100% Aliflor?

[Brookpoint]

can anyone tell me the difference between prime agra and hydroton and aliflora? thanks

[Tropicgirl]

Originally Posted by Rosiefuture

Hi Angela, I visited Orlando a few years ago for an eBay expo. I actually won a community award and they paid for my flights and accomodation. I didn't really get to see much of Florida, other than the hotel and and all you can eat seafood restaurant! I do remember the humidity! Wow!

Marion

Hey, Marion! Yes, our humidity is memorable! I see some members are still talking about cold days and it's been in the 80's here. Needless to say the 'chids love it! I can't say I love that 'stick to everything' feeling.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Brookpoint

can anyone tell me the difference between prime agra and hydroton and aliflora? thanks

Each of them is a name brand for a grade of LECA, and there are lots of other brands out there too, and accordingly, each has its own set of properties related to

• Capillarity
• Surface Characteristics
• Porosity Forms
• Absorption Capacity
• Absorption / Release Characteristics
• Particle Size & Shape

All of which - when interacting with your growing conditions and watering habits - can affect how they perform for you.

To my knowledge, PrimeAgra is the only one that is specifically engineered for horticulture (which is why I import it for distribution - just wanted you to be aware of my bias), rather than remarketed from concrete. It is, therefore, optimized in all regards.

That does not mean, however, that other brands won't work for YOU. Capillarity (wicking capacity), for example, is a key property in dry environments, as the evaporation rate tends to be rapid. In south Florida, by contrast, the ambient RH is high enough to slow the evaporation rate, so it is less of an issue.

One thing to keep in mind is mineral and waste buildup. With bark and other organic media, we throw them away and replace the medium. In long-lasting inorganic stuff, we tend not to do that, so unless you keep certain things in mind, it can become an issue. They keys are frequent watering with more dilute fertilizer solutions and the use of a LECA with very fine, uniform porosity: Mineral Buildup in Inorganic Materials

[bdelfiero]

Originally Posted by Donald

I have a dendrobium and a catt in aliflor both doing quite well compared to all the others that are in a conglomeration of different mediums. Have fun.

Hi Donald,

Are you using the Aliflor in s/h or just plain plastic pots with holes on the bottom? what is your watering schedule during summer season in dend and catt?

Thank you.

[terryros]

Ray is the expert on this topic. I have used PrimeAgra, Hydroton, Aliflor, and Diatomite and I echo an important point that Ray makes which is that the critical aspect is matching the media that you choose to your humidity and watering/feeding routine. If you don't get this matching done correctly, you will have troubles. I think Ray said somewhere that you could grow in marbles if you got the watering/feeding down right. I like LECA because it doesn't break down, I like to water/feed about every day but don't want root rot, I don't get bugs indoors, I like the feel and look of it, and it is mostly chemically inert so all the action is with the feeding solution. Most of us using LECA owe Ray a big thank you for helping us learn to grow this way.

[Brookpoint]

Originally Posted by terryros

Ray is the expert on this topic. I have used PrimeAgra, Hydroton, Aliflor, and Diatomite and I echo an important point that Ray makes which is that the critical aspect is matching the media that you choose to your humidity and watering/feeding routine. If you don't get this matching done correctly, you will have troubles. I think Ray said somewhere that you could grow in marbles if you got the watering/feeding down right. I like LECA because it doesn't break down, I like to water/feed about every day but don't want root rot, I don't get bugs indoors, I like the feel and look of it, and it is mostly chemically inert so all the action is with the feeding solution. Most of us using LECA owe Ray a big thank you for helping us learn to grow this way.

thanks for the input, from what I have found Ray seems to think prime agra, coarse grade is his first choice. I understand they all fit under the heading Leca, but I would like to get this right, so I will probably order prime agra from Ray.

[Florida_guy_26]

Ok everyone- I have the pictures and I am sorry it took so long. I also wanted to tell the newest posters on here, just for everyone, I never had anyone to learn from so I just stumbled onto the use of prime agra in my orchids but it does work well for me and I also grow in a terrarium/aquarium tank that is about 70 gal. with led glow panels on top and some natural sun as well. That seems to work best for me with humidity in the tank always being high. The roots like the humidity but do you also know that orchids roots absorb only 10% of all hormones, nutirents, minerals, vitamins and micro and macro nutrients through their roots??? The leaves have big pores on the underside which is another reason that foliar applications go further than just watering at the roots. Orchids mainly only absorb a small amount of anything through their roots (aerial roots are more for anchoring and water absorption) and the rest is 90% water. I have read that and I think you should all keep in mind the reason you should flush the pots every 2 weeks to a month of salt buildup is because they do not absorb more than 10% of anything through roots. Keep that in mind so you also do not burn the roots or overfeed the wrong areas. The leaf pores are the opposite of roots- they are made to take in nutrients, minerals, vitamins, etc and that makes sense as the leaves are where most of the energy is produced by the addition and subtraction of certain elements. It is also where the sap/sugars are produced as food for the rest of the plant. Here are some pictures of my hydro results as promised.



Sorry about the pictures- I cannot figure out how to insert here so i added them to my gallery. Let me know if you can view from my gallery of images and tell me what you think.

[Florida_guy_26]

I may have to add the pictures to my gallery and have you just look them up that way. I still have not posted pictures in a post.

[bdelfiero]

How can i view the pictures Florida Guy?

[bdelfiero]

Originally Posted by Florida_guy_26

I may have to add the pictures to my gallery and have you just look them up that way. I still have not posted pictures in a post.

How can i view the photos?