Rock Wool Medium

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by The Peloric Orchid

Thanks for the info. For how many days do you let the phal tray stay dry before you water them again? Does the rockwool get not-airy if sits in water too long, or is that why your ratio is 75% LECA?

Did you read through the entire thread? If I recall correctly, there is some information, somewhere, from both Ray and WaterWitchin on how they arrived at the ratio of leca to rockwool.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by The Peloric Orchid

Thanks for the info. For how many days do you let the phal tray stay dry before you water them again? Does the rockwool get not-airy if sits in water too long, or is that why your ratio is 75% LECA?

I try to never let the trays stay dry for more than a day.

As far as as the cubes staying saturated, I hope they do! I know that, ideally, we would like a perfectly uniform potting medium that holds the right amount of water, provides the right amount of air, and maintains those properties appropriately long enough for watering on otherwise busy schedule, but that’s a pipe dream. The LECA/RW combo is a good compromise for me.

[estación seca]

George, what are typical day/night temperatures in winter where you live? I visited many towns in Minas Gerais and Bahia in June but was not farther south.

[Georg Luiz Barth]

Originally Posted by estación seca

George, what are typical day/night temperatures in winter where you live? I visited many towns in Minas Gerais and Bahia in June but was not farther south.

Minas Gerais is located in the southeastern region of Brazil and Bahia in the northeast region. These are states with higher average temperatures than Santa Catarina, which is in the south of the country. I live in the city of Criciúma, south of Santa Catarina, about 25 km from the sea. Here winter and summer tend to be more defined in terms of temperature. In summer you can easily reach 38-39 degrees centigrade and in winter 10 degrees centigrade. In higher places it is possible to reach 0 degrees or a little less, with the possibility of some snowfall under ideal conditions. Belo Horizonte, capital of the State of Minas Gerais, is 1300 km from Florianópolis, capital of Santa Catarina. Salvador, capital of Bahia, is 2700 km from Florianópolis. Travel distance by car in highway.

[estación seca]

By the way, I just noticed I don't have the option to give WW an infraction. Went and looked... neither can I give an infraction to Camille nor Roberta. I could report all three for spamming, though.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by estación seca

By the way, I just noticed I don't have the option to give WW an infraction. Went and looked... neither can I give an infraction to Camille nor Roberta. I could report all three for spamming, though.

Thanks bunches.

[WaterWitchin]

I've recently been doing a lot of my repotting in shmishorganic. Seen some amazing results.

[Roberta]

Algae doesn't hurt the orchids.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Algae doesn't hurt the orchids.

Ahem, yes, a sensible moderator's response on the thread. I'm trying...

The best solution for not seeing algae growth in a pot, whether organic, inorganic, or schmishgamic, is to not use a clear pot. When I still grew in a bark medium a clear pot was still my choice, giving me a better view of what was going on beneath the surface. Algae would also grow on the bark in the pot. It just wasn't as noticeable because of the color contrast between bark and algae. I have a plant in tight sphagnum in a plastic basket right now (sent to me that way) and it's totally covered in a mix of algae and moss.

As Bill says... light+water=algae. Algae is irrelevant to the plant. It's just an aesthetic choice.

[Ray]

I will add that if algae buildup is extreme (which can lead to moss growth that can stifle airflow), you are probably overfeeding.