My first impression with S/H

[Clawhammer]

My SH experience has always been the opposite. The beginning adaption period is challenging and then smooth sailing.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by DavTom

Hi...well...allow me here a small provocation....

Why waiting for all the info and analysis results to just wrap them up and put forward your theory? To easy that way, isn't it? ;-)

I like a lot to make 'educated guesses" when I do not have all the information within reach. It is much more fun and challenging...

I would be very much interested in knowing your theory...now.

Cheers,
Dav

Well, because I have no idea what's meant by "Many people comment that SH at the beginning goes very well and that after 4-5 months it slows down." Does that mean when transferred to SH it starts putting out greater or faster growth, then after four or five months it slows growth? Or after 4-5 months the plant starts to go downhill, i.e., roots rotting.

If it's the former, quickening growth then slowing down growth in that time period, the plant was likely not watered as often or had broken down medium before and not enough air flow. It's probably still going to stall out unless it was being grown in a very similar manner, such as lava rock and watered often, or a very coarse bark/inorganic mix.

Overall, as Clawhammer says, when transitioning to SH there's usually a period of time commencing just around the four or so month time frame, where the plant growth stalls for awhile. That's because it's losing roots that were grown in a different medium and it's having to develop new roots for semi-hydro. It may lose roots faster than it puts out the new ones, thus it stalls for awhile.

And quite a few folks who transition to semi-hydro keep unpotting the plant to see how the roots are doing with the transition... that's a real plant growth staller in and of itself. Orchids grow slowly anyway... four or five months is nothing in the overall scheme.

So I wasn't hedging... just awaiting clarification of what was meant. Not having at least part of the facts and basing a theory off a vague sentence isn't the way I roll. But since I'm old and rarely get a provocative remark, I'll take it where I can get it.

[Roberta]

I have noticed that there is a tendency for many people to jump to conclusions based on very small amounts of data with regard to orchid culture (among other things) ignoring some important factors.

1. As WW pointed out, orchids tend to grow very slowly. They are slow at everything, often even slow to die. (In general, I am not inclined to draw any conclusions at all until I have grown a plant though a full cycle of seasons, or more - a year at least. If I have less history, I will always say so, identifying any conclusions as "speculative".) I am not an expert... maybe "advanced novice". The amount that I have yet to learn is always larger than the amount that I know.

2. A newly-acquired orchid has additional challenges - it is inevitably experiencing a major change in its environment (and orchids tend to not take kindly to rapid changes of any sort), and may have acquired additional challenges (such as poor roots due to old media). At this point, the plant needs a lot of observation and gentle adjustments as needed, not conclusions jumped to. (Is that English?)

3. Correlation does not necessarily equal causation. Until you have some significant period of observation, preferably on more than one or a few plants, it's pretty hard to suss out what is coincidence and what is useful information.

There was a very dear man, no longer with us, who came to meetings of several clubs of which I was a member. He would be full of enthusiasm about some new medium or treatment. THIS was the ONE ... A couple of years later, he would be wildly enthusiastic about a NEW medium... a different one. A couple of years later, another breakthrough... Of course what he was really seeing was that when orchids are repotted, they often respond with a burst of growth. The real conclusion, they benefit from repotting every few years! Duh...

[SADE2020]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

I would also like to hear more about this Sade. I have a theory about that one, but would rather hear more details first. Hate to just be guessing...

I'll lookup for the exact comments, the source and share it... I read it while I was getting the Quick SH Course, then I stop reading about it... Hahahaha 🤣 because I was fed up with so much information and went straight to action and converted like docent orchids to SH.

---------- Post added at 11:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Roberta

THIS was the ONE ... A couple of years later, he would be wildly enthusiastic about a NEW medium... a different one. A couple of years later, another breakthrough... Duh...

I could relate to this .... Maybe this man is in every single group I participate, including in this forum x 10.

I think is perfectly normal if you like to "test the ride".

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

I could relate to this .... Maybe this man is in every single group I participate, including in this forum x 10.

I think is perfectly normal if you like to "test the ride".

Ernie was unique...

[Ray]

Another aspect of this - following up on Roberta’s comment - is one of the growers’ attention. I have seen it many times with fertilizer:

An article comes out touting the benefits of a new formula. Folks jump on the bandwagon, and soon we see multiple reports of the “incredible response” the plants have to it. That, of course, gets more people to jump on board and more such reports abound.

Except, often the true scenario is that the folks were not being particularly good about their orchid culture, but got “remotivated” by the article, switched formula, and actually started paying attention to their plants again, giving them better care. Lo! And Behold!, the plants responded to the better care, not the fertilizer, so much.

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

But since I'm old and rarely get a provocative remark, I'll take it where I can get it.

HA!

[DavTom]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Well, because I have no idea what's meant by "Many people comment that SH at the beginning goes very well and that after 4-5 months it slows down." Does that mean when transferred to SH it starts putting out greater or faster growth, then after four or five months it slows growth? Or after 4-5 months the plant starts to go downhill, i.e., roots rotting.

If it's the former, quickening growth then slowing down growth in that time period, the plant was likely not watered as often or had broken down medium before and not enough air flow. It's probably still going to stall out unless it was being grown in a very similar manner, such as lava rock and watered often, or a very coarse bark/inorganic mix.

Overall, as Clawhammer says, when transitioning to SH there's usually a period of time commencing just around the four or so month time frame, where the plant growth stalls for awhile. That's because it's losing roots that were grown in a different medium and it's having to develop new roots for semi-hydro. It may lose roots faster than it puts out the new ones, thus it stalls for awhile.

And quite a few folks who transition to semi-hydro keep unpotting the plant to see how the roots are doing with the transition... that's a real plant growth staller in and of itself. Orchids grow slowly anyway... four or five months is nothing in the overall scheme.

So I wasn't hedging... just awaiting clarification of what was meant. Not having at least part of the facts and basing a theory off a vague sentence isn't the way I roll. But since I'm old and rarely get a provocative remark, I'll take it where I can get it.

Ehehehehe...Thanks for the reply to the provocation ;-) I have appreciated it.

Dav

[WaterWitchin]

Just gotta love it when someone appreciates my warped humor.

[SADE2020]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Just gotta love it when someone appreciates my warped humor.

At least is a humor 😅..... Not a sour boring moderator.

We all appreciate your humor.