My first impression with S/H - Orchid Board

DavTom · #1 10-30-2021, 06:48 PM

Hi all,

I want to share my first impressions with S/H.

I have just 10 orchids (6 Phals, 2 Bulb, 1 Cattleya and 1 Dendr). I have repotted all of them from lava rock to S/H about 1 month ago.

I use RO water and a cocktail of dry salts fertilizer similar to the K-lite of Rays. The plants do all have supplemental artificial light, with (above) optimal PAR and DLI.

Today I have removed the plants and the leca from the vases as I have modified the set-up to embed a mini-faucet (see pics below) in the vases. In this way I can water/flush plants without the need to move the vases as I can drain the vase with a small air-tube pipe (the one used with air stone in the aquariums) that I connect to the mini-faucet when needed.

So. I was able to see the roots of all the plants. Well...I was very much surprised by the amount of new roots that all the plants have developed in such a short time. And most of the new growth is well below the leca surface, so I could not imagine that from what was visible.

I read everywhere that the transition to S/H requires some time to develop new roots, so I was not expecting such a nice growth of roots. But maybe the transition from lava rock takes less time.

Anyway, the Phals are doing best. All of them have developed many new roots deviations from existing roots of 2-3 cm each; second best is the Cattleya. This surprised me as I read that Cattleyas require usually more time than other orchids to adapt; 3rd place the bulbs and last one the Dendrobium.

It seems confirmed that when moving to S/H some of the old roots die (in my case about 10% died so far but probably more will die); that new roots grow as a deviation from older roots or as completely new roots (to be noted that none of the older roots grew any straight extension so far in my vases).

In terms of leaves, all of them are growing a few new leaves, but nothing extraordinary here.

That's it. I thought it might be of interest for some of you.

Cheers,
Dav

WaterWitchin · #2 10-31-2021, 11:06 AM

Nice tweak for the plumbing for those who need it!

SADE2020 · #3 10-31-2021, 07:25 PM

Why would you abandoned lava rock?

DavTom · #4 11-01-2021, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SADE2020

Why would you abandoned lava rock?

Well...I first use intuition, then, if the intuition tells me that it is worth a try, I challenge it with technical considerations, and only then I implement it.

I think that leca is better in transferring water and nutrients from the bottom to the top of the pot; The regular sphere shape distributes also the airy space better (i.e., more evenly) than lava rock.

I was very happy with lava rock, but the roots growth that I am getting now with leca seems far superior. OK, only 1 month passed so far, but it is going beyond any expectations. if it will keep going like that, I think that in about 3 or 4 month I will get with leca the same amount of new roots I was getting with lava rock in one year.

I think that leca+reservoir (i.e., S/H) is superior to what I was doing before with lava rock and long "bathing" without the reservoir. I have never tried lava rock with the reservoir, but I suspect that lava rock is not as good as leca with the capillar action to transfer water from the bottom to the top.

I think that lava rock is superior to leca only in the water retention for a given volume of lava rock or leca. But this does not matter if the long bathing is replaced by the reservoir.

I think I remember your website. You have tons of beautiful orchids all over your house and many of them are in lava rock. Well...give it a try with a couple of the with leca/S-H...and you will see... ;-)

Dav

SADE2020 · #5 11-01-2021, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavTom

Well...I first use intuition, then, if the intuition tells me that it is worth a try, I challenge it with technical considerations, and only then I implement it.

I think I remember your website. You have tons of beautiful orchids all over your house and many of them are in lava rock. Well...give it a try with a couple of the with leca/S-H...and you will see... ;-)

Dav

Hi Dav,

Thanks for the explanation. I was asking you to better understand your decision and experience. Now there are many of us going from lava rock to lecca and back for a change to try.

I have orchids in both materials, what works best for me with lava rock are cattleyas outdoors, however SH is more convenient for indoors. Just like you with SH I'm testing. I am not even raving about joy vs organic medium because it is definitly slower in my environment for the development of some plants but it is much easier to maintain. Many people comment that SH at the beginning goes very well and that after 4-5 months it slows down. We will both see how it works for us.

Cheers

DavTom · #6 11-01-2021, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SADE2020

Hi Dav,

Thanks for the explanation. I was asking you to better understand your decision and experience. Now there are many of us going from lava rock to lecca and back for a change to try.

I have orchids in both materials, what works best for me with lava rock are cattleyas outdoors, however SH is more convenient for indoors. Just like you with SH I'm testing. I am not even raving about joy vs organic medium because it is definitly slower in my environment for the development of some plants but it is much easier to maintain. Many people comment that SH at the beginning goes very well and that after 4-5 months it slows down. We will both see how it works for us.

Cheers

I see. Ok, thanks for the info.

I really hope it will not slow down!!!

Dav

Ray · #7 11-01-2021, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SADE2020

Many people comment that SH at the beginning goes very well and that after 4-5 months it slows down.

I’d really like to hear more about that. I’ve been using S/H culture for 25-30 years, and been advising folks about it for almost that long, and I have never experienced, nor heard anyone say that.

I suspect there is something else going on that is being misinterpreted and incorrectly attributed to S/H culture.

For example, we know that the environment of the pot can be cooler than ambient under periods of low humidity, so maybe that is indicative of a plant originally potted in the spring or summer and grown where it’s really warm and humid, than brought indoors for the winter, and grown too cool (that is, no compensation made for the evaporative cooling).

Another example - I have heard of folks only topping up the reservoir instead of giving the pot a good flush at every watering (that is common among people using the mesh pots in a solid one), and their plants decline due to the accumulation of salts and wastes to a level of becoming toxic.

Neither example is due to growing in S/H, they’re due to improper use of the technique.

WaterWitchin · #8 11-01-2021, 09:06 AM

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...

DavTom · #9 11-01-2021, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Nice tweak for the plumbing for those who need it!

Thanks ;-)

DavTom · #10 11-02-2021, 06:04 AM

Quote:

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...

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