Orchids in water culture

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Evan

I am glad you are willing to experiment and might teach me something if you are willing to share your experience. Once, I took a Catt. to an orchid show table, at my society, growing in water culture in a vase with 4 six inch perfect blooms and only noted one person showing mild interest.

As far as timeline, I think you mentioned most of the variables including genetics. Perhaps I can add a little. If you have a plant that has a big enough food reserve in leaves and pseudobulbs, and showing a new lead (ie. its root nubbins have not yet been infected or already got used to growing dry) you will get bloom faster. I do have a Bl. Sunset Glory (Richard Meueller hybrid) that I guarantee to bloom within six months in water culture if given good light, the more the better. It grows like a weed, and I could sent you a division.

Unfortunately I am about to go on a trip and my response to posts will be erratic for a couple of weeks. In the mean-time, I have a lot of posts on my experience with orchids.
I would suggest on the second page, I believe.

Onc. Sharry Baby in water culture

for some additional info.

[greenbean]

Thanks Sun rm! Of course I'm willing to experiment! It's one of my favorite parts of growing things, second only to successful blooming and getting new plants!

Six months is a little long for my time schedule, at least if I were to do it for my class. I've got about 4 months to run the whole experiment. Would that at least be long enough to show results, as in healthy growth? I'd also need 5 each of several kinds of orchids. That's one of the main catches to this, as I'm not sure my college would be willing to supply that. It would be amazing, but I've got other ideas too.

Of course I'd love to do this on my own, which removes the time and supply issues, and I'd love to share my experience with everyone. I'd be more than happy to get a division to try. Bl. Sunset Glory looks like a lovely plant and it might help encourage my mom to get into orchids too. It's got Brassavola in it's background right? So does it have a scent? That automatically raises it's score. I'd love to try it in water culture. I can pay shipping or we can split it. I think I'd have to send a check, because I don't have any online pay services or at least don't know how to use them.

[cday2inflorida]

Interesting thread...

[mojomick]

I've read all of the thread and am extremely intrigued. Can someone just list a simle step by step of how they go about doing this with a distressed orchid? I would love to try, but really need directions. Thanks, Betty

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Hi Betty

I have made many outlines in my posts of my methods and experience over the last 5 years and answered specific questions. I suggest you look at my link to the post I listed above to Onc Sharry Baby on this page (especially the second page) and look at the pictures in my gallery. I will then answer any specific questions you have. I suggest you also list your approximate conditions (temps, light, humidity etc.)

Good luck with your orchids.

[Milui]

Hi! My orchid has nothing left but the rhizome (Catt-blc hybrid). Some people here told my to try this... should the rhizome be touching the water? under the water? or out of the water???

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Milui

I try to keep the whole rhizome under water. Common rot producing organisms thrive best with alternating wet and dry cycles.

It is not clear to me whether you have any live pseudobulbs or leaves left to provide some reserve for new growth, and also, whether there is a viable growth bud left to develop into new growth.



The above plant is my most unusual cattleya save. One new growth developed from a tiny flat growth bud much smaller than the one you see coming off the bottom left of the new growth. As you can see the rest of the growth buds did not make it. The plant came with a single pseudobulb and leaf, both very wrinkled, which did not recover until the small new growth had a lot of roots. To keep it clean I cut off any rotting parts and wiped clean with hydrogen peroxide every time this problem developed. You can also see that the rhizome on the bottom has been scraped clean several times of rotting material.

A lot of work. It took 3 years to bloom. I only take on a plant with such marginal reserve now if I really want the plant, or I am interested in experimenting with new treatment. I should also note that this plant, Pot. Burana Beauty, has a reputation of being a strong and fast grower even on a windowsill. A lot of orchid hybrids simply lack such a capacity to recover.

Good luck!

[Milui]

My plant actually have about 5 to 7 leaves (one not fully grown, which is the only one not wrinkled) it as one-two pseudobulbs rhizome is still green but all the roots looks like Styrofoam.... (colour and not heavy not seeming strong)

[nenella]

Originally Posted by Sun rm.N.E.

Becca

Yes all roots not developed for water culture will have a short life. However as you can see in this picture of a Den keiki, rotting roots (center of picture where I pinched off the rotting parts) can actually put out new functioning branches which seem to help develop brand new roots. You can also see the brand new roots, so I am not concerned that the old ones will not last long. It is producing a new growth and did not seem to skip a beat. It really depends on the plant. Some Oncids that did very poorly eventually showed typical signs of virus. My cheap virus test

I must add that I use growth stimulators, KLN in this case. Just a couple of drops per gallon with every change after the initial heavier priming when I first put them in water culture. I also try to keep the ambient temperature above 70degrees F most of the time.




I have not tried Paphs and and Phrags. Phals I found too much of a bother since the water kept creeping up into the crown which required too much cleaning. However, someone on another forum grew a couple of Phrag. seedlings in a vase and reported that they bloomed ahead of schedule.

Hi Sun first of all, Thankyou for sharing your water culture techniques & ideas with us! about your miss adventure with phals..I would like to share what is happening to one of my phals which maybe of help? I don't mean to hijack your thread & apologise in advance If I am.
A white Phal noid I have had for roughly 4/5 years . It was originally planted in bark, flowered & reflowered for a few years. We moved house whilst it was in flower & My cats (then kittens) knocked it over, the top broke off leaving 3/4 leaves on it. I repotted in bark & a basal keikie formed on it. I repotted it about a year & a half ago for the second time (since it 'broke') & this time potted in mostly leca a bit of bark - I can see a few pebbles of perlite in there too.
I one day started putting it the pot to drain over a tupperware pot it fits perfectly into & leaving the water at the bottom..the roots started growing into the water & I now have 3 roots whose 'ends' (5") are now growing 'in water'... & it is now in flower! here's a couple pics .. it could be a way of transfering phals to water culture ? (Although I intend putting this one in S/h as soon as it has finished flowering!

[nenella]

2 other photos.