Best orchids for no potting media?

[jkofferdahl]

There are so, so many orchids which can grow happily when mounted, which is essentially without media. Just after I was in college one of the botany professors took me under his wing in the greenhouse. One day he knocked over a Phal schilleriana, and then told me that the plant just volunteered to be my teacher. I cleaned up the pot shards and media from the floor but he told me to leave the orchid where it sat. No pot, no media, just a spot on the floor of the greenhouse. Within a month or two it grew three big spikes which eventually had over 75 flowers in bloom, while still sitting on the floor. Only after it finished blooming did he allow me to put the plant in a basket, where it continued to thrive.

A number of my mounted Phals and Gastrochiluses, and also a mounted Rhyncholaelia digbyana and Brassavola grandiflora all have roots hanging off the mount and all over the place. Though Vandas seem the popular choice for such a root display I believe you'll see it in a broad range of plant types.

Of course, the conditions do have to be pretty plant-friendly. Bare roots are going to require both frequent watering (I water many of my mounted orchids twice each day and I have high humidity - 65-70%) and also require very good humidity. Aereal roots will quickly dry out, lose their velamin, and die if they get too dry. If you're going to grow your plants this way then it's going to be necessary to do two things. First, buy a humidifier. You can get an ultrasonic unit pretty inexpensively on Amazon. Second, buy a fan to keep the air around your plants moving. You only need small fans, what are sold as "personal" fans - you don't want a windstorm but just a gentle breeze. Humid, moving air around these plants is what will make your project successful.

[malteseproverb]

I have a brassavola nodosa that I've been meaning to mount for months now after I removed it from its pot (poor thing was incredibly overpotted by its previous owner and was suffering terribly so I just had to take it out). I haven't found a suitable mount so it's just been left sitting on a shelf on its side for months now. I spray it every day and it's been growing like mad. So you could try one of them! It doesn't have flexible roots like vandas do so they won't sway or anything but the thing still looks nice (to me).

[Orchid Whisperer]

I have 2 NOID Phals growing quite well, bare roots without medium in vase culture. After about 1 year, the root mass is approaching a solid cylinder. Excellent way to grow Phals, close to zero root loss!

[gary710]

Originally Posted by Arizona Jeanie

I have one experimental phal hybrid in a quart mason jar with no medium. It's been there about a year and is doing great. The jar keeps the humidity up around those fat green roots, it's very dry here. I thought it would die, but it looks quite healthy and is blooming right now. I'm not sure what this method is called, semi-water culture seems the closest. You might give this a try, I've been surprised at how well it's working.

sorry to but in. what kind or stones works best? and how to keep algae free?

I've seen pal in full water jar with some puffed red clay in bottom. they do flower but the plant and flowers are small.

I tried part in full water the worked great for about a year but too much algae. The roots in jar rot after moving the mother pot and the jar. also found cumbersome in terms of rotating the flower to keep good form.

[Bulbopedilum]

I'm also sorry to suddenly butt in but this sounds like a very interesting way to grow orchids - just a jar and sometimes give water.

What other small-ish orchids can be kept in jars other than vandids and phals? I might do an experiment on my dendro crumenatum once it has keikis (I heard they make a ton). I have a spare mason jar and I would like to try.

What about terrestrials? That would be very interesting and maybe possible because I've seen people grow some normal plants in jars.

[Subrosa]

There are 2 basic methods of water culture growing in vases, full and semi. Full water culture is how everyone's mother grew the Pothos(Philodendron) in my day or lucky bamboo today, in the little glass of water on the windowsill. In this method the roots are partially (about 1/3 of total root mass) submerged at all times. In semi water culture the vase would be filled completely, the plant allowed to soak a while, and then the water is poured out, leaving the roots in the more humid environment of the vase. Theoretically, depending upon the specific plant of course, with one of these methods or a hybrid of the 2 one could likely grow any plant. It would just be a matter of finding the right balance between air and water to the roots for that plant. However I suspect that certain plants which are notoriously difficult to transplant (poppies come to mind) wouldn't respond well to all the disturbance to their root zone any such method would entail.

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by gary710

sorry to but in. what kind or stones works best? and how to keep algae free?

According to the American Orchid Society, green algea is not "particularly dangerous" to orchids as long as it does not block out the light.

removing it can be a problem because whatever you use, (chemicals, UV light) can cause nutrient deficiencies in the water, and thus affect the plants.

My only thought is to remove the orchid from the water once a week or so, change to new water, and scrub out the planter (assuming you are using a clear glass or plastic planter.) I would not recommend any kind of algaecide because you do not know how it might affect orchid roots. If there is one out there proven specifically for orchids, then maybe use that. I have heard that Physan might work. I would do my research on this.

[Arizona Jeanie]

I don't add any kind of stones or pebbles or anything else. I'm afraid they would bump around and injure the roots. I occasionally take the entire plant out of the vase and wash the vase with soap and water and a bottle brush to get the algae out. (We've graduated from a quart jar to a nice looking quart+ vase.) No need for chemicals other than dish soap. The plant continues to thrive, three new leaves, and the vase is full of roots this growing season. I'll put all my phals, this one included, into a cool room pretty soon, see if they'll spike again! I was very surprised that vase culture works so well, but it does, at least here with this plant.

[Subrosa]

I've gotten good results with full water culture in vases, but the best results for me have come from a modified semi water culture, with just enough water left in the vase after soaking to submerge a few root tips.

[gary710]

do you rotate the vase if growing by window?
or you use LED or other light source from above the plants?