when you repot. Leave everything that's attached to the roots in place. I love this stuff too.

Kevin

[cbbxj6]

I love the stuff also.I even have a few cymbidiums in the stuff and 1 that is in lava rock has 8 spikes that are just beginning,and I'm excited.
cbbxj6

[Ladybug]

How often are you all watering? I had a really tough time figuring out when to water so I switched my Onc. over to sh. Would love to know the trick.

Maggie

[phillipinmissouri]

yes,I have grown orchids in rolled pumice and had the same problem,rot adhesion.but the results were good as far as plant growth and health.I also have made planters out of chunks of pumice from the home depot and have an oncidium in it at this time.I am watching it to see how it does.
keep us posted on your results.
phil

[Kev]

Maggie,

That is a bit tricky to figure out. When they're outside and it's warm, I water everyday. Indoors the stuff can be deceiving. It really depends on your temps and air movement. With a 3-inch pot, I probably only water every 3 days or so. Lava rock is porus, so it does hold water even if the surface looks dry.

Kevin

[Ladybug]

Thanks, Kev, I might give it another go one of these days. Maybe this coming spring when I get repot fever.

BTW, the Barkeria cross is still in bud!
Maggie

[Lagoon]

Hi Everyone

I do love using lava rock but i dont use it soley i mix bark with it. Got lots of different type of orchids in this mix ALL doing pretty good. Which is real nice for a newbie.
I really like the weight that the lava rock has for Dends, Keeps them from tumbling over.
Try it, betcha your gonna love it too!

Regards,
Gloria

[jerrymeola]

There are many different products that are for hydroponic growing.

I use AliFlor a syntechic clay product similar to clay pots with air blown into it making it so light it floats. It is one of the few products available in a fine size that I use extensively for young plants.

It has only a 10% water retention rate and does not hold water inside the rock. I do not use a reservour. I want to control my watering. As such, I water every day in the summer and as needed this time of year. Reduction of watering this time of year is as much to control bacterial rot as fear of root rot. I do use a reservour for Phalaenopsis. Phals do not like to dry out and hydroponic growing solves the problem.

It has the advantage of being almost impossible to overwater. It does not pack down. Air circulation over the roots, which is equally as important as watering is never compromised.

The color changes slightly as the product dries. If used in a slit clay pot you can use the color of the pot and the color of the AliFlor to determine the need for water.

As stated previously it never needs to be changed making repotting simple. It can be used (sterlize first) over and over again on different plants.

They all need to be fertilized regularily. All these types have a tendancy to accumulate salts on the surface of the rock. They need to be flushed periodically (every month or two) if indoors. Rain flushes naturally outside.

During our heavy summer rains I fertilize after each rain storm on the theory taht there is nothing left in the pot after the rain. Fresh rain water and fertilizer = rapid growth.

[phillipinmissouri]

Originally Posted by Lagoon

Hi Everyone

I do love using lava rock but i dont use it soley i mix bark with it. Got lots of different type of orchids in this mix ALL doing pretty good. Which is real nice for a newbie.
I really like the weight that the lava rock has for Dends, Keeps them from tumbling over.
Try it, betcha your gonna love it too!

Regards,
Gloria

Yes,I had the same prob with my tall plants.Especially those in plastic pots.So i used some beach stones,rinsed them for the salt and then put one(or two) in the bottom of each pot for weight.Also keeps soil and mixes in pot.

[Shirlee]

Received a small orchid for Christmas. It was in bloom, and has now dropped the last of the blooms. Tag says Den. Emma White, and from reading this forum I guess the Den. means dendrobium, do you think? It is in a 3" pot and living (so far!!) in lava rock. The stems (canes?) are ridged, but also have kind of a whiteish fiber coating them. It looks like it might peel off at some point. There are roots coming out of the bottom of the pot and on top of the soil. The plant has 3 canes? (1 about 14"tall and the other 2 about 6") Do you think it needs repotting or do they like to be root bound? After reading this forum, I think I may be watering it to much. I also fertilized it a couple of times with Miracle Grow. What do you think I should do? Any help is appreciated. I am new to this forum

Shirlee

[janet_a]

look up one thread to the one that says "den emma white"--jerry has posted care tips on there. in short: lava rock fine. yes they like to be root bound. papery covering on canes normal. how often are you watering? if the plant is in straight lava, then you have no worries about the medium rotting.

if the roots are coming out all over, then i would "pot on": get a 4 inch pot, pry the plant out of the old pot (water well first to soften the roots) and stick the whole thing in the new pot. pour rinsed lava rock around the "root ball" and bang it on the floor a couple times to settle the rock in the pot. then you're good to go. the plant may need to be staked for a while. be careful of top heaviness (see "tough plant" posting below. )