Full water culture

[DirtyCoconuts]

I always thought the coolest thing about FWC is when you employ it in aquaponics. The contributions that living things give to the water and the return of nutrient uptake etc is amazing. I have been toying with the idea of trying a swampy orchid in the top of my aquarium.....

[Ray]

I experimented with a LOT of materials when developing semi-hydro culture, including scoria/lava rock. While it works well, I found that it tended to build up a layer of "crud" (that's the scientific term, right?) that was very difficult to remove.

In regular culture, I found it to build up minerals faster than LECA, too.

Of course, if you have a cheap, readily-available supply, just dump it and replace it.

[Arizona Jeanie]

Hello Fran,
When I first started trying to grow orchids (Phalaenopsis), I researched the different growing media, the pros and cons of bark vs coco husk vs scoria vs moss etc etc, spent a lot of time trying to figure out what would be best for me. Needless to say, when I first read about water culture I was incredulous. Thinking "this can't possible work", of course I had to try it. I bought a big-box NOID phal with nice flowers, removed all the growing medium, and plunked it in a vase. It did great for three years, growing roots like crazy, new leaves and blooms each year.
This year I've had two cases of crown rot. The one phal in bark quickly lost all its leaves and promptly died. My water culture plant also developed crown rot. All the leaves have fallen off, I now have a vase full of vigorous roots, but no leaves--except there is now the start of a keiki at the base of the dead stem. In the past, I brought one phal back that had leaves but no roots, now I'm seeing if roots-but-no-leaves can come back.
So I'd say if you're curious about it, keep an inquiring mind and give it a try!

[SouthPark]

I think that all methods are capable of producing excellent results. They are all systems that are controlled. So depending on how well we can control those systems (and how we control those systems) - we notice that it is possible to get excellent results, as in healthy orchids, good growth rate, great quality flowers etc.

With FWC - a couple of the things that the growers have to remember is - number plants we are expecting to deal with, and the need to tinker with both the plant and pot when maintenance time comes - every now and again. The maintenance can be anything like removing algae, or administering algae treatment, adjusting pot size or water level, etc.

Beginner growers also need to be aware of O2 level in water - and if the level become too low, then roots and plant can run into issues. So if going away on holidays - it might be a good idea to train a back-up person to help out.

For 1 orchid ----- no problem. For lots of orchids, while we see fantastic results from FWC in youtube videos, we don't see how much time and effort the grower puts in - to maintain a whole bunch of orchids in FWC. And they probably don't reveal all the issues they faced with particular orchids.

FWC is a method that can be used to grow particular orchids. As long as beginner growers know what they're going to be in for ------ for the 'long haul', then that will be good. I think it is along the lines of a novelty method - like terrarium growing. It will work well when everything is kept under enough good control. And that effort in control might be a lot more than for certain classical orchid growing methods.

For FWC - maybe pot height or water level needs to be adjusted to suit the size of plant, and root length of the plant. This usually requires manual control. Maybe in the future, there could be some room for automatic control.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

I think that all methods are capable of producing excellent results. They are all systems that are controlled. So depending on how well we can control those systems (and how we control those systems) - we notice that it is possible to get excellent results, as in healthy orchids, good growth rate, great quality flowers etc.

With FWC - a couple of the things that the growers have to remember is - number plants we are expecting to deal with, and the need to tinker with both the plant and pot when maintenance time comes - every now and again. The maintenance can be anything like removing algae, or administering algae treatment, adjusting pot size or water level, etc.

Beginner growers also need to be aware of O2 level in water - and if the level become too low, then roots and plant can run into issues. So if going away on holidays - it might be a good idea to train a back-up person to help out.

For 1 orchid ----- no problem. For lots of orchids, while we see fantastic results from FWC in youtube videos, we don't see how much time and effort the grower puts in - to maintain a whole bunch of orchids in FWC. And they probably don't reveal all the issues they faced with particular orchids.

FWC is a method that can be used to grow particular orchids. As long as beginner growers know what they're going to be in for ------ for the 'long haul', then that will be good. I think it is along the lines of a novelty method - like terrarium growing. It will work well when everything is kept under enough good control. And that effort in control might be a lot more than for certain classical orchid growing methods.

For FWC - maybe pot height or water level needs to be adjusted to suit the size of plant, and root length of the plant. This usually requires manual control. Maybe in the future, there could be some room for automatic control.

Plants "know" what they want. As long as the relationship between the plant and the water level are consistent, the plant will grow roots suited for the water level.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Plants "know" what they want. As long as the relationship between the plant and the water level are consistent, the plant will grow roots suited for the water level.

