Converting my orchids - Orchid Board

Wrebbitrocks · #1 01-25-2009, 06:39 AM

ok. so im deciding on switching to either water or s/h culture. any ideas on how to do it. do i just put it into the new culture and wait for the old roots to rot while new ones grow? do i chop all the old roots off and wait for new ones? at what length do new roots have to be to switch?any help is appreciated. oh and in water culture, will any part of the plant rot and die if its beneath the water. a lot of pics show new growths and bottoms of pbulbs completely submerged. wouldnt they rot?

camille1585 · #2 01-25-2009, 07:46 AM

When you want to switch orchids to s/h, you will have the highest chance of success if you do the switch when new roots are just starting to grow.
I think it would be a good idea to not do a massive switch over if you've never done s/h before. Try a few first, and see what happens.

Wrebbitrocks · #3 01-25-2009, 05:31 PM

how do you convert one though. i want switch an oncidium with a few new roots but i dont know how to start water culture until i get s/h media. do you know how to start it. do i just float the bottom of the orchid in water? or hover it just above to keep the plant dry but have the roots grow down into the water or submerge the bottom of the plant? idk

camille1585 · #4 01-26-2009, 11:58 AM

I really have no idea about water culture, I never tried it on orchids. The only thing I have in water culture is a young Chlorophytum. I only have one small orchid in s/h, as a test to see how I manage!

s.kallima · #5 01-26-2009, 02:38 PM

Do you have to wait a long time to get the s/h media ? I think you take a bigger risk transferring your plants first in water culture and then in s/h. It might stress the plant twice...
I have been trying the water culture with a Paphio for 5 months and it is working okay until now. I keep it in a wide wine glass filled with clay pellets and water (no bottom holes). The pellets are just here to stabilize the plant, just in pure water I could not keep the plant at the level I wanted (I do not want the basal leaves to be in the water, just the roots).

The is a good thread about this culture but it is in another forum. If you type "paphiopedilum water culture" in Google Images, you will find it (it is the first image)

As for real S/H, just follow Ray's technique and you should be fine. Most of my non-mounted orchids are in real S/H and they are doing great (Phal., Howeara, Masde., Pleuro., Max., Neo., Coel., Dendro.).
Make sure you have the right growing conditions for your plants, and if they are growing new roots, the switch should be fine. I personally trim the old roots before switching so I don't get a big amount of decaying roots in the s/h medium.
I think the most important thing is to adapt the position of the plant in the s/h pot depending on the plant needs : roots close to the water reservoir if it prefers damp conditions (I use a lower pot for Masde., Max., Coelogyne...), higher if it prefers dryer conditions (Dendro., Neofinetia...).
The first couple of months I spray the top of the pellets every day to prevent them from drying to fast (I found that it helps the newly grown roots to stay healthy while they dig further down into the pellets).

Good switching !!!

slide1475 · #6 01-26-2009, 03:04 PM

great post, s.kallima, thanks for the tip about placing orchids that like wetter conditions closer to the reservoir and misting them as well.

s.kallima also made a really good point about not transferring first to water culture then to S/H. according to everything i have read all over the board (including a lot of Ray's posts) switching twice will really stress the plant. the biggest concern is to switch to S/H (or water) when you first see root growth so that your plant gets acclimated right away and grows root cells to match the medium the plant is in.

slide1475 · #7 01-26-2009, 03:05 PM

oh, and if you go to Welcome to First Rays Orchids he will get a little starter pack of medium and pots, etc. out to you pretty quick.