down side of semi hydroponic?

[20jlr]

The real down fall is that you will stop killing and start growing and therefor run ut of room very quikly

[orchidbud2001]

Has anyone tried to add it to a conventional bark mixture in order to stretch the time between repotting?

[Ray]

"Diluting" bark with something that doesn't decompose has absolutely no bearing on how fast the bark will decompose. In fact, adding an inorganic component will often give you a drier mix, meaning you have to water more frequently, and that may shorten the life of the organic components.

[orchidbud2001]

Thanks for the reply. I tend to have a heavy watering hand so dry is not a problem for me. I have developed arthritis and repotting 900 orchids has become a problem for me. I am looking for a way to repot less often. Any suggestions would be great.
Ellen

[Ray]

Then definitely look into semi-hydroponics, or the use of LECA as an inorganic medium in ordinary culture. It never decomposes, you you only have to repot when the size of the plant calls for it, not when it's dictated by sour medium. And then, when you move to a larger pot, you simply add enough new stuff to fillin the void space, without removing the old!

[caseydoll]

I was wondering, when using LECA as an inorganic medium (not s/h) how often should you generally water? Or how can you tell? About an hour after I water it looks dry again but I don't want to overwater. Thanks!

[DasEmpress]

Hi Mary!

I started with a starter kit from Ray about a month ago..I was intrigued after reading the posts re: S/H. I repotted two very unhappy 'chids: a Dgmra. & an Odcdm. In two weeks, after using the MSU fertilizer & the root hormone, all I saw was new, green, happy roots! Since then, I've switched about 75% of my collection to S/H, and haven't had any problems yet...(though I've probably just jinxed myself, now!)

[Ray]

Rhonda: Yes, you have.

[Ray]

Sarah,

Depending upon the brand of LECA you use, the amount of stored water will vary, but the fact is that even though it looks dry soon after watering, it really isn't.

Use your plants as the guide on watering frequency. If they are desiccating, water more frequently. As far as I can tell, you cannot really overwater.

[caseydoll]

Ray, thank you for the reply. I use PrimeAgra from your site so I figured it holds moisure but wasn't exactly sure. I was worried I wasn't watering enough. But you answered my question perfectly. Thanks!