new orchids in LECA

[jamesgang]

I have recently purchased some pretty nice plants from a grower in PR---very nice sizes for the $$$$ too.
My issue with these plants/ this grower is that they are in a mix of charcoal and LECA. I have the hardest time trying to test this medium for water content-really disturbs the roots---I know it drys really fast but maybe too fast. Most of these plants are Brassia of one type or another ...2 have just started new growths so I think I'd like to keep them in this medium untill I can get a lot more growth going but I am looking for some insight and experience JD

[philoserenus]

well if it doesnt have a reservoir, i wouldnt worry about it much. i grow almost all my plants in pure leca with and without reservoirs--phrag, paphs, phals, neo, dends, bulbo, oncidium.

for the ones without reservoirs, i would just water very freely since, like u said, it dries very quick and it holds very little moisture after all the water runs out the both. i water my non-reservoir guys pretty much everyday morning before i head off to work

[Grandma M]

Nick, do you have your neos in Leca with the reservoir or without? I love using the S/H method but haven't tried my neo crosses in it. Sounds interesting.

Marilyn

[jenilee]

Originally Posted by philoserenus

well if it doesnt have a reservoir, i wouldnt worry about it much. i grow almost all my plants in pure leca with and without reservoirs--phrag, paphs, phals, neo, dends, bulbo, oncidium.

for the ones without reservoirs, i would just water very freely since, like u said, it dries very quick and it holds very little moisture after all the water runs out the both. i water my non-reservoir guys pretty much everyday morning before i head off to work

Would you mind explaining "reservoir", I have most of mine in LECA and am not sure I'm watering correctly. They have two pots, an interior and exterior one...the interior one has slits and a big dome shape going up into it at the bottom....should i have water sitting inside the exterior pot at all times? Like an inch or so?

Thanks!!!

[Zoi2]

Jenilee, are you trying to grow semi hydroponically? If you are then yes there needs to be water in the bottom of the pot, that will be "wicked" up for the roots. The best time to transplant is when new roots are growing. You will lose the old roots so the plant has to rely on the new root growths for survival.
Joann

[DelawareJim]

Originally Posted by Grandma M

Nick, do you have your neos in Leca with the reservoir or without? I love using the S/H method but haven't tried my neo crosses in it. Sounds interesting.

Marilyn

Marilyn;

I have a Fuuran (wild type) in S/H (with a reservoir) and it is growing like crazy. I was inspired by S.Kallima's plant S.Kallima's S/H Neo. and divided a fan from the mount that I got from Gwen, put it in LECA around August and it never skipped a beat. I'm also trying an Amami Island which should work well too. I checked the weather channel website for the monthly averages in Okinawa, Japan which is very near Amami Island and temps are basically room temperature year round and rainfall between 4 to 10 inches per month.

I tried 2 named varieties a year or so ago and they didn't like it. Still not exactly sure why.

Cheers.
Jim