Using glass beads to help a clearance rack phal grow roots

[Skayc1]

I just saw a video where someone used glass beads to help stabilize an orchid that needed to regrow it's roots, she used only a minimum amount of moss, will the glass beads & a minimum amount of orchid bark work as well? I've had more success growing an orchid in bark than in moss, & the store employees almost killed the poor phals. I have them just in the air now, soaking the roots for 15 minutes, letting them dry & misting them once in awhile.

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[Silje]

I think I would rather use LECA or pea gravel than glass beads. I guess it depends on how small they are. I once tried a rescue phal in these flattened, coloured decoration glass pieces (looks like halved marbles). That did not work out well. Gravel was better. The glass things just did not provide enough air circulation to the roots because of their shape and because they stacked so nicely and became too compact.

Keeping phals in just air is also not working well for me.

Personally, I find that fir bark is the best option for me. In a clear, plastic pot so that I can see the roots all the time. But that's just personal preferences, I suppose.

[RosieC]

I have tried glass beads with orchids before, and found that they actually trapped too much water between them blocking air flow.

I have lecca works better used in a simialar way, as it absorbs the water rather than holding it on the surface and air flow is then better.

[Skayc1]

What is lecca/LECA?

---------- Post added at 11:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:01 AM ----------

I just googled Leca. I'll use the Leca, Also I saw Home Depot has an orchid mix made just for Phalaenopsis.

[Silje]

LECA is Light expanded Clay Aggregates.

Sometimes it's called Hydroton.

It should be readily available at garden centers and nurseries.

[Skayc1]

Home Depot has it, I just looked.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Be careful with LECA/Hydroton when watering. They look like they don't retain a whole lot of water, when in reality they do! The potting media works for growing Phals, but like I said, don't be fooled by how dry it looks.

There are really 2 things you need to get a Phal with heavy root damage to perk back up over some time, and that is - warmth and high humidity.

Luckily, summer is here already. All you need is the humidity to be 80% - 90%, and you're golden.

Hanging Phals in mid-air, makes it worse! Those conditions don't favor a Phal. There's too much air going to the roots and there's no substrate that retains water in order for the roots to absorb it. The roots will desiccate and it will cause more problems.

This is the general type of environment a tropical Phal grows in in the wild:

[shushu45]

I have put my rescued orchid in very corse natural sand. Water every month and mine seem to be fine.

[Skayc1]

On another thread you suggested using packing peanuts to fill the void where the roots don't reach, what's the difference in packing peanuts & glass beads? especially round glass beads?

[Silje]

Originally Posted by shushu45

I have put my rescued orchid in very corse natural sand. Water every month and mine seem to be fine.

Do you really mean you only need to water your rescued phals once per month?

How long have they've been in the sand? This certainly sounds...different...than what 's normally prescribed.

---------- Post added at 07:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:22 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Skayc1

On another thread you suggested using packing peanuts to fill the void where the roots don't reach, what's the difference in packing peanuts & glass beads? especially round glass beads?

Packing peanuts leave a lot of air pockets and ensure good ventilation. It's basically impossible not to get a lot of room in between them (unless you really squeeze and compact them with force), whereas glass beads can become very compact and dense.