Vandas in semi-hydro?

[daemondamian]

Anyone here growing vandas in semi-hydro like this person is?;
semihydro_culture Photo Gallery by flame747 at pbase.com

[Tindomul]

I will, soon!! Hehe. I'de like to see the setups of anyone here who might be doing this.

[Shadow]

Not me. But thanks for the link. I was wondering if is it possible and I thought to try, because I'm not able to mist them every day and therefore I don't have vandas. Now I'm sure that it is possible!

[daemondamian]

Yeah I always thought vandas would need drying out between waterings. Ray does say that Tolumnias are a no go for semi-hydro because they like to be watered, be a little moist and then totally dry out.. in semi-hydro with constant moisture they couldn't do that..

[Gin]

I would want to know how long they have been s/h , where the person lives (what state) warm ? and if any have bloomed . Another thing the roots can get very long on some of them 6 foot or more , would it require root trimming or a wash tub I know Motes in Fl. trims the roots on ones in baskets or on wires , trimming and putting back into s/h . sounds risky . Just curious . Gin

[daemondamian]

Originally Posted by Gin

I would want to know how long they have been s/h , where the person lives (what state) warm ? and if any have bloomed . Another thing the roots can get very long on some of them 6 foot or more , would it require root trimming or a wash tub I know Motes in Fl. trims the roots on ones in baskets or on wires , trimming and putting back into s/h . sounds risky . Just curious . Gin

I had a vanda in a basket with the roots coming out and I had it sitting in my hobby GH. In there I have trays that are plumbed so when I water it trickles out into the garden.

In the trays are seedling trays turned upside down so the plants aren't sitting right on the bottom [and hence n the water at the very bottom of the tray] but the seedling trays left a gap which I filled with hydroton [fired clay balls] and sat plants on top of that.

Anyway the hydroton was wicking up the water and the vandas roots in contact with the hydroton didn't like it one bit I guess because they were permanantly moist..

I'd love to see this guy's setup and these plants in person! And see what's what

[Gin]

Me too Damian .. The pots look too clean for them to of been in them for very long (no algae )
I had a Vanda hanging over a small pond thing in the green house some of the roots got in it they did not like it .
Broms. work good as water catchers
I just have a couple of Phals in s/h but use the hydroton as is for Catts and a couple others . Interesting thought anyway . Gin

[daemondamian]

Originally Posted by Gin

Me too Damian .. The pots look too clean for them to of been in them for very long (no algae )
I had a Vanda hanging over a small pond thing in the green house some of the roots got in it they did not like it .
Broms. work good as water catchers
I just have a couple of Phals in s/h but use the hydroton as is for Catts and a couple others . Interesting thought anyway . Gin

I like the idea of having broms under the benches but up north friend says it is a no no because it will hide and encourage pests..?

You have a 'small pond thing' in your GH? Sounds interesting! Any pics?

Yep I use hydroton as part of a standard mix with bark and styrofoam chunks/bits and have a laelia cattleya hybrid in it as well. I also use it for semi-hydro but with my translucent pots that have domes and drainage on the bottoms and the side slits... and sitting in trays or dishes of water or in a tray of hydroton with a few cms of water in it..

I love how easy it is to pot with it.. I hate when a container or pot of it is accidently knocked over and the stuff drops and rolls everywhere all over the floor

[Ray]

A couple of comments.

In my opinion, growing in semi-hydro culture is not a substitute for having adequate humidity.

A semi-converse, however, does seem to hold true: If you have very low humidity, it appears easier to grow those plants that we typically think of as needing drying out in S/H culture. Maybe it's because the gradient is steeper, being dry deeper in the pot.

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that the "need to dry out" is really a misinterpreted "need for lots of air flow".

Lots of these plants come from regions where there is a LOT of rain for certain periods of the year. During those times, the roots stay saturated literally for months at a time with no issue. (Actually it's not "no issue", it's "thrive" as that's when most of the growing occurs.) So why not in a pot? As long as the medium is sufficiently coarse to provide lots of air flow to the roots, there should be no issue.

[Tindomul]

When you say airflow, do you mean constant air movement? I'm having a hard time picturing the air stuck in between the hyrdroton as moving air. Or is it that they simply need gas next to the roots, so they get their O2 and CO2?

Originally Posted by Ray

A couple of comments.

In my opinion, growing in semi-hydro culture is not a substitute for having adequate humidity.

A semi-converse, however, does seem to hold true: If you have very low humidity, it appears easier to grow those plants that we typically think of as needing drying out in S/H culture. Maybe it's because the gradient is steeper, being dry deeper in the pot.

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that the "need to dry out" is really a misinterpreted "need for lots of air flow".

Lots of these plants come from regions where there is a LOT of rain for certain periods of the year. During those times, the roots stay saturated literally for months at a time with no issue. (Actually it's not "no issue", it's "thrive" as that's when most of the growing occurs.) So why not in a pot? As long as the medium is sufficiently coarse to provide lots of air flow to the roots, there should be no issue.