Planning on moving a Phal into S/H

[andrew__]

I have a Phal I got free from work because it was out of bloom (three flowers at the end of the first spike and a second 6-8" long, now 12"). I've just found mealybugs and am going ahead full tilt with treatment including removing all the moss the plant had been planted in before.



Turns out it didn't have as many healthy roots as it had looked but it does have a few of good length. Will these be able to adapt to S/H culture or are they better removed? There are some 6/7 +/- new roots about 1" long (tops) with strong growth that I'm hoping are not too far developed that they won't be able to adapt to s/h.

I'm going to my local hydroponics store for the first time in a few minutes and will be getting either leca or hydroton (most likely based on their website) or similar depending on what they have and will look at containers as well or may go with something a little more home-made.

I guess the next thing is whether I leave the developing spike or cut it off.

And lastly how deep should the plant be in the medium?

And does anyone have a link to a good basic "setting up your first orchid in S/H culture" guide they can link to? would be greatly helpful in filling in a few gaps I have from the reading I've already done.

Thanks.

[MT-Phal]

All about Semi-Hydroponics

Ray, who invented S/H, has a website with pretty much all the info you need to know.

Personally, I would cut the spike so that the plant will put more energy into roots and such. Is the plant also growing new roots right now? If your orchid was coming from moss, the current roots may adapt if the moss was constantly wet. But I would wait until new roots are growing first, otherwise those roots will die leaving the plant with nothing.

I've also seen some members who did a 2/3s LECA and then moss on top to help with adaptation.

[andrew__]

Originally Posted by MT-Phal

All about Semi-Hydroponics

Ray, who invented S/H, has a website with pretty much all the info you need to know.

Personally, I would cut the spike so that the plant will put more energy into roots and such. Is the plant also growing new roots right now? If your orchid was coming from moss, the current roots may adapt if the moss was constantly wet. But I would wait until new roots are growing first, otherwise those roots will die leaving the plant with nothing.

I've also seen some members who did a 2/3s LECA and then moss on top to help with adaptation.

Thanks a lot that's exactly what I was looking for - I'd seem many people refer to that guide but never linked.

The moss does seem to have stayed fairly wet most of the time as it was very densely packed.

I might add just a touch of moss around the newest roots at the very top to help them make the transition, good tip.

[MT-Phal]

No problem. Keep us updated. I have a few threads here about my transition to S/H, and b/c of bad timing it hasn't been the smoothest. But I'm pretty optimistic at the moment.

[andrew__]

Well, I have my hydroton soaking now and will be potting this thing up tomorrow night.

I got a small pot made up out of a sturdy juice bottle but key word here is small - I'll keep it around because if this semi-hydro thing works I'm sure I'll need it later on (and even have a few plants in mind that would more than fit). I've got the plant sort of in there right now with some wet hydroton over the new roots until I can find a larger alternative (reservoir filled with water and hydroton, little more hydroton on top to keep roots dry, then roots with no room for more medium so just air, then more hydroton, just in case the above was making it sound like I've got the plant sitting in water

I was just wondering though if the holes in the pot are entirely for drainage or if they're also for airflow? I ask because it seems reasonable (to me) that a standard pot with drainage holes at the bottom in a deep saucer kept filled with water would be a suitable alternative to the all in one design and might make flushing the pot easier (though basically less convenient all other times) - and at least at the moment easier to get than trying to go through a 2L bottle of pop in a day. If the holes are also for air then I could punch some holes in a standard pot above my water level and that would presumably get all the same effects and benefits of the more normal design.

[MT-Phal]

i'm not sure if they're there for airflow as well. i think it's just for drainage. and some s/h growers actually do use the pot in a saucer technique. someone else will have to say whether or not there are benefits, though.

[Ray]

The holes in the sidewall are to set a maximum depth for the reservoir; the amount of airflow through them is minimal - essentially zero - and we want to keep it that way.

If there is too much air flow through the sidewall holes (which happens if you make them larger or have more than two or three), it accelerates the evaporation, overwhelming the wicking action of the medium.

[nutgirl]

I agree with Ray. I have tried using the standard orchid pots with slits in the walls along with a deep saucer as a reservoir and it doesn't work that well.
I have used pots with just holes in the bottom (solid sides) with the saucer and they work better.

Ultimately, I find the S/H type pots works best for me. Taller with a couple of holes near the bottom. I salvage any plastic container I have that fits the bill.

Maureen

[andrew__]

Although I managed to get it planted into the juice bottle it's a little tight but so far so good, hydroton is not packed as tight as it could be around the roots but maybe that's not so bad if it gives the phal an easier transition to SH.

Since I'm still treating the plant for mealybugs (saw two - gasp!) I'll be spraying the plant down again on the 29th (two weeks after the first spraying) and I have a large deli container... which is marginally larger around than the current container but fortunately much taller. Should be more than enough for lets say... 2 years of root growth? Maybe? What sort of container would be a size up from that... I guess that'll be something to worry about when I get to that point.

When I came into work the day after I posted this guess what I discovered we now carried? That's right, hydroton - We've just started carrying a line of hydroponic houseplants (mostly Chinese Evergreens, Dracaenas, Peace lilies, and sansevarias) in sealed ceramic containers with hydroton & a water level gauge so I guess we got it to go along with them (fortunately I still got more and spent less by going to a hydroponics store).

[nutgirl]

Andrew

You'd be surprised how fast a Phal can fill a container in S/H. I planted 4 rescue phals in 32 oz deli containers last April. They've filled the containers and are pushing themselves up out of them.
They really love the stuff.

Maureen