Are there any color-changing substrates?

[hypostatic]

Hi, I just registered with the boards, and I was wondering if there are any color-changing substrates available that anyone out there uses for their orchids? Ex: when the substrate is totally wet it is one color (red), and when it is totally dry it's another color (blue).

I haven't found anything out there like this, but I think it would be very useful for monitoring our moisture-sensitive orchid roots. Thoughts?

[The Orchid Boy]

Interesting. I haven't ever heard of anything like that. I've seen clay worms that you stick into a pot and they are dark when the soil is wet and turn light colored when the soil is dry. Or there are moisture meters, skewers, or your fingers! Maybe you should invent a substrate like that...

[hypostatic]

Hmmmm I can't be the only one that has thought of something like this. I did some searching on the net, and it seems that there are people who have at least imagined their application.

...I tried to post a link, but my post was denied...

[WhiteRabbit]

Hmm that would be cool! After three more posts you should ne able to post a link.

[hypostatic]

Hmm so I was at an orchid show last weekend, and I saw a vendor selling hydroponic orchid pots. Their website is hydro-orchid dot com. Anyone heard of them or use hydroponics for their orchids??

[Fernando]

And a bell when the orchid is at last flowering?

[RosieC]

Welcome to Orchid Board

Not come across anything like a colour changing medium. While it could be a good idea I would be worried about whatever was used to colour it leaching out into the roots and poisoning the orchids

Lots of people here grow in a method called Semi-hydroponic and we have a section for that. It's a method devised by our member Ray and below I've put links to both his website and to our forum section about it. You can't buy from him as you are in spain, but many people adapt old food containers to grow using his method and the link I've given talks about the theory of it.

Ray suggests that the hydroponic pots like those in your link have a problem with fertiliser deposits building up, where his method has a bigger through flow of water when you water so that is not a problem. I've only tried his method so can't comment on that. Anyway, it's probably worth taking a look at his site and at our forum section on it, as lots of people here have had good success with it.

Semi-hydroponics Orchid Plants T5 Lighting

Semi-Hydroponic Culture - Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web !

[hypostatic]

Ah okay, thanks for the links I'll give them a read

[Ray]

Who says he can't buy from me?

On our "About Us" page, I note that we are "Serving customers in all 50 states and 8 Canadian provinces & territories, plus a multitude of countries around the world, including Australia, The Bahamas, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holland, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Norway, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Scotland, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, US Virgin Islands, and Venezuela."

Why not Spain?