Where to buy s/h supplies
 

Hello!

I am interested in trying out s/h with a fairly large cattleya I found a few weeks ago on clearance and not in bloom at a home improvement store and also a large phal that I have had for almost a year? I am wondering where can I find the pots I need for these two orchids as well as the LECA or hydroton beads?

Thanks in advance!

Holly

If ou search online you can find suppliers. What state do you live in? I know of two suppliers in NJ.

LECA is usually available at hydroponic shops. You can make your own pots to fit the size of the plants--any plastic container will do fine, and it's easy to put a couple of holes an inch or so up from the bottom to provide for the reservoir. A cheap houseware store, like The Dollar Store, will have options for you.

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

I decided to dive right in. I buy disposable plastic 1-quart plastic food containers at a restaurant supply store. I drill holes with a Dreml tool and a burr bit.

The LECA you can buy at a hydroponics shop. Any town of reasonable size will have one to supply all the marijuana growers.

If you want LECA similar to PrimeAgra, consider the stuff at theorchidhouse.org

I also found mine in hydroponics stores. Mine sells 20L and 40L bags. It is cheaper than bark by volume for me. The hydroponics stores also sell hydrogen peroxide which is handy too. I buy 20L bags of LECA and I'd say each plant uses about 1L per pot. It might feel like a lot of LECA but it's cheap and can be used for a lot of things. I use it in semi hydroponics and also just as a potting media depending how I feel. It has replaced the role of bark for me and it's wicking ability has made it more versatile for applications like semi-hydroponics.

As for the pots, I just go to the UK version of dollar tree and buy food containers. I buy clear ones but it's up to you. I just mark 1 inch from the bottom and then use an electric drill to make the holes. Some people use a heated nail but I find the drill is great. I put the food container in an outer decorative pot and then flood the system and dump the water. I'm new to semi hydro but it has taken the pressure off me, especially with plants like oncidiums which need a lot of water. I work long shifts and it means I was watering too early and harming the roots or too late and shrivelling the plant. If I do it on a work day I'm late for work or watering at night. Semi hydro allows me to water whenever I'm free. I'm still waiting to see how my phals go in it but I like it for oncidiums. They wobbled around in it at first but now after two months they are feeling secure in the pot.

I echo all the above. I have lost plants in standard pots and media because I was working too much to water when they needed it. I haven't lost any plants in S/H.

Don't know why this site this not mentioned much on this board, but the only place I can find the German 2 pot systems is:

The Hydroponics Store

Thanks everyone! I didn't think of going to the dollar store for my pots! I don't seem to have any hydroponic stores around me though. I have even asked at some of the larger nurseries we have around here that specialize in ponds and they didn't have any hydroton. Super excited to try semi hydro though!