down side of semi hydroponic?

[sschneider]

Yes, go slow. I have tried a dozen plants mostly paphs. that just weren't growing, year after year. I felt I had nothing to lose. Within a month new root growth started, even at the surface where I could see crystals of fertilizer salts accumulating. I'm going light on the fertilizer and using deionized water, which I change once a week. I am also using clear pots and one big tray as the resevoir. I tried one phal. venosa that wasn't doing well and the roots rotted. Perhaps it needed to grow a new root system for a different environment. Usually orchids adapt their roots for the environment they're growing in, so it would have been smarter to wait for the start of new root growth before moving it.