Using Hygrolon for wick watering - Orchid Board

birdybrain · #1 07-14-2013, 05:47 PM

I'm not sure if this is really the right spot for this subject, but most of what I've done was originally inspired by Mossman's post here
Hygrolon prototype setup
With a hefty dose of inspiration from Pilot in this thread
Orchid Keeping Innovations

I had avoided pleuros due to their humidity requirements, but then I received one as a "free bonus plant" when ordering another orchid on ebay. Additionally, I received a couple different shipments of orchids (bulbos, onc twinkles & a den kingianum) not long before going out of town on a 4-5 day trip. So I decided to try some set ups with wick watering. Thus far the results have been excellent!

First my set up for the pleuro sclerophylla: I used a globe and inserted a cylinder of plastic canvas surrounded by Hydroton for aesthetics. I inserted a couple of hygrolon wicks through a medium sized Pot Filler (somewhat similar to ecoweb or a scouring pad), then covered the Pot Filler with hygrolon and set it on top of the Hydroton. I've never mounted a plant and I had absolutely no idea how to do it. The pleuro has about half it's roots sewn on to the top of the hygrolon with fishing line and the other half of the roots inserted into a slit between the hygrolon & the Pot Filler. The hygrolon stays nice & moist. It's been a few weeks since I set this up and the leaves still look as nice as when I received the plant.

All of this comes apart very easily, so I have yet to drill holes in the glass globe for it to drain like one of Ray's semi-hydro pots, but I intend to do this soon. Before going out of town I put in water up to the bottom of the Pot Filler and one of the photos shows that after a 4-5 day trip there was still plenty of water in the globe. That's one plant I won't have to worry about when I go on vacation

I had a little trouble finding info on how fast this orchid grows. It seems like I have a lot of room to fill and I'd like to add another moisture loving plant if the pleuro will leave room for it. If anyone has suggestions I'd be grateful.