Phals, s/h and short pots

[AnonYMouse]

I'd say 1/2 of my Phals are not doing well in S/H (species and hybrids). Do I want to know why? Yeah. Am I going to figure it out? Probably not.

There are too many variables, I've tried changing some. I'm going to change the biggie variable by repotting or mounting them as soon as I decide what to try with each one

Prosecco? I would have thought Bourbon.

[Ray]

Yes, sometimes bourbon, instead.

Joe, that "pissed off" comment (when I'm in a more polite mood, I state that I am "urinated") was meant to press a point, not to pick on you or anyone, and was in jest. The point being that problems with plants in semi-hydroponics should not be blamed solely on semi-hydroponics, as that only describes a small bit of overall culture.

What is out of whack? If I knew that, I might have been able to correct it. It sure wasn't just one thing, as it varied plant to plant. For example, I had no issues with phals in the greenhouse, where it was very humid, but some of those same plants, if moved into the house, would suffer, making me think the evaporative cooling thing was the issue.

I struggled with psychopsis in S/H, but when I unknowingly knocked over one planted in bark, and it fell out of the pot and into an otherwise empty S/H pot sitting on the greenhouse floor behind a bench, it became well established, and grew and bloomed regularly. I didn't know that had happened until the spike reached up above the bench.

I was never successful with dendrobiums in S/H culture, but I am not a fan of them, so never put in the effort to find out why.

[LeeB]

I've been growing my phals in s/h for 1 year. They are all in vases or glasses from our recycling center. I soak all plants completely up to bottom of leaves in water w/1/4 fertilizer for 2 days then empty the glasses for 5 days. The water roots are taking over, the old roots have gone to the happy hunting ground. Some of the phals have started to keiki 3 or 4 times. they are doing very well.

[murph7]

Originally Posted by LeeB

in water w/1/4 fertilizer for 2 days then empty the glasses for 5 days.

This is more like semi-water culture.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by murph7

This is more like semi-water culture.

It is vase culture. I have just a few plants growing this way (Phalaenopsis and Vandas). The Phals have roots that have grown to fill roughly 50% of the vase they are in. In summer I let the rain partially fill the vase during storms, then empty the water. When rain is not enough, I spray the roots with water.