hydroton and plant buildup

[VickiC]

Hi Joann,
Thanks for helping me again.

One more question (for now)
How do you hang your plants upside down to dry them...where?

Vicki

Originally Posted by Zoi2

When I take the plants out to clean them up (salt/fert), I hold the plant upside down under the faucet of luke warm water and use my fingers to clean the crud off then snip any dead roots. I hang them upside down to dry and repot.
I have never had a problem repotting at any time with s/h. I usually do not remove the leca from the roots if it is attached, and repot when the plant out grows the pot. 9 times out of 10 I have to cut the pot to get the plant out, but I start with pretty small pots.
Joann

[Zoi2]

If I weren't so lazy, I'd just dry them with a paper towel, but hanging them up gives me a chance to really inspect everything. I have a shelf in the kitchen that I can get a clothes pin over, so I just clip the roots to the shelf.
Joann

[VickiC]

Thank you, Joann! You have helped me very much!
Vicki

Originally Posted by Zoi2

If I weren't so lazy, I'd just dry them with a paper towel, but hanging them up gives me a chance to really inspect everything. I have a shelf in the kitchen that I can get a clothes pin over, so I just clip the roots to the shelf.
Joann

[mspatt]

Vicki, I have had the salt/fert build up on some of the chids that I grow in S/H. I also noticed springtails coming to the surface of the leca whenever I watered--hundreds of them it seemed. So to get rid of them I sprayed with a concoction I read about on another forum. Into a quart bottle of water I add ten drops of Dawn dishwashing liquid,and just under a half a teaspoon of cinnamon extract (it's a liquid I can get at Wal Mart in the spice aisle).I shake up all these ingredients and spray away. Happy conclusion: I wash off the build up and get rid of the springtails too.I guess I'm just keeping the top layer moist, but "whatever works" is my motto...

[VickiC]

Thanks for your reply! I appreciate your advice!

As for springtails, I have them in some of my S/H pots, also. They rush to the surface when I water, as yours do. I don't see quite as many as it seems that you see, though. I've understood in the past that they are not a threat at all....completely harmless to roots and plant (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), so I've never tried to kill them. I also understand that they simply feed on algae in the pot (again, someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction). In fact, they were not even on my mind when I asked my inital question about buildup.

I have already taken advice that I was given of only removing the upper two (approx.) layers of leca that had buildup, cleaned the buildup from the plant base and replaced the layers that I removed with fresh leca. Although the airflow is good in my greenhouse, I have to work on keeping the humidity at a med.-good level, so I'm going to try to mist the top surface of leca with plain water more often after I fertilize, if poss.

I mixed up a home concoction of basically the same ingreds. as you mentioned, but I've only used it on scale. Thankfully, I've never had many at once so this seemed to kill them, but only by being adament about periodic treatment. If not, the unhatched that you don't see when you discover the scale rears their ugly heads later. If you're ever unlucky, as I've been, give it a try and see if it helps.

I totally agree with your motto "whatever works".

Thanks again for your reply and advice.
Vicki

Originally Posted by mspatt

Vicki, I have had the salt/fert build up on some of the chids that I grow in S/H. I also noticed springtails coming to the surface of the leca whenever I watered--hundreds of them it seemed. So to get rid of them I sprayed with a concoction I read about on another forum. Into a quart bottle of water I add ten drops of Dawn dishwashing liquid,and just under a half a teaspoon of cinnamon extract (it's a liquid I can get at Wal Mart in the spice aisle).I shake up all these ingredients and spray away. Happy conclusion: I wash off the build up and get rid of the springtails too.I guess I'm just keeping the top layer moist, but "whatever works" is my motto...

[mspatt]

Vicki, I agree completely...springtails are not supposed to hurt the plants,but I just don't like seeing them every time I water.Now I don't have to see them...

[Zoi2]

Some info on springtails you might find interesting.
G7363 Springtails | University of Missouri Extension
Joann

[Rivka]

wanted to bump up this oldr thread becasue i am dealing with this issue big time since i have moved. im assuming the water here is laoded with a lot more salts and/or minerals since it is building up fast and has been burning new growths left and right.

suggestions for protecting new growths from this buildup that does not require me to buy or make super special water?
it seems to get them before i even have a chance to rinse them off and a rinse is usually not enough, but they new growth tip cant usually stand anything more aggressive.
i have a filter on my tap, but clearly this is not doing much in terms of salts. getting really bummed

[Zoi2]

Rivka are you growing in S/H?
Joann

[Bud]

Rivka, I saw your picture of a plant on S/H...its perfect. what I do with build up is put tap water on a pail and let it sit for a day = any residue to settle and for clorine to evaporate...then and then do I use it for watering my plants...but...you cant really get rid of algae and some fertilizer build up...if it gets to be a lot and becomes a nuisance to my aesthetic and cleanliness hygiene...I just decide to repot everything fresh and new, clean the whole pot(I use glass vase drilled with holes), the roots and put fresh media.