My New Experiment!!!

[peeweelovesbooks]

BACKGROUND:

I've had this Lc. that I bought from SBOE last year. Well, the plant is not big enough to divide, but the pseudobulbs are awkwardly placed. I've had problems finding a proper pot for this thing since I bought it.

The 6" clay pots are too small to accomodate the pb's, but the 8" pots hold too much medium.

I compromised and bought the shallowest 8" pot and put hardly any medium in it. The roots suffered because the pot was still too big. All of a sudden, it started growing roots, but then the roots died back. It made a new growth too, but not much movement. In the meantime, all my other SBOE plants were just chugging along, happily growing.

So, I've been struggling with the plant ever since I got it. About 3 weeks ago, I got tired of just staring at the thing. So, I decided to check the roots. Again, too soggy.

I didn't have any other clay pots; I only had a net pot. So, I was like, what the heck, I'll just use this. I unpotted the orchid, trimmed back the dead roots (again) and potted it in a big 8" net pot with 100% Hydroton. This was 3 weeks ago.

Today I went to check on the plants, and WHAT DID I SEE?


....................................

4 new roots!!!!! HUGE ROOTS. Roots that had wound their way INTO the pot and are now peeking OUT OF THE POT. LIVE ROOTS. ROOTS WITH GREEN TIPS. I picked it up and this damned orchid is growing roots!!!! It is growing additional roots that are just starting!!!!!

So this is my new experiment. I am going to take some orchids and grow them in net pots with 100% hydroton. If I am succesful, I am going to switch everything I can to this method.

So today I bought (20) 5.5 inch heavy duty net pots and (10) 8 inch heavy duty net pots. I'm excited!!!!