Water Culture is Working - Orchid Board

Ranchnanny · #1 12-10-2009, 01:11 PM

I have had two orchids that were in s/h medium and were not doing to well. They were in my Orchidarium. Two weeks ago I put Laelia Anceps and Lctna 'Flying Colors' Mendenhall into water culture. Both were shriveling up especially Laelia Anceps. Since then the orchids have plumped up and Laelia Anceps is putting out new roots.

Needless to say I am very pleased.

Sheridan

trdyl · #2 12-10-2009, 01:21 PM

Good job! My anceps veitchiana did the same thing at first. But I did not pull it, and yes, it developed new roots quickly.

Ranchnanny · #3 12-10-2009, 01:31 PM

Ted when you say ''At First" did things go bad after that?
Sheridan

trdyl · #4 12-10-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranchnanny

Ted when you say ''At First" did things go bad after that?
Sheridan

Sheridan, not really one of the two divisions lost its newly started growth but that was it.

Ranchnanny · #5 12-10-2009, 03:16 PM

Sheridan

stefpix · #6 12-10-2009, 08:19 PM

I have to say my small Laelia anceps also shriveled after i put it in SH but now after 2 months is putting out a lot of fresh new roots.
it was a small plant but with many divisions so i kept 3 in traditional soil as a backup.
I am trying some Epicattleya Nebo in water culture but I have yet to see if it works.
I think 2 weeks is not even barely enough to judge if it works.
probably 2 months.
What did not well in SH is the Den formosum that shed leaves and did not grow new roots.
I repotterd it in bark mix and now afre shedding all the leaves is growing many small new roots from old canes.

Becca · #7 12-10-2009, 09:00 PM

I have a cattleya hybrid in water culture after I somehow destroyed the root system. It's been in it for several months, it's had one root keeping it going, new new growths at the time of putting it in the water culture didn't seem to respond much. New root nubs would start but not grow either. I've just been patient and it's still in water culture. I think I had it to far down in the container but still keeping the water leve just at the roots. I found a way to bring it up to the top of the container and the new growths seem to being doing better....not the turn around I have hoped for but at least it is still alive and I have a good feeling it will turn around once the new growths put out some new roots. Keep us posted on how yours do!

stefpix · #8 12-10-2009, 09:16 PM

I had for 2/ 3 months a Lc that i rescued that was almost rotitng . was cheap tried water culture - seemed to put out new growth from dormant eyes but not many new roots. the new growths after a while maybe 1 cm long would often break off. tried now in hydroton sort of SH and it seems to finally be putting out new roots

Ranchnanny · #9 12-11-2009, 12:06 AM

I hope that once it grows more roots to repot it back into s/h but maybe a smaller container. We'll see what happens. I realize that 2 weeks isn't enought time to determine if its working but compared to what it looked like all shriveled to now it looks much better.

Sheridan

Undergrounder · #10 12-11-2009, 11:03 AM

Congrats guys!

Over time i think the only minor challenges you'll have with the water culture is with nutrients, pH and oxygen.. so 1) make sure you start to give it a little balanced fertiliser at an approprite ppm rate, 2) make sure the pH stays in an acceptable range so that it can take up all those nutrients and 3) Either let algae grow to oxygenate the water, or refresh the water every couple of weeks/months.

Each of those problems will only show up long-term, but once they do, they're difficult to reverse quickly. So just be mindful from the beginning.