simple questions

[swiatoniowski]

Hello,

I am new to forum and rather beginer grower (also I have been cultivating cacti for about 20 years...)

I cultivate my Psychopsis plants in semi hydroponic. They are growing very well (also, not all are flowering from some reasons).

I cannot find what kind of semi hydroponic most of you use ? Do you use special pots with holes on the side (the water is always on the bottom of the pot) or normal pots with holes on the bottom ?
I use normal pots and it seems to be good for Psychopsis.

The second question is if this method is good for all orchids ? I plan to cultivate Schlimmia (I am not sure how I will make holes for flowers...), Aerangis, Peristeria and Biffeneria in this way.

[RosieC]

I use a mixture, although the 'special pots' are actually pop bottles with holes made in the sides. I think a lot of other people also make their own pots.

I've only just started with S/H but I have some like that and some with holes in the bottom that then sit in an outer pot to hold the resevoir. I also have some potted in lecca but just as a standard medium not S/H.

There are a lot of orchids people grow this way. I think this thread is where people are listing what they grow this way.
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...-s-h-list.html

[swiatoniowski]

thanks for reply, this list will be very halphuf for me, now I think, that perhaps this is impossible to cultivate schlimmia like this, or perhaps in mesh (netting) pot...

[RosieC]

I'm afraid I don't know about that one. I know there are some that people say have not had success.

I'm just in the process of trying the technique with a couple of Phals and also a Zygo which had lost all it's roots so I decided to see if the new ones would work in S/H.

[swiatoniowski]

As yet, I have only two Psychopsis in semi hydroponic, but I think this is not typical s/h as most growers use, I have normal pots with holes on the bottom and they don't stay in water - I have to water very often, but these two plants, perhaps not the easiest in case of watering, growing realy excellent

[Ray]

Originally Posted by swiatoniowski

As yet, I have only two Psychopsis in semi hydroponic, but I think this is not typical s/h as most growers use, I have normal pots with holes on the bottom and they don't stay in water - I have to water very often, but these two plants, perhaps not the easiest in case of watering, growing realy excellent

You are not growing your plants in semi-hydroponic culture, you are simply using LECA as a medium for ordinary culture. The difference being the lack of a reservoir to keep the medium moist through capillary action.

If you think about it though, essentially all epiphytic orchid growing is hydroponic in nature, as the medium provides mechanical support and moisture-holding capacity, not nutrition, which is provided by the solutions we apply. (If the medium is decomposing - required to give up its mineral components - we tend to repot.)

I have a psychopsis growing quite nicely in S/H culture, using the pots with side-holes. It was a blooming-size division when I transplanted it from a 4" pot to a 6.5" S/H pot, and it has not had a chance to really "grab" the container yet, but it did start a second growth front.

[RosieC]

I agree with Ray (well he is the expert on this). If you don't have a resevoir then it's not the S/H technique.

I have some growing in lecca as a standard medium, but the ones I count as being S/H are those with a resevoir, whether that is in the same pot (holes in the sides) or utilising an outer pot to create a resevoir.

[swiatoniowski]

thanks for your answers, now I know this simply different...