Hygrolon cylinder - update after two years
 

Hygrolon cylinder update - this is the project that has started in 2013. Many orchids are thriving, others did not like the hygrolon so much. This is the update 2 years after:

Hofmeisterella eumicroscopica - from some 8 pieces I got some 6 months ago this is the only one that survived and has new roots + new leaf growing.
Brachionidium ballatrix - this one came 6 months ago and I thought it is pretty much dead, surprisingly there is new leaf now.
Masdevallia herradurae - one of the first inhabitants on the cylinder, growing well for two years.
Masdevallia erinacea - another one that is growing on hygrolon for past two years, getting bigger and bigger
Pleurothallis dressleri - this was my very first one, originally over 20 leaves, today over 100 leaves and blooming many times a year.
Porpax lanii - well, it grows, but has never bloomed.
Lepanthopsis astrophora - grows great, sprwading with keikis all over the cylinder.
Acostaea costarricensis - growing on hygrolon for past two years, and in spike many times a year.
Scaphosepalum rapax - growing excellent past two years, spread quite a bit, in spike pretty much whole year.
Lepanthes calodictyon - this one is really not so happy on the cylinder, but for past two years it is still growing. Leaves are very red, so I assume too much light. Unfortunately it is impossible to remove from hygrolon, so this guy must suffer.
Bulbophyllum rosary beats - grows great past two years spreading slowly on the bottom of the cylinder.
Pleurothallis calyptrostele - grows great past two years, bloomed only once last year.
Pleurothallis peperomioides - grows well over the year, but no blooms. I read this one is very hard to bring to bloom, will see.
Pleurothallis alata - grows excellent past two years, in spike most of the year.
Trichosalpinx chamaelepanthes - it's spreading like a liana all over the cylinder

the rest of the pics :-)

Very cool.

Thanks for the update, I have enjoyed seeing the progress. How about a pic of the whole cylinder? I would love to see that.

I did not take pic of the whole log today, was doing macro pics inside since it is super hot outside, this is the pic of the whole log some months ago.

That really looks so cool. I've been thinking of trying the same thing ever since you first posted. Mine would be much smaller than yours and would have to grow indoors. This will probably be one of my retirement projects, so three more years and then we will see! Thanks for posting

Joseia this is grown indoors year round, it is on my inside growing table, has the aquarium clip fan on the top of the vase it is hanging in. Here is the pic of the table.

Ahh, I thought you had it outdoors. Does the outer tube go all the way down to the bottom? Or is there a gap down there as a path for the air flow to get pushed from the top to bottom?

The PVC pipe is all sealed on the bottom. The whole log is hanging inside the tall vase, and the aquarium fan is on the top of the vase, provides sufficient air flow a,d is running from morning till night, turned off for the night. Our inside temps are 76F days and some 68-69F nights.