Sticking an aquarium air pump inside my pot

[Optimist]

I love innovation and experimentation. Plants use CO2, not "air." Air is a mixture of many kinds of gasses. Maybe you can look into a CO2 "engine." Farmers of Cannabis, and owners of aquarium "planted tanks" use CO2 engines to get better more vigorous plants. I believe the simplest DYI CO2 engine has a bottle with water, yeast and sugar in it, and some hose method for getting the gasses discharged by the yeast, who eat the sugar into the base of the plant. You run the risk of the bottle blowing up, and also the place smelling like bread dough-- but those are the breaks.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Optimist

I love innovation and experimentation. Plants use CO2, not "air." Air is a mixture of many kinds of gasses. Maybe you can look into a CO2 "engine." Farmers of Cannabis, and owners of aquarium "planted tanks" use CO2 engines to get better more vigorous plants. I believe the simplest DYI CO2 engine has a bottle with water, yeast and sugar in it, and some hose method for getting the gasses discharged by the yeast, who eat the sugar into the base of the plant. You run the risk of the bottle blowing up, and also the place smelling like bread dough-- but those are the breaks.

That's all true, but I think the benefits of CO2 supplementation will only be apparently in the case of more experienced growers who give ideal cultural conditions. Adding CO2 will not do much if there is not enough light or good fertilization. In the case of a beginner I think it's far more productive to first master the basics of orchid growing and keep things simple with tried and proven cultural techniques.

I think "air" in this case though meant to increase the air circulation and O2 available to the roots to prevent root rot and such, rather than to provide a CO2 boost for growth.

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by camille1585

That's all true, but I think the benefits of CO2 supplementation will only be apparently in the case of more experienced growers who give ideal cultural conditions. Adding CO2 will not do much if there is not enough light or good fertilization. In the case of a beginner I think it's far more productive to first master the basics of orchid growing and keep things simple with tried and proven cultural techniques.

I think "air" in this case though meant to increase the air circulation and O2 available to the roots to prevent root rot and such, rather than to provide a CO2 boost for growth.

Oh for sure! Everything you say is true. You do have to get all the basics down first-- however if someone wants to sacrifice a plant to prove a point, well, it's a free world, etc. Hopefully, it is not a " Florida ghost orchid." When I first tried semi-hydroponic, I thought for sure I would kill all my plants. I did kill a few. That was experimental to me. Too much water, not enough holes, sometimes this is like flying an airplane. But yeah! Get a fan! Drill holes in those pots!

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by Optimist

Oh for sure! Everything you say is true. You do have to get all the basics down first-- however if someone wants to sacrifice a plant to prove a point, well, it's a free world, etc. Hopefully, it is not a " Florida ghost orchid." When I first tried semi-hydroponic, I thought for sure I would kill all my plants. I did kill a few. That was experimental to me. Too much water, not enough holes, sometimes this is like flying an airplane. But yeah! Get a fan! Drill holes in those pots!

Optimist, you and my engineering husband should talk! However, this newbie is anxious about the basics and for them every answer breeds new worries.