Hydroton Expanded clay pellet uses?

[Cattleya17]

Hello how is everyone? Good I hope. Well I found huge bags of hydroton and its in the hydroponics section of my local greenhouse and nursery huge bags for 10 dollars! And I was wondering can you use it not in S/H but as regular potting media? I grow all my plants in lava rock. I’ve found that the black lava rock gets to hot in the summer and the roots do not burrow into it, but on the flip side the red lava rock the roots fly like crazy and burrow deep. So these pellets are red like the lava rock I use. So can I use them instead or are they only a hydroponic thing?
The lava rock is 3.99 to 4.99 a bag and the bags are tiny! I could repot my entire collection (which is in need of new pots and stuff) with little little cost! So can you help?

[RosieC]

I think some people do this. I'm actually planning to give it a try if I can get hold of some.

Hopefully someone who has tried it will respond to confirm if that is the case.

[CTB]

I just started repotting some of my orchids, dens and catts in hydroton, (no s/h) and they seem to really like it. I'm using it because of the Florida rains we have and they say you can't over water with hydroton. I presoak mine the night before. I paid 32.00 for 50L bag here, so grab up those good prices.

[RosieC]

Ooh, not thought of using it for Catts. I only have one and have no clue yet how to water it, but if/when I can get some of the pellets I might give that a try.

[Orchidbyte]

I have been using this product for about a year now and love it, I grow very wet with mounts above potted plants and any organic media rots quickly and stays far to wet. The LECA never gets to wet and roots are loving it, I have found that if you put a little lava rock on the bottom of the pot then this acts as kinda of a water reserve, I find that overnight the LECA has wicked up moisture from the lava on the bottom. For more moisture loving orchids I use a little NZ moss in the mix or I use a rock product that I get from my orchid supplier that is 40% silica and 60% volcanic this stuff holds moistur and gets moss on it really quick.

I have also found Hyrotron at big box hardware stores.

[Cattleya17]

so does hydroton hold mor water than other things? i use clay pots so if it does how can i be sure its dry? also where can i find plastic pots in a range of sizes?

[cb977]

Most of my collection is in some sort of LECA, either Hydroton or Aliflor. They do hold a bit of water but down here in HOT Florida, I think it helps to create humidity at the roots.

I've learned the hard way that Paphs really prefer something else

[RosieC]

My understanding is that it can dry quicker than something like bark (and so needs watering more often) BUT it holds water while it is wet and allows a lot of air flow... an most orchids don't mind lots of water if they also have a lot of air flow.

I could be wrong on this, but that's what I've gathered through various reading on OB.

[CTB]

I'm using all clay pots with hydroton, I feel the pot to tell if it is moist or not. There's a coolness about a moist pot.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by CTB

I'm using all clay pots with hydroton, I feel the pot to tell if it is moist or not. There's a coolness about a moist pot.

Good observation, Carol.

Unfortunately, if you grow phals and live with the RH% can plummet in the winter, it's a bad thing, as that evaporative cooling can be too much - phals HATE cool and moist in combination.