Best orchids for no potting media?
 

Hi All, Just wondering if I could get some ideas for the best orchids to grow with out potting media? I love the long loose hanging roots, but I live in northern IL so warm, sunny, humid climate isn't around for more than 3 or 4 months. Any ideas what to try? Thanks again for your time and help.

If you're willing to water every day, Vandas and kin.

I second Vandaceous 'chids. If you get some of the more vigorous hybrids you will have monster hanging roots. I recommend compact Renantheras too if you have the heat.

Vandas are the only ones I have seen with dangling roots, though I am sure there are others.

Tolumnia and some Cattleyas also don't care for potting media (two of mine that come to mind are Catt. aclandiae and Laelia dayana). Perhaps, with some, some roots would dangle, but nothing like a Vanda.

Anything mounted, uses very little media and, will have some roots dangling sooner or later. Some of the hybird dendrobiums/phalaenopsis can have very long trailing roots which grow from upper nodes and, where new plantss start, and grow with out media. Depends on how you grow them as to how they will appear. Plants grown in a pot will have a different habit than the same plants mounted. But the vanda types are the king when it comes to dangling/trailing roots

I have one experimental phal hybrid in a quart mason jar with no medium. It's been there about a year and is doing great. The jar keeps the humidity up around those fat green roots, it's very dry here. I thought it would die, but it looks quite healthy and is blooming right now. I'm not sure what this method is called, semi-water culture seems the closest. You might give this a try, I've been surprised at how well it's working.

If you trail Spanish moss over a mount, the roots will often grow into the SM and then go straight down so you get this beard of roots and moss.

Best orchids for no potting media?
 

Krienschmidt, you are in Northern Illinois? Are you near Addison, Il? If you are, go to Hausermann's Orchids. They have many orchids. They have a lot of Vanda and they offer them potted, mounted, and hanging in baskets.

I agree with the suggestion you try Vanda. I would consider Vanda coerulea, they can grow in cooler winter weather. If you want to go small and stay in the Vanda Alliance, try Neofinetia falcata. Hausermann's provides very inexpensive, multi-growth plants. There are several Vanda hybrids with Neofinetia DNA, like Neostylis Lou Sneary. Another hybrid is Ascofinetia Sunrise that can grow cooler.

Thank you everyone. I think I'll be trying something in the Vanda family. Yep, I've been to Hausermann Orchids, quit an impressive place. Have also been to Natt's in Naperville. I'm sure to find something awesome. Thanks again all.

Did you find your bare root orchid? If so, what did you get?

There are so, so many orchids which can grow happily when mounted, which is essentially without media. Just after I was in college one of the botany professors took me under his wing in the greenhouse. One day he knocked over a Phal schilleriana, and then told me that the plant just volunteered to be my teacher. I cleaned up the pot shards and media from the floor but he told me to leave the orchid where it sat. No pot, no media, just a spot on the floor of the greenhouse. Within a month or two it grew three big spikes which eventually had over 75 flowers in bloom, while still sitting on the floor. Only after it finished blooming did he allow me to put the plant in a basket, where it continued to thrive.

A number of my mounted Phals and Gastrochiluses, and also a mounted Rhyncholaelia digbyana and Brassavola grandiflora all have roots hanging off the mount and all over the place. Though Vandas seem the popular choice for such a root display I believe you'll see it in a broad range of plant types.

Of course, the conditions do have to be pretty plant-friendly. Bare roots are going to require both frequent watering (I water many of my mounted orchids twice each day and I have high humidity - 65-70%) and also require very good humidity. Aereal roots will quickly dry out, lose their velamin, and die if they get too dry. If you're going to grow your plants this way then it's going to be necessary to do two things. First, buy a humidifier. You can get an ultrasonic unit pretty inexpensively on Amazon. Second, buy a fan to keep the air around your plants moving. You only need small fans, what are sold as "personal" fans - you don't want a windstorm but just a gentle breeze. Humid, moving air around these plants is what will make your project successful.

I have a brassavola nodosa that I've been meaning to mount for months now after I removed it from its pot (poor thing was incredibly overpotted by its previous owner and was suffering terribly so I just had to take it out). I haven't found a suitable mount so it's just been left sitting on a shelf on its side for months now. I spray it every day and it's been growing like mad. So you could try one of them! It doesn't have flexible roots like vandas do so they won't sway or anything but the thing still looks nice (to me).

I have 2 NOID Phals growing quite well, bare roots without medium in vase culture. After about 1 year, the root mass is approaching a solid cylinder. Excellent way to grow Phals, close to zero root loss!

sorry to but in. what kind or stones works best? and how to keep algae free?

