Ok I like the sound of s/h so here we go

[johnblagg]

Bought three Catts on a trip to N.C. and since I was going to be there a while repotted them from the small 2 1/2 inch pots to fresh new fir bark.The old roots were compleatly gone on the Goldenzell 'lemon chiffon' the baby Mary ellen carter 'dixie hummingbird' was not bad and had a couple of fresh new roots and the Mac holmes 'newberry' was in pretty good shape but needed a trim.While in N.C. they sat on a carport getting great sun untill 10 am and then bright shade the rest of the day untill 6 or 7 pm and were on a brick wall that I soaked every day several times for humidity.They all started growing new roots and did great for the two weeks I was there and did great in the truck on the 700 mile drive home.After getting home I have them in a nice 8x8 room with a 250 watt hps and their own ac unit and although outside they did great with my heavy hand watering as I had put them in wood baskets I discovered the bark was starting to stay to wet and seems to be breaking down already and felt a little slimy at the bottom.
I have just recently joind the orchid board and reading up on s/h and having a 5 gallon bucket of hydrotron from the past I took the plunge and put them all in 4 inch net pots in hydrotron that has been used before and was disenfected before storage.its only been a couple of days but here is hoping they all do well as they all have new primary roots activly growing except for the Mac Holmes 'newberry and it has a new growth that should soon be ready to send out new primary roots also the leafe is now about two inches out of the sheath and just starting to unfold a little.
Can anyone suggest how far from a 250 watt hps they should be placed.My humidity ranges from 30 to 60% the 30 was a night time low while I was gone overnight unexpectedly and did not have the light on the timer yet. But I have added a humidity tray and the temp is max of 80 in the day and 70 at night.I am using just reg mg fert 1/2 half rate and a drop per gal of superthrive
Hoping I get to post in a month with a excited WOW THIS IS GREAT.

[TylerK]

Best of luck with your s/h conversions. It sounds like you're doing it right. You might have to wait longer than a month before you see much in terms of results though

Unfortunately I don't grow under HPS so I can't really give you any advice there except to say that you might want to repost that part of the question in the growing under lights forum. You'll problably have more luck there getting a good answer.

Tyler

[johnblagg]

actually Im seeing good root growth already from the new roots that were starting.The Mac Holmes 'Newberry' is now starting its first primary from the new pb and seconday roots still coming off the old roots.I evidently was overwatering from the start and it had adjusted somewhat even in the bark as I had it very lose and was keeping it too wet but had no new roots rotting.I had taken them from the bark and put them in 4 inch net pots in hydrotron because I relised I overwater and then dunked them a couple of times a day and misted often.I feel that helped adjust them and now have them in pots made from clear plasctic peanut butter jars so I can see the roots with holes 1 inch above the bottom.The Goldenzell 'lemon Chiffon' has secondary roots coming off some nubs of old primary roots that were trimmed now also.This method may just save these guys from me and my water can.I also had a stroke of luck and recieved three baby Paphs Saint Tigris from a friend who had bought one 8 aro 9 years ago and had a severe case of root rot.It had 6 new growths at the base but no roots left and when I took it out of the pot three of these just fell away and each has one new root that looks good.I repotted the mother in s/h and brought the three new ones home with me to try in s/h under my lights.Last year he almost destroyed this same plant by moving it from the window it had grown in for 6 years to another spot downstairs and hes bad about thinking everything needs full sun...it wasent blooming yet and he got impaitent and I couldn's convince him it was doing fine where it was.Major sunburn but then it recovered and made 6 new growths and then he left in in a pot under a tree all summer in a deep tray.. about 3 inches deep.I found it water logged after coming home from a 3 week long trip and did a rescue it still has four leaves 12 or 13 inches long but no roots but its recoverd from no roots once before and even though it slows down it just gets bigger and bigger so in s/h now Im betting it does well.

[Ray]

Hey, John.

Would you please learn how to use paragraphs, please?

One long block of words like your posts are almost impossible to read, so make people (OK, me) less inclined to bother.

By breaking it up into more logical segments, it's a lot easier.

[flyfishdoc]

I have repotted all my orchids into semi hydroponics this month. I has been 4 weeks for some, just 2 weeks for others.
I am totally amazed and absolutely sold on hyroponics!!!!! I almost killed everything (phals, oncidiums, catts) from heat, dehydration, overwatering. I tried it all. In a few weeks I have seen new roots, new bulbs, and new flowers. I was down to 1 flower, now I have a Potinaria that has 3 out of 4 flowers open, and a small spike starting from the opening where the first spike came from, a Dtps flowered and I have full psuedobulbs for the first time!!!
I plan to post pictures in 2 weeks after all have been in s/h for a full month at least

[johnblagg]

The Catts are loving s/h roots are growing like crazy and I have a new eye on both the Goldenzell 'Lemon Chiffon' and the mac holmes 'Newberry'.

The Mary Ellen Carter is growing secondary roots all ove and primary roots are now 3 or 4 inches long but no new eyes have appeared.

Im cheating a little bit and leaving the lights set for long summer says still and I do have all three under a 250 watt hps set 24 inches above the crowns.

I water often with regular strenght shultz orchid food with just a touch of potassium nitrate added and mist the plants several times daily.This includes wetting down all roots in the air as well as the top of the hydroton

[Ray]

Sounds like a good setup, John.

(And thanks for the added "carriage returns")

[johnblagg]

Thanks Ray

I also have three small paphs Saint Tigris One in s/h and two in bark at the moment that Im waiting to see new roots started on

Do you have any suggestions regarding those?A friend has had the original plant for many years and it was getting quite nice.But this summer he left it in media that was broke down and killed all but a couple of roots.

This is my fault as I usually do all the reppoting there and he simply keeps them on a table outside in dappled shade and lets nature do the work all summer.when I discovered it this year "about a month ago" it was in soggy wet mush and I havent a clue as to when it would normally start new roots.

[zxyqu]

John, you said you put them in net pots. The only thing I'm curious of, is whether the hydroton is still sicking all the way to the top of the pot. I've found if I use a pot with too many holes, that the primeagra (similar to hydroton) wicks less up the pot, and the top pellets dry out quicker. Just wondering how your setup is working

[johnblagg]

I used net pots to start with ,but that did become a issue.I left them in the net pots the first week or two and watered a lot.even dunking in a bucket every day.

There was virtually no wicking in net pots.But it was all I had and they came in 3 inch pots from the nursery and the media was breaking down bad so I used what was here hoping it would do well untill I could do it proper.

when I found sutable clear plastic pots to use for the s/h I moved them over.it seems the time in the net pots in hydrotron and really watering like crazy may have helped with the adjustment period for the catts they took right off ...but they all had new roots coming on already too.

The paphs are in bark in net pots but they just got transferred as I just found white mold starting under the pots and did a cleanup soaking them a few seconds in bleach solution and rinsing.Then back to a lose mix of rice hulls and soil.Im afrid the mold came with them but Im in the precess of cleaning all the hydrotron that was in the humidity trays and sterlizing it right now.