[QUOTE=Ray;692391]Marc - rather than plugging and redrilling, you can slow the evaporation. Some folks put sphagnum on top of the medium, but I don't like that as it eventually clogs up the works. One customer in Europe took some thin, semi-rigid plastic (Mylar) and cut round discs the size of the pot, plus a hole in the middle for the plant, and a slit to allow its placement around it. The water that has evaporated condenses on the plastic and drips back into the medium.
((That's an interesting idea! Should be easy to find some Mylar locally, I will give it try- thanks!)))
Shifting gears............................................. .......
I met a grower in Ohio that has tolumnias in S/H...
The simple fact is that it is not the plant alone that determines whether it is good for any particular cultural method, but it's the overall cultural conditions that do.
(((Yes, since I can successfully grow plants ranging from Paphiopedalum to cacti in LECA, it shows the range of possibilities as long as the cultural conditions are thought through.)))
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An observation: Even though it is
the very same scenario, folks who cannot manage sphagnum well will say "
I kill everything I put in sphagnum.", but will claim it is semi-hydroponics' fault when they don't do well with that.
(((Good point! Quite often I read posts that either blame or put too much faith in s/h when that's just part of the overall system/environment. Since orchids don't like their roots disturbed, LECA pellets with s/h is the perfect way to prolong repotting and it just makes sense not to unnecessarily disturb the orchid unless it becomes overgrown in the container. Besides habit or tradition/nostalgia, I can't imagine why people continue to use traditional orchid mediums- but I'm the first to admit I'm completely biased in that opinion!)))
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