Quick Semi- Hydroponic Course

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

@Dusty !! what happen with this recovery ???

I missed this earlier. The broken piece is in ICU. It has no roots, it has been soaked twice in Kelpmax and is resting on a bed of cubes under a bag. I plan on moving this to the grow tent with a heat mat to see if that speeds up the process.
The C 'Sandra's Beau ' is putting out a new growth with 3 new roots. The Japan Sunrise is recovering from a calcium deficiency and is holding its own.
Thanks for asking. When there is more improvement I will post it here.

[SADE2020]

Update on SH practice after the splendid course in this Thread.

I have turned 20 supermarket phals, 5 nobile phals, 5 adult small Catts and I've made a community pot with 5 Brassias from same seedlings and also I turned 7 different seedlings into SH.

But I have some questions:

1) If I need to use a fungicide, is it ok to spray and leave it?

2) Can fungicide be use with Kelpax or how long/days is recommended to wait?

3) Do you fertilize and leave the fertilize water in the reservoir or just bath the plant a few minutes/hours and then flush and let fresh water.

4) Same question as before with aminoacid or Kelpax?

5) About pebbles on top to keep roots growing down or to set down the leva: opinion please?

THANK YOU!!!!!

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Sade - two things. First a question. What do you need the fungicide for?
Second, an update on the recovery. The C. Sandra's Beau is doing well with 5 roots from the new pound and a new growth starting. The Japan Sunrise is still holding its own with what looks like 3 new growths and, finally, a new root nub. The broken piece has fallen victim of me taking a vacation. The container got just a little too dry while I was gone and the plant died.

[WaterWitchin]

Sade: But I have some questions:

1) If I need to use a fungicide, is it ok to spray and leave it?

Yes

2) Can fungicide be use with Kelpax or how long/days is recommended to wait?

Yes, but I wouldn't. Just skip the Kelpak that go-round.

3) Do you fertilize and leave the fertilize water in the reservoir or just bath the plant a few minutes/hours and then flush and let fresh water.

Just do a usual watering (flush) with the fertilizer water. No need to flush afterward, if you're actually doing flush/fill each time.

4) Same question as before with aminoacid or Kelpax?

Same answer.

5) About pebbles on top to keep roots growing down or to set down the leva: opinion please?

The reason some put pebbles on top isn't for either of those reasons. Some people think it helps retain moisture in the top level of LECA to avoid the dry line. I don't do that.

[SADE2020]

Originally Posted by Dusty Ol' Man

Sade - two things. First a question. What do you need the fungicide for?
Second, an update on the recovery. The C. Sandra's Beau is doing well with 5 roots from the new pound and a new growth starting. The Japan Sunrise is still holding its own with what looks like 3 new growths and, finally, a new root nub. The broken piece has fallen victim of me taking a vacation. The container got just a little too dry while I was gone and the plant died.

I don't use it normally, but when I repot and touch the roots, I spray it a little, a very light substance, but antifungal.

oh, thanks for el update, sad to know about the Japan Sunrise...

---------- Post added at 05:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:17 PM ----------

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

[B] Some people think it helps retain moisture in the top level of LECA to avoid the dry line. I don't do that.[/I][/INDENT]

Thank you !!

The Orchid Room mentioned that she uses to keeping the root down and there is another girl, when I was "researching the SH Technics", that mentioned that help it with very fluffy plants when flushing, I think it was Nicoledeanna on youtube.

But then again, that week I read and saw lots of stuff! I was researching....

---------- Post added at 05:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:25 PM ----------

Ok, I have another question :


How cold is too cold for a warmer growing plant in Lecca? .. I mean a Phal, for example, should be at what temp minimum?

[WaterWitchin]

For hybrid phals, temperature is regulated in winter to attempt never going below 65-68F, although it occasionally dips at night to as low as 58F for a couple or three hours when the heater can't keep up with the cold. I don't really pay much attention to the effect of evaporative cooling from LECA in semi-hydro.

I don't grow a ton of phals, and only have two or three species right now, so can't really speak to the species. The only one that really comes to mind is deliciosa, and that's because I didn't really care for it and it doesn't really care for me... between my culture and environment, it appears we agree to be disagreeable.

[SADE2020]

I still need help to understand how to water efficiently. The flush thing with my automatic irrigation is complex, the irrigation is capable of showering the hydrotons with pressure, what I would like to understand is if when the reservoir is almost empty, replacing that minimum of water is enough or should water flow at a flow rate.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

what I would like to understand is if when the reservoir is almost empty, replacing that minimum of water is enough or should water flow at a flow rate.

Never just top up the reservoir.

As the water is consumed and evaporates, the remaining stuff dissolved in it - fertilizers and plant wastes - gets concentrated. If you flush it at every watering, you get rid of it and refresh everything. If you just top up the reservoir, you don't, and just keep building it up, eventually to toxic levels.

[SADE2020]

Thanks, Ray. I know you must be exhausted to repeat the same over and over.

I am not just filling, I run water and let it drain or let it out through the holes.

I just realized that Flush means rinse out 😳, I thought it was to empty and fill in. I saw a MssOrchid video (..not fan of her at all..btw) and the process she recommend is endless for me; fill in the pots with RO water and empty them after 10 min and then fill the reservoir.

I guess I have to get some trays as other member were mentioned in on other thread explaining the planning for SH.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

I just realized that Flush means rinse out 😳, I thought it was to empty and fill in. I saw a MssOrchid video (..not fan of her at all..btw) and the process she recommend is endless for me; fill in the pots with RO water and empty them after 10 min and then fill the reservoir.

My preferred technique is simply to rapidly fill the pot to the top and let it drain down to the holes. That flushes the medium, saturates it, and returns the reservoir to its original chemistry all in one step.

Filling and letting it stand for a while takes the crap in the reservoir and spreads it throughout the pot before draining. Not the best idea, in my opinion.