Anyone ever thought to blow into the drain holes??

[DirtyCoconuts]

From the other thread I was thinking about the different functions of the watering and flushing and given that one is air/gas exchange, I got to thinking about blowing into the drain hole. Not like a trumpet or anything, just a gentle breath to change the air and such, maybe add a bit of CO2 lol

It seemed kind of silly but also a totally water free way to freshen the root zone.

Thoughts?

[Ray]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

From the other thread I was thinking about the different functions of the watering and flushing and given that one is air/gas exchange, I got to thinking about blowing into the drain hole. Not like a trumpet or anything, just a gentle breath to change the air and such, maybe add a bit of CO2 lol

It seemed kind of silly but also a totally water free way to freshen the root zone.

Thoughts?

Dude! Put that pipe down!

Referring to the other question...springtails, really? In a terrarium full of decomposing organic matter, maybe. An orchid in S/H? Nope.

Changing their air in the pot? I'm pretty sure that happens spontaneously with air movement and evaporation.

[Dorchid]

Originally Posted by Ray

Dude! Put that pipe down!

[MJG]

Don't do the blow hole and the springtails at the same time. You might accidentally inhale. Or maybe you have inhaled already? Like Ray said.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Oh you guys are such squares....everyone’s doing it!

Lol

I’ve said it before, I am a tinkerer and I like to go hypothesis -> experiment especially when it is inexpensive or free. If it is also silly, that MAY or may not be a bonus

I also am not thrilled about the idea of putting my mouth on the containers. As I said, it was just a thought.

Now, maybe if I had a straw!

---------- Post added at 11:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:47 PM ----------

And, ray...I doubt you became an Orchid Iconoclast without a few “less than home run” ideas


Thanks guys

[MJG]

I love that you are not afraid to speak your ideas. Makes this a better place!

[DirtyCoconuts]

Originally Posted by MJG

I love that you are not afraid to speak your ideas. Makes this a better place!

I agree. I quite like it here. There is very little to zero BS...(plenty of shenanigans).....just nice people and awesome plants

[My Green Pets]

Hey I will say that, since my Catasetums are in really tightly-packed sphagnum in aircone pots, when I water from the top it just rolls off. So I turn them upside down and drench them from the bottom up. And it works!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

And, ray...I doubt you became an Orchid Iconoclast without a few “less than home run” ideas

A “few”??? HAH!!!


Back to the subject at hand, for a moment. I know of at least one person who put a spacer to hold up the LECA and had an aquarium air stone in the reservoir. The idea was to “drive” wicking by having the bubbles carry the liquid upward, and to oxygenate the root zone better.

I’d bet LECA sitting in the reservoir would have moved more water, and while an air pump will certainly move more air through the medium than will Mother Nature, I really don’t know if it would be a significant benefit.

[WaterWitchin]

Brilliant idea! [[puts down pipe to type]]

You can't really do that, as it would violate current CDC guidelines. However, take that little bulb syringe you had when your daughter was a baby and put it to use!

Right size to fit the hole, squeeze a few times, move to next plant. Voila! Repurposing at its finest.