Thanks for that comment Subrosa. Yes true - while the plants don't have brains or even maybe feelings as such, they do have some natural mechanisms that achieve interesting things - such as growing roots toward sources of moisture, or orienting leaves towards one-sided lighting, growing toward one-sided lighting etc.

I personally have no issue with people trying their hand with the FWC method of growing orchids. I just predict it to be a tight-rope walking thing - smaller margin for error or uncertainties creeping in. And equally good results can be acheived with classical potting methods - but just less fiddling and tinkering maybe.

But definitely - hats off to those FWC exponents that do produce excellent results for years on end (eg. a few decades with no losses due to rot/fungus etc).

I've grown orchids for a few decades with zero losses, in scoria. I have lost approximately three orchids in my growing experience - a Laelia anceps, a C. bowringiana (now G. of course), and a Rlc. Memoria Crispin Rosales. This was when I was first beginning and wasn't well informed or equipped for growing orchids. Ever since that time - I've lost no orchids under my care - on my watch.

I must admit - I almost lost one Rlc. Village Chief North 'Green Genius' orchid, which arrived already having black spots, which kept getting bigger in patches. That one nearly didn't make it. Fortunately I had an assortment of treatments. That one took 7 days in a box from Tasmania to get to my part of Australia. Close call that time.

When I view FWC, one of my main comparisons with classical techniques is just - classical techniques is more towards fire and forget - just water with hose or spray wand, and walk away - until next time. There's not much need (or no need) for pot and plant handling etc. And added to the convenience of growing with classical methods - excellent results are also achieved.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Thanks for that comment Subrosa. Yes true - while the plants don't have brains or even maybe feelings as such, they do have some natural mechanisms that achieve interesting things - such as growing roots toward sources of moisture, or orienting leaves towards one-sided lighting, growing toward one-sided lighting etc.

I personally have no issue with people trying their hand with the FWC method of growing orchids. I just predict it to be a tight-rope walking thing - smaller margin for error or uncertainties creeping in. And equally good results can be acheived with classical potting methods - but just less fiddling and tinkering maybe.

But definitely - hats off to those FWC exponents that do produce excellent results for years on end (eg. a few decades with no losses due to rot/fungus etc).

I've grown orchids for a few decades with zero losses, in scoria. I have lost approximately three orchids in my growing experience - a Laelia anceps, a C. Bowringiana (now G. of course), and a Rlc. Memoria Crispin Rosales. This was when I was first beginning and wasn't well informed or equipped for growing orchids. Ever since that time - I've lost no orchids under my care - on my watch.

I must admit - I almost lost one Rlc. Village Chief North 'Green Genius' orchid, which arrived already having black spots, which kept getting bigger in patches. That one nearly didn't make it. Fortunately I had an assortment of treatments. That one took 7 days in a box from Tasmania to get to my part of Australia. Close call that time.

When I view FWC, one of my main comparisons with classical techniques is just - classical techniques is more towards fire and forget - just water with hose or spray wand, and walk away - until next time. There's not much need (or no need) for pot and plant handling etc. And added to the convenience of growing with classical methods - excellent results are also achieved.

In my experience doing it I find it at least as carefree as semi-hydroponic culture. Although I must admit that algae doesn't particularly bother me. If it did I would be cleaning the vases on my Vanda weekly.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

In my experience doing it I find it at least as carefree as semi-hydroponic culture. Although I must admit that algae doesn't particularly bother me. If it did I would be cleaning the vases on my Vanda weekly.

Can algae negatively impact the roots? I assume the roots can be damaged somehow by algae.... as in ... it might not look like algae can create issues at first when growing on the roots .... but just wondering if root health and water health can be impacted negatively by algae or dying algae..... or dead algae in the container of still water.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Can algae negatively impact the roots? I assume the roots can be damaged somehow by algae.... as in ... it might not look like algae can create issues at first when growing on the roots .... but just wondering if root health and water health can be impacted negatively by algae or dying algae..... or dead algae in the container of still water.

Ok, at this point I have to ask. Have you ever done this yourself? You seem to have already decided what the answers to your questions are.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Ok, at this point I have to ask. Have you ever done this yourself? You seem to have already decided what the answers to your questions are.

I haven't done it myself Subrosa, because I had been foreseeing the efforts and issues to be expected with FWC.

I'm not opposed to FWC - that's for sure. I'm just wondering why it is done.

Is it for the novelty of it? This is a question I had been wondering about - for quite a long time.

I was thinking about it because there appears to be continual tinkering involved with that technique - like pot handling, orchid handling etc.

That's really where I'm coming from only. I'm not opposed to it. If FWC provides maintained good results for those people using the method, then that's nice.