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

[Dail]

[QUOTE=flyfishdoc;251915]I have repotted all my orchids into semi hydroponics this month....I am amazed and absolutely sold on hyroponics!!!!![/U][/U][/I] /QUOTE]


Hi Jerry:

I'm happy you are having such good results. I too am sold on hydroponics BUT only from what I see in the literature. I have tried this method twice but I haven't caught the hang of it.

Would it be too time consuming for you to describe exactly how you went about setting up your plants using the semi - hydroponics method? If I can master this, I think my plants would actually speak and thank me for a better life!

Best of luck,
Dail

[Bird Song Farm]

[quote=Dail;254989]

Originally Posted by flyfishdoc

I have repotted all my orchids into semi hydroponics this month....I am amazed and absolutely sold on hyroponics!!!!![/u][/u][/i] /QUOTE]


Hi Jerry:

I'm happy you are having such good results. I too am sold on hydroponics BUT only from what I see in the literature. I have tried this method twice but I haven't caught the hang of it.

Would it be too time consuming for you to describe exactly how you went about setting up your plants using the semi - hydroponics method? If I can master this, I think my plants would actually speak and thank me for a better life!

Best of luck,
Dail

Hi,
This site might be of some help to you.

How to pot an Orchid using the Semi-Hydroponic method.

Al

[flyfishdoc]

[QUOTE=Dail;254989]

Originally Posted by flyfishdoc

I have repotted all my orchids into semi hydroponics this month....I am amazed and absolutely sold on hyroponics!!!!![/U][/U][/I] /QUOTE]


Hi Jerry:

I'm happy you are having such good results. I too am sold on hydroponics BUT only from what I see in the literature. I have tried this method twice but I haven't caught the hang of it.

Would it be too time consuming for you to describe exactly how you went about setting up your plants using the semi - hydroponics method? If I can master this, I think my plants would actually speak and thank me for a better life!

Best of luck,
Dail

I bought this oncidium 2 days ago. It was packed in moss. I watered it when I got it home, and this morning I had a hard time popping it out of the pot.

The first picture is the pot as i got it. In the next you can see the roots tightly bound by the moss.

I removed the moss, trimmed up dead roots and removed the remainder of the organic material. I did not try to trim each root individually, but did remove the mass of bad roots.

Then I tried the pots on for size. I personally do not like small pots (plants). They dry out too fast for me to keep a handle on. I like the larger pots. I think this onc could go in either size pot, but I chose the larger due to the growth ability of the bulbs, rather than to fit the roots in tightly.

I put in LECA pellets (two 24 hour soaks and one 8 hour KLN soak) an inch or so above the drain holes. then I put in the plant and placed pellets in. You can see it 3/4 done with some roots showing. I filled it up, tapping the pot along the way to settle the pellets, and then I pulled the plant up to the height I wanted. I topped off the pellets where needed.

The final step, plug the hoes with a finger or 2, fill with the KLN solution, let drain, and bring upstairs.

I hope this is clear. This may not be the ideal time or to see a plant with adequate root growth, but in my eyes, if a plant will struggle and put out roots, it will do it in LECA also. The roots I have here are still good, as I saw the plant perk up after the initial watering (2 days ago).
I also bought 2 paphs in flower, that have no new roots, but good roots. I think I will wait a few weeks before I repot, but that could change (I hate to stress my plants, and non semihydroponics in my hands is stress on the orchid)

[flyfishdoc]

Here are the remaining pictures