Repotting new orchids --> dead roots

[Leafmite]

Imagine what the repotted roots in bark medium must think - periodically having their "tree" yanked away and then plunked down onto a new one! [COLOR="Silver"]

Exactly. I use basket pots, too.
Advantages to LECA:
Save money on medium (no need to replace it every year)
Save time
No need to remove the old, decaying medium from the roots.
Less stress to plants
No worries about harming the roots during a re-pot
No need to worry that the medium is holding more water because it is breaking down, causing roots in the middle to rot
No worries about over-watering.
Ants don't enjoy colonizing it nearly as much as they do bark
No fungus gnats

[Reeses]

Originally Posted by mtorchid

Reeses, are you combining LECA, moss and bark into a S/H environment??

Haha no, I should have been more clear. I only have two plants in S/H, both using hydroton. All my other orchids are in some mix of moss, bark, and LECA. Using moss in S/H would be a sure-fire recipe for disaster!

[Leafmite]

Unless, of course, you are growing a Sievekingia fimbriata or a Mormolyca ringens. I wonder if you could ever over-water either?

[bil]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Imagine what the repotted roots in bark medium must think - periodically having their "tree" yanked away and then plunked down onto a new one! [COLOR="Silver"]

Exactly. I use basket pots, too.
Advantages to LECA:
Save money on medium (no need to replace it every year)
Save time
No need to remove the old, decaying medium from the roots.
Less stress to plants
No worries about harming the roots during a re-pot
No need to worry that the medium is holding more water because it is breaking down, causing roots in the middle to rot
No worries about over-watering.
Ants don't enjoy colonizing it nearly as much as they do bark
No fungus gnats

Well, I like bigger, shallow pots and trays so they don't need repotting so often.
Ants. If ants colonise the pots, they will hopefully kill a lot of pests like gnats. I'm sure that orchids actively sncourage ants for that reason. Why else would they secrete sugar dew like they do? (Catts and hardcane dens, for example secrete a LOT.)

[mtorchid]

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

I just got some so haven't use it yet. I am not yet ready to go to S/H as I have not exactly figured it out

Shannon, I also use LECA in non S/H situations. I have two big Phals in bloom right now in LECA and wooden "vanda baskets". In a few years they will outgrow them and repotting them will be as easy as putting them into larger baskets since the clay pellets never break down.

(I should mention I place NZ moss on the top to retain more humidity for the top-most roots but the entire medium in the baskets is LECA)

[No-Pro-mwa]

Originally Posted by mtorchid

Shannon, I also use LECA in non S/H situations. I have two big Phals in bloom right now in LECA and wooden "vanda baskets". In a few years they will outgrow them and repotting them will be as easy as putting them into larger baskets since the clay pellets never break down.

(I should mention I place NZ moss on the top to retain more humidity for the top-most roots but the entire medium in the baskets is LECA)

Thanks, I got the air cone pots from Ray and am thinking of using these for this. I also like the idea of spagh on top. I just need to decide when I'm going to do this. My phrag has newer growths but I see no new roots, so I am waiting for now. If it is working for you I would think it would work for me. Unless we water very different. I'm also looking into using it for maybe a bottom media, I think someone on here does this with bulbo's.

If I am remembering correctly. And I want to try some of them.

[mtorchid]

Wouldn't Bulbos and Phrags need to be continuously moist? I would think a S/H setup would be perfect. I knew I was pushing things by putting Phals in LECA in baskets, but I water them frequently.

[Leafmite]

I don't have Phrags but I do have bulbos. You can grow bulbos in LECA in trays or other shallow containers and keep water on the bottom. It works well.