S/h in pots with a water well or not

[msu1975]

I'm a casual orchid and houseplant grower. Some of my plants are in s/h and do well. I use the pellets as a medium much like bark is used in regular pots or in pots with holes in the bottom and sit it in an inch of water or plastic containers that have the hole in the side not the bottom so when the plant is watered, there is a water well in the bottom of the container.

I'd like to try vandas and Neofineta in s/h. Should I put the plants in open containers and use the s/h as a medium or should I have a well of water?

[Ray]

First let's talk terminology.

"S/H" is for semi-hydroponics, which is single-pot culture using an inert medium and always having a standing reservoir of nutrient solution available to the plant, whether it is an internal reservoir or a standard pot standing in a tray of water. S/H is NOT the medium; that's most likely LECA, and without a reservoir it's not S/H culture.

That said, personally, I am not particularly successful with vandaceous plants in S/H, but I know of a lot of folks that are.

The key isn't the type of plant or how you go about implementing the culture technique, it's how your overall set of conditions match with the needs of the plant. S/H pretty much only covers how you deliver water and nutrition to the plant, and doesn't address other important aspects like temperature, lighting, humidity, air movement, feeding, etc.

[bnegrete]

Hi Ray,

Regarding your comment... I'd assumed that humidity was provided also by the reservoir and wicking, my plants are doing great in S/H, I mist them with a water sprayer only when I walk pass them; is this ok? Should I place a humidity tray o a humidifier? It's warm now..

Thanks

[Bud]

Ray explained it clearly. If you are doing S/H method correctly then you don't need humidifiers or trays....spraying the top clay wet is good and maybe an oscillating fan will help....in winter a heat mat is fine if your plant is very near the window pane. Just remember Vandas love warmth and they hate the cold. Even if the coerulea can stand below 40 it still get stressed by exposure to frost.

[RosieC]

Just on the line of whether Vanda's would do well like this... I think it might depend on your temperatures.

I have found that S/H keeps the roots a little colder than other growing methods (due to the evaporation from always damp Leca). If your temps are high enough, this cooling will not be a problem, but as Vandas are warm loving you will probably only get on well with them in S/H if your temps are well withing the range they like.

I grow Phals at the bottom end of their preferred temps in winter, and as a result I can't grow them in S/H. I grow other cooler loving orchids in S/H in identical conditions (Oncidiums etc) with no problem.