S/H with LECA setup
 

Greetings! :waving

I was planning to try out S/H with one of my stressed + almost rootless brassavola nodosa which is kind of recovering.

1. I would like to ask how high should the recommended reservoir be?
2. Any minimum distance between the orchid based (rhizome/stem) from the water level?
3. The hole size for overflowing water can varies as long as the water can flow out quickly right? I was trying to minimize the hole size so that snail doesnt go in from these holes. I am not sure whether i need to do this.
4. Since semi hydro is wet all the time, any snail or pest problem which i need to take note so that i can think of some prevention?

Please advise. :biggrin:

TQ..TQ :)

For most orchids, 1" or so seems sufficient. When making a very large pot, I'll sometimes increase it.
I prefer several inches, but as long as existing roots are not in the reservoir, I doubt it's a big issue.
I've never heard of snails entering a pot. Two holes, 1/4" diameter, placed as close as possible to each other is good.
As I said, this should not be an issue.

Be aware, however, that starting with a sickly plant is likely to not give the good results you are seeking. Any repot transition is stressful, but more so to a sick plant.

Hi Ray,

Currently my brassavola nodosa is already in leca topped with thin layer of moss. Previously due to some issue I cut 95% of the roots. Now the new tiny roots are only growing in the thin layer of moss. By converting it into S/H, I'm only adding a level of 1" water beneath the existing pot. I am considering whether to repot it permanently into a proper DIY S/H pot due to minimal root.

If it is growing new roots, go for it!

Could you grow it outside? If so, it will likely do much better mounted on a branch, growing in an empty basket with no medium, or just hanging on a string or wire. Brassavolas do much better when not in pots. Save the pots for plants that do well in them.

I still have problems with mounted orchids, and have my Brassavola crosses in net baskets with lecca. It just holds on to a bit of water. They grow very well this way, especially if left outside in bright shade (under a tree) and have lots of rain storms.

Thanks everyone! I will repot it then. :)

Hi Ray,

Does the size of the pot matters? From my understanding is that pot size does matter for traditional organic mediums because they have less room between mediums which will reduce the drying rate of the medium hence big pots with lots of medium will dry out very slow and causes root rot.

For leca in S/H setup, since leca provides lots of room for roots it will not root easily. Correct me if i am wrong because I was planning to pot it from a currently 4" pot brassavola into a 7" pot.

Another thing that came to my mind is that S/H setup will not cause root if the plant managed to adapt because the top part is moist with lots of space between leca (which the root loves) while the bottom 1" leca was soaking in water but if the roots that grow downwards design its roots to adapt along the way when it is moving down it will adapt and soak in water. Am i right?

Please advise. :)

I think the pot will be fine, and yes, you're right about the root growth.