I just put Den. Aggregatum in S/H, is that a bad idea?

[Berrybee]

I searched this forum, but didn't find any post about growing Den. Aggregatum in S/H culture. The reason I did that is I'm afraid I'll always underwater it if it stays in the basket it came with. One difficulty I realized after I took it out of the basket is to stabilize the plant in pot. And to get the old medium out of the roots is a pain.

I'm not sure if this is a good or bad idea, or it all depends on other conditions I can provide for its growth. Would anyone with more experience give me some opinions? Thanks in advance!

[mtorchid]

Putting your Den into s/h is a good idea, the clay pellets will supply ample moisture and air for the roots. Your Den will like warm temps and higher humidity for most of the year. Try "nesting" the pot it is in inside a heavier pot it it's top heavy. Check out the Dendrobium forum here for more detailed info, look for the "Sticky" note at the top. I love Dendrobiums and I'm sure you will too!

---------- Post added at 04:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:47 AM ----------

P.S., another great thing about clay pellets is that "painful" process of extracting bark medium from roots when re-potting will be history. There will be no need to remove the pellets from roots that are clinging to them as they don't break down like regular orchid potting mixes - easy!

[Fairorchids]

I have never grown SH, so can't say whether this will work or not. However, this Den needs 90-120 days of ZERO water, cooler temps & bright light from Oct-Jan (or till buds appear). Is that doable in SH?

[Berrybee]

Thank you both for sharing your experience. Regarding to the winter rest requirement, I assume I can just stop adding water to the reservoir, and occasionally mist the plant and clay pellet as needed. But I'm not certain if that would work, or if there's any negative to do it this way. If anyone can provide some insight regarding this, that'll be great!

I did see in the sticky thread that many Den. are grown in s/h, but no one mentioned den. Aggregatum this species. Some place I read says it needs to be dried out between watering, and other places do not mention that. So I'm also uncertain about this.

[mtorchid]

Yes, just like any other media, restricting water and providing cooler night temps is the key to getting those buds to bud out.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Fairorchids

I have never grown SH, so can't say whether this will work or not. However, this Den needs 90-120 days of ZERO water, cooler temps & bright light from Oct-Jan (or till buds appear). Is that doable in SH?

Actually, lots of folks with experience growing plants that need a "winter rest" in S/H (I don't grow them) have proven the "zero water" thing not to be the case at all.

The key is zero nutrients, not zero water.

If you think about the plants in nature, they only get fed when it rains, and they get fed whenever it rains. Those plants typically have dry seasons, when there is no rain, hence no food. it's pretty obvious to the observer that there is no rain, but the "no food" part is easy to miss.

Yes, withholding water can be done is S/H culture, but it's not necessary, as long as you use nutrient-free water.

[mtorchid]

Yes, "zero water" is an exaggeration. The suggestions I have read all seem to revolve around some version of - just give enough water to keep the pbulbs/canes from shriveling up. It certainly worked for my deciduous Den, plus making sure it was in a part of the house at night that experienced a good 10-20 degree drop in temp to around 50-55 degrees.

[BettyE]

I started putting my orchids in S/H, or whatever it is called that Ray sells. I use the course & all of my orchids are doing great! I orginally did this because I'm lazy, & HATE to re-pot. Now, it is sooooooooo much easier. I have about 75 orchids, and all but five are in those brown round balls. ( S/H ) At the end of the Summer, all 75 will be finished! BettyE

[mtorchid]

Betty- Yes, SO much easier! Ray sells PrimeAgra pellets, his analysis of wicking action on his website is very scientific. I've seen pellets locally and I'm tempted to test them against P-A for efficiency, but, as we say out West- "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"!

[Berrybee]

Ray, thanks for your comment and explanation. I'm glad I came across s/h culture and your website before I started growing orchids. Your method makes this hobby much easier to maintain!