hydroton and plant buildup

[Rivka]

yeah i grow all my chids in s/h and feel im already doing pretty good with chorine and such, it is just salts. i just moved to mayland/ DC area this past year and im not used to it being this bad.

for better or worse my chids get repotted more than they should usually because i have been constantly redesigning the pots that i use, actually been repotting all morning!
i currently am testing out a custom cone shaped sleeves inside glass vases as cache pots/ water reservoirs. those that are yet to be repotted to the latest set up are in 2 layer deli container set up i think outlined here before, maybe it was the other board, who knows. i love the new set up.

[Zoi2]

It sounds like you're letting the top layer of leca get too dry. This happens if your humidity is low or if you've got really good air circulation. You may just need to spray/mist the top layer between watering days.
Joann

[NiNiDazzle]

Originally Posted by Rivka

yeah i grow all my chids in s/h and feel im already doing pretty good with chorine and such, it is just salts. i just moved to mayland/ DC area this past year and im not used to it being this bad.

for better or worse my chids get repotted more than they should usually because i have been constantly redesigning the pots that i use, actually been repotting all morning!
i currently am testing out a custom cone shaped sleeves inside glass vases as cache pots/ water reservoirs. those that are yet to be repotted to the latest set up are in 2 layer deli container set up i think outlined here before, maybe it was the other board, who knows. i love the new set up.

What is this two layer deli container setup? I'm always ready to learn/try something new.

[Rivka]

Originally Posted by Zoi2

It sounds like you're letting the top layer of leca get too dry. This happens if your humidity is low or if you've got really good air circulation. You may just need to spray/mist the top layer between watering days.
Joann

well me humidity is certainly too low, i am a windowsill grower, im working on it, but it will never be optimum. and sadly i have way too much on my hands to be able to mist my orchids daily, i have 9 month old twins! so anything left to do besides getting a r/o set up or changing out the top layer often? i dont car about the leca if its not hurting things, but i do care a lot about it creeping up into my plants, specially my new growths were its turning them black before they even have a chance.

Originally Posted by NiNiDazzle

What is this two layer deli container setup? I'm always ready to learn/try something new.

it is mostly the way i water them, i have them each in two containers, the inner one has the holes on the side like s/h is normally done and the outer one is solid. this lets me walk around on watering days and fill all my pots and then let them soak for a few minutes, i then start back at the begining and with a bucket right there, can just hold the set over hte bucket, lift the inner cup half way letting the overflow drain the outer cup and then dump the outer cup in the bucket. it allows me to soak and drain my s/h pots without hauling them all to the sink and without getting my living room wet. it works very well.
as a decorative and sometimes a stability issue, i then place the both cups into various glass vases that i collect. i have spent way too many hours finding vases that match up with all the various sizes of deli cups that various companies make. its pretty funny to find my in the glassware section of a craft store or good will with a bag of deli containers, trying them all out for a good match! i liked them to hang from the rim.

[Zoi2]

About the only other thing I can think of is to totally flush your pots twice a month with plain water to flush the salts out.
Joann

[Bud]

But thats a given if you do the S/H method ...you need to flush every 15 days...thats in the instruction manual...and you repot if the plant outgrows the pot(meaning the roots are already touching the bottom of the water)

[Rivka]

Nothing is a given. And I for sure don't have an instruction book!

My "in the pot soak is always with fresh water, only running fert thru after, this was not always the case in past years bit I find it an important extra step now. And yes at least once a month usally I bring the to the sink and flush them 3 or 4 times and make sure to really tip the pot to clear the resivior. One good part of the custom pots that I make now is that the holes are at the very bottom since they all use a cache pot. This helps flush junk out of the pot better since there is no resivior to have stuff get stuc and built up in.

[Rivka]

If you consider the roots touching the bottom as the plant outgrowing the pot I would beg to disagree. Some plant can send roots straight down in a matter of a month and seem to love it. Other only grow down when they seem to have nowhere else to go. The only given in orchid growing is that there isn't. It's great to find what works and become consistent. But arbitrary info like "every 15 days" without knowing my plant types or growing conditions is a ridgedity that can defeat the nest goal which is to strive to learn ones own plants needs and meet them.

[Merlyn]

Rivka, I hope you're coming to the NCOS meeting tonight !!! The semi-hydroponic guru, Ray Barkalow is the speaker !!!! Hope to see you there !!!

[Rivka]

Yes I do plan on making it tonight. Listening to Ray should be interesting. And I was going to bring a example of my custom s/h containers I have been figuring out. Not a member yet, was also planning on joining tonight cause I'm apparently to lazy to snail mail. Show I'll bring my chid as show and tell since it can't be judged as a non member.