Watering question when using LECA

[Otis226]

Hi,
I'd appreciate some opinions on how often a mini Catt potted in a 3" plastic pot with lots of drainage and in straight LECA pellets should probably be watered?
I know it would depend on my growing conditions, so let me say, I'm in North central FL. The temps are already in the low to mid 90's about every day. The plant in question is out on my covered lanai close to an east window, so its getting only a few hrs. of morning sun through screen. It just seems like it is bone dry every morning, even when using the bamboo skewer trick. I did place the little pot into a larger ceramic plunge pot, but it is still drying out very fast. Any thoughts would be most welcomed.
Thanks,
Tony

[tucker85]

I grow all my cattleyas in hydroton (LECA). Mine are in clay pots so they dry even faster than yours. When you grow catts outdoors in Florida you want to water heavily early in the morning and have the plant be dry by nightfall. I water twice a week through the summer. I drench the plant thoroughly and go back in about fifteen minutes and drench it thoroughly again. Water in the morning, not at night. When the summer rains come the LECA allows enough air flow to the roots and fast drying so root rot is not usually a problem. When we start getting the summer storms I usually don't water at all because it often rains three or four times a week. Cattleyas like to "dry hard" occasionally. You can go on vacation for a couple of weeks and they'll be fine. Good luck.

[Otis226]

Thanks very much, Tucker. After I posted this I realized I maybe should have posted on the FL Orchid Lovers board, but appreciate your input! It may be a bit more rainy down your way then up here, we get some major droughts most years, and I know when my dad lived on the east coast, in W. Melbourne, he got lots more rain than we do. I think I understand what you're telling me though. Right now all my Catts need to be in my screened lanai, as we have no shade outside at all...we're in a fairly new development. Hopefully I'll be able to adjust the water requirements and get this little Catt to love it here!
Best,
Tony

[Oscarman]

Hi Tony,

I recently potted and small Cattleya (species I think.... can't remember what it is) in a standard square 2" clear pot with Leca and it is doing great. New fatty roots emerging and 2 new growths. I am watering it almost every day and it is dry by the end of the day. There is a good amount of air movemnet around my plants so they do dry pretty fast. It is under 600 W metal halide lamp and the day temp is around 80° F.

I guess it is getting treatment like in nature - moisture, then drying breeze - repeat!

Your pot is well drained and the Leca is dry in the am - what does the plant look like - are the pseudobulbs plump or wrinkly? The plant will tell you much about how it is doing. Is it growing well, pushing out new roots and growths?

Leca has soo much air space, I think it would be hard to water too much so that the roots stay saturated to the point of rot. For that reason I dont worry too much about rot from overwatering in 100% Leca - in my growing environment.

[tucker85]

I'm sorry, I forgot that you're growing on a covered porch. When it rains it won't help you any. In any case, with cattleyas, the goal is to have the roots dry out pretty quickly after watering. Good luck.

[Otis226]

Hi Dave W, and thanks for taking the time to reply also! The plant looks pretty good. I've only had it for a week and repotted it because of moldy orchid bark mix it was in. Had to remove about 1/2 of the black, mushy root mass, but the little, (Rlc. Samantha Duncan 'princess'), looks okay to me so far, except for the dried out bud, which I fully expect to lose. I've got two fans going in my lanai, and the daytime temps. can easily reach 90-93oF with the sliding acrylic windows fully open. But now that I realize that watering every day or at least every other day won't be a problem, hopefully, we should be good to go. Thanks again.

[peeweelovesbooks]

Hi there. I grow in 100% LECA and clay pots. I have everything outside also.

Watering, during the summer I water almost every day. Right now I'm watering MWFS, since the temperatures are going up and up.

During the rainy season I don't touch my plants, but I'm vigilant about bugs and such. Martin Motes recommends giving plants a "hard dry" during the wet months to avoid fungus and disease and I've done this religiously.

LECA is a godsend, and it's fairly difficult to overwater. I drench the plants to the point of runoff and when I see the leca moving. I have everything in shelves, and so I water from top to bottom and then start over for a second time.

ETA: I water in the late afternoons during the week (I leave for work too early) and during the weekends I do so at mid-day and sometimes again at 5pm if it's too hot.

[Otis226]

Thank you Peeweelovesbooks,
Its always good to know how others handle a potting medium you are using.

[pedidiva]

I, too, appreciate this thread.

I am starting to put some of my plants in LECA--primarily with clay pots. Previously, I was using the bark/perlite mix. I like the idea of the LECA as it does not decompose (as quickly, if at all) like the bark/perlite mix. So I am transitioning.

I have shelves as well & water from top-down.

Do any of you have your cymbidiums in LECA? What about Paphs?

Thanks for the info~~
Pedi

[tucker85]

I don't grow cymbidiums or Paphs. I use hydroton (LECA) in clay orchid pots for Cattleyas and Laelias. Orchids with large roots that like to dry out completely do extremely well in LECA. I've tried phals and oncidiums in LECA and, at least for me, they didn't do well. I think it was too dry for the phals and the fine roots of oncidiums did not seem to take well to LECA. Since I've moved my phals and oncidiums to a mix of coconut husk chips and charcoal they are doing much better. I've grown cattleyas for many years and I have never found a better medium than hydroton (LECA). I sometimes mix some charcoal with it but not always. Good luck.