S/H supplies in the UK

[Nic100]

Try... ORCHID HYDROPONICS*::*Easy Orchids

If that doesn't work go to the left column on the easy orchids home page, where this a link to orchid sundries. On the new page is a link at the top of the first paragraph for Easy Orchids SHopping Centre. Click on that and you will get a list down the left hand side which contains a link to hydroponics.

I'll admit it's not the best site in terms of navigation!

[RosieC]

Thanks Nicky, got it from your link. I had got as far os the Orchid Sundaris in the shopping center but couldn't find the hybdroponics section for some reason.

[Hedge]

Hi Rosie,

I have had some success using soda bottles and J.Arthur Bowers Hydroleca available at most garden centres and also B and Q - but - and it is really a big BUT (!) it is so light it floats very easily when you don't have much root.

[RosieC]

Thanks Hedge.

I've still not got round to getting anything, I have an order to put in at a supplier of medium and pots and I've been trying to get hold of him to ask if he has anything (save postage if he can put pots and fertiliser in the same package) but I'm not sure he stocks it, in which case I will have to go elsewhere.

I may well try B&Q as there is a really big store near us. I've been saving up my pop bottles ready

[RosieC]

Couldn't find the hydroleca in B&Q or my garden center today

Several places online have it, but I would rather not have to pay postage.

On the up side... B&D had some clay pots for me to try my masda in and some nice outer cover pots with the lip inside that's good to hold orchid pots off the bottom AND big enough for my 13cm pots which don't fit in most of my cover pots

[RosieC]

Just found out about a stockist of Hydroton REALLY close to where I live... can't believe I didn't find this one in my previous searches. It's a local hydroponic store, and I didn't even realise we had one of those.

GroWell > Hydroton Clay Pebbles

Just checked if they have stock before I go over on Saturday and the guy on the phone even said they have an orchid section in the store!

[camille1585]

There's always a hydroponic store somewhere! There are so many of them everywhere. You might get lucky and find clear orchid pots there.
Btw, I'm collecting deli containers (to use for s/h) while I'm here, and if I have some extra I can send them your way once I'm back in europe. They're about 11,5cm wide at the top. I tried to convince the supermarket to sell me empty deli cups, but they don't want to

[RosieC]

I had never known where any were before and in previous google searches I had thought they were all online and buying Hydroton online costs about double in postage what it costs for the actual pellets. I had asked my usualy media supplier and he said that while he stocked it he did not like to send it mail order (only selling it at shows) because of the postage.

Anyway, I did another search looking for a screen shot of the Hydroleca that Hedge had suggested (having remembered seeing one somewhere) so I can show a picture of the bag at my local garden centers and see if they stocked it. The first site didn't have that make they had just clear unbranded bags of Hydroton, but as I was about to close it I noticed a news item about them closing their Solihull branch... and I thought "what a shame" because that's not so far away... not brilliant but we go that direction ocasionally. As I read further I realised that they were advising customers of that store to go to one of two others branches... one of which is REALLY close

Anyway, thanks for the offer of the Deli pots, but I've already made quite a big collection of pop bottles of various sizes. I'm quite partial to drinking fruit squash concentrate with lemonde rather than water so I've had quite a few recently.