Water Culture... what does it actually involve?

[RosieC]

I've read about a lot of people who have had success with using water culture to revive a rootless orchid, but after searching I can't find details of what you actually do.

This orchid has been rootless since mid December. I've kept it with the end of the stem in water and the leaves are suprisingly strong for a chid with no roots for that long. Ocasionally it has got knocked and no longer been in the water and then it's leaves got weaker, but strengthened again after going back in the water.

So is this all I do, leave the end dangling in water? I kind of thought there was more too it, like needing alge or something (no alge has grown).

No roots have grown, not sure how long it would take if they were going to.

[camille1585]

I don't know if anyone has had success with phals yet using water culture. You're right, essentially it consists in dangling the plant over the water so that only the base is soaking. Algae is of no importance. Some say it's needed for fert, others don't. Basically all you need to do is maintain the water level, and change the water once a week or so. Some people add a drop of fert in the water.

Water culture seems to work best with Catts and the like, and roots appear very quickly, usually within a week or 2. For other genera, it's on a case by case basis. I successfully revived a rootless Den, who grow 5 new canes while in water culture, and once it had nice roots growing I potted it up in S/H. The entire process took about 5 months.
Phals so far don't seem to work, unless the people who posted never updated on the success of the experiment. I think people have used water culture for Onc types and a Leptotes as well, with some success.

Is this the type of info you are looking for? Becky and I spent a crazy amount of time in the chat room last spring researching this and trying it out!

[RosieC]

Thanks Camille, that is exactly what I wanted to know.

I'm sure I've seen people showing new root growth on Phals here on OB from this but I could be wrong and can't find it now. My plan (if I can get it to work) is to switch it to S/H once I get any root growth (and once I actually buy the stuff for S/H which I think I've got my head arround after lots of reading).

Anyway I've already given this plant up for dead in many ways. If it lives then it will be a bonus to me. So far it is actually doing better than one I have with a few poor roots.

The leaves are noticably stronger when it has been in the water than if I've knocked it not noticed it's no longer touching, so I think it's getting water somehow. There are the stubs of the inner thread of the roots (none of the fleshy coating I can never remember the name of) and I think those may still be able to draw up water.

Anyway, I was worried I was missing something. I will let you know if it works. If not then so be it, this was a Phal sold in compact stale moss which I repotted straight in to bark but it still lost all the roots. I have learnt not to buy the mini-phals from that shop which are always sold in moss in the same way and all four of the ones I bought are dead or dying.

[camille1585]

Hope your experiment works! Please keep me updated, I'm really interested in knowing how it works out, incase I have a phal to save in the future. For my Den I was actually going to trash it when Becky told me to try water culture. And it was really bad off; no roots and not a single leaf.

As for the mini phals I only found one way of keeping them alive, which is to buy it the day the store receives them! That way they don't have time to be overwatered ignorant employees. I found out that my local garden center gets new orchids every thursday, so once a week either thursday or Friday I go check out what's new....

[nutgirl]

Rosie, I had a rootless phal that I successfully revived with water culture.

It's been a couple of years ago so I'm not exactly sure of the timing but it seems to me it was in the spring. Maybe yours wants longer, warmer days.

I don't remember when the roots started but it can't have been too long because my patience wears out if I don't see some sort of action.

The fact that your leaves are firm and happy means something. Why not stick with it for a month or two?

Maureen

[Undergrounder]

Hi Rosie, yes Phals do great in water culture, the only thing i can think of is the other conditions might not be pushing your Phal into new growth.. New root growth usually starts with decent light and warm temps

[trdyl]

A little Superthrive or other liquid rooting hormone will also help.

[etex]

Good information here! You guys are the best!!
Rosie- be sure to keep us updated!

[Zoi2]

I am rooting some phals now in water culture. I bought 5 noids at the end of summer from a box store for $5.00 (can't go wrong there!). They had all finished blooming and pretty much finished living due to the soggy mess they were potted in. 2 of them actually still had a couple viable roots, the last 3 had none. They are now still in water culture, just because I haven't potted them in s/h yet. One has a spike with 3-4 buds forming. All three are growing roots but since the cold weather, they are not growing as quickly--the temps in the room they are in runs from 58-68 degrees with 50-70% humidity. I change the water every week with weak fertilizer and KLN.
Joann

[RosieC]

Thanks everyone. Great news that people have had success with this and Phals.

I am hoping that I can keep it alive until the weather gets warmer as I think I'm more likely to get root growth then.

I have it in plain water just now, but last week it was in water with weak fertilizer and KLN. I'm not sure if the bottle of KLN is any good though as Ray always says it only lasts a few months and I've had this arround a year now. As I have it I might as well put it in though.

I will stick with this. I never give up until it either dies completely or recovers. I only threw away an orchid which had no leaves and just a clump or roots left, when the roots also died and started going moldy.