I've seen pal in full water jar with some puffed red clay in bottom. they do flower but the plant and flowers are small.

I tried part in full water the worked great for about a year but too much algae. The roots in jar rot after moving the mother pot and the jar. also found cumbersome in terms of rotating the flower to keep good form.

I'm also sorry to suddenly butt in but this sounds like a very interesting way to grow orchids - just a jar and sometimes give water.

What other small-ish orchids can be kept in jars other than vandids and phals? I might do an experiment on my dendro crumenatum once it has keikis (I heard they make a ton). I have a spare mason jar and I would like to try.

What about terrestrials? That would be very interesting and maybe possible because I've seen people grow some normal plants in jars.

There are 2 basic methods of water culture growing in vases, full and semi. Full water culture is how everyone's mother grew the Pothos(Philodendron) in my day or lucky bamboo today, in the little glass of water on the windowsill. In this method the roots are partially (about 1/3 of total root mass) submerged at all times. In semi water culture the vase would be filled completely, the plant allowed to soak a while, and then the water is poured out, leaving the roots in the more humid environment of the vase. Theoretically, depending upon the specific plant of course, with one of these methods or a hybrid of the 2 one could likely grow any plant. It would just be a matter of finding the right balance between air and water to the roots for that plant. However I suspect that certain plants which are notoriously difficult to transplant (poppies come to mind) wouldn't respond well to all the disturbance to their root zone any such method would entail.

According to the American Orchid Society, green algea is not "particularly dangerous" to orchids as long as it does not block out the light.

removing it can be a problem because whatever you use, (chemicals, UV light) can cause nutrient deficiencies in the water, and thus affect the plants.

My only thought is to remove the orchid from the water once a week or so, change to new water, and scrub out the planter (assuming you are using a clear glass or plastic planter.) I would not recommend any kind of algaecide because you do not know how it might affect orchid roots. If there is one out there proven specifically for orchids, then maybe use that. I have heard that Physan might work. I would do my research on this.

I don't add any kind of stones or pebbles or anything else. I'm afraid they would bump around and injure the roots. I occasionally take the entire plant out of the vase and wash the vase with soap and water and a bottle brush to get the algae out. (We've graduated from a quart jar to a nice looking quart+ vase.) No need for chemicals other than dish soap. The plant continues to thrive, three new leaves, and the vase is full of roots this growing season. I'll put all my phals, this one included, into a cool room pretty soon, see if they'll spike again! I was very surprised that vase culture works so well, but it does, at least here with this plant.
:waving

I've gotten good results with full water culture in vases, but the best results for me have come from a modified semi water culture, with just enough water left in the vase after soaking to submerge a few root tips.

do you rotate the vase if growing by window?
or you use LED or other light source from above the plants?

Personally, I don't rotate any of the phals. When I move them I try to put them back with the same orientation to the light--wherever it's coming from. The leaves tend to lean toward the light, and the roots go the other way. I put a little clip on the side of the pot that goes toward the light so I don't lose track. My window sills don't get much light in the Fall and Winter, so right now everything is under a florescent grow light. They all go on the screened porch in the summer, but it's too cold now--out on the porch they get a little partial sun in the early morning and late evening. When the flower spike is forming, it's important to not change the light direction, that keeps the flowers from turning all willy-nilly. Otherwise, they don't seem to be picky about the light, fortunately for me!

Ok, I have a phal in a vase, and it has two spikes, which I did not cut off. At first filled the vase with water and let it soak an hour or two and drained it. Repeat daily. The roots were in bad shape going in, with black tips. I did not see any improvement, so last week, I filled it with water, let it set overnight, drained etc. The leaves are getting softer and I don't see any new roots starting...I don't have a lot invested in this and I could pitch it but, I wanted the challenge. What am I doing wrong?

Patience, patience... you can't draw conclusions about much of any treatment in a week, a month is even pushing it. Anything you do, should be tested for several months at least unless you see serious decline. Orchids do everything slowly. (Unfortunately, even die slowly)

OK. Excuse me, this has evolved to a vase culture thread, but I'm going to go back to the original question: What kinds of orchids are best for no potting media.

The correct answer is "Pretty much all of them," but that assumes the conditions are right.

When asking this sort of question - publicly like this, or to yourself - you MUST think about the conditions and watering you can routinely provide.

The question is far less about the plant than it is about your situation.

I agree.

thanks.
I've done that but I had one big one that leaned over to the window so much that it actually toppled over and got damaged. that is why I tried to rotate when there is no flower spike.

I also used counter weights on the other side and that kept it going for a couple years.

Here is dendrobium that is growing with out any thing. Just put a wire on it to hang it. Now it is blooming.