Newbie questions regarding semi-hydro setup
 

Hello,

I've been doing some research on how to setup semi-hydro growing environment for phals with leca, and I'm a bit confused about the best (least chance of root rot:dumb:) way to set this up..

1. should I use a clear container with drainage holes and sit it in a tray of water? or a container with no holes and pour water in it? (and does it mean that there's a chance that the roots at the bottom will be sitting in water?)

2. do you let the water in the tray or pot dry first before giving it more water?

3. is a water wicking system / self watering pot beneficial?

4. do you still need to report every 1-2 years?

Thank you!

Great questions. The most important is #2 - No. The reservoir should not go dry.

Member Ray on this board invented S/H. On his Web site firstrays.com go to Free Information then Semi-Hydroponics. It's all there.

Wicking doesn't work well with LECA. The balls are too large to have much contact with the wick.

Your biggest issue will likely be evaporative cooling of the medium in winter. Phals are warm to hot growers. Many northerners use a heat mat under their Phals in winter.

The idea is to have a constant reservoir, but the liquid in it does need to change periodically, and that's tough with a drainage-free container. The simplest design is to take such a container and drill two 1/4" holes right next to each other in the sidewall, about 1"-1.5" up from the bottom, which sets the maximum depth of the reservoir.

Plant so that the roots DO NOT reach down into the reservoir. They will grow into it, but that's fine. Potting them up with them submerged will kill them.
No. Never let it dry out. Once the plant is established in S/H, it's beneficial to water more, not less.
ES answered that well.
That depends upon the plant. LECA may not decompose, but it does accumulate salts and waste. The more you water and less you let it dry, the longer it will last.

Thank you so much for your responses! So it sounds like it’s ok for new roots to grow into the water and they don’t tend to rot?

That is correct.

As roots grow and the apical meristem starts differentiating into the multitude of different cells, the size, number, and thickness of those cells is “tailored” to that environment so the root can function optimally. Once they have grown, they cannot change.

If we move them into a different environment, we have immediately rendered them “sub-optimal” and they will start to fail - in the case of the reservoir, drown - but if they grow into the new environment, those sections of the roots will be fine.

alternate method of semihydro
 

I used to use Ray's method, but I found a way that works better for me. I disagree that self-watering doesn't work, but I don't use purchased self-watering pots. By DIYing them, I save money and can use longer wicks and a deeper reservoir. I use microfiber yarn, which is incredibly wicking. I use 2 wicks across the bottom of a 4 inch pot. In the desert or other dry climate, Ray's method might work better, but I live near the coast (4-season climate, but whenever it's hot, its humid)

I don't like a one-pot system because if you use a clear pot, you'll have algae all over. I used to drill holes in glass vases and it was a pain and only looked nice for a few months. Moreover, the one pot system sloshes water all over if you move the pot and can damage wood surfaces when you're trying to display your orchid.

I grow and rebloom all sorts of orchids the wicking way (except vandas), and even grow them from seedling size (not enough patience for flasks though) The trick is to be sure the tips of the roots are very close to the wick at first. Once the root is several inches long, I often move directly to 4-5 inch pots. I flush with every watering, but that's usually only every 2-3 weeks.

Everyone's experience is different, but I wish I'd known about this method before I wasted so much time drilling holes in glass vases. I wound up discarding them all. Both methods work, but in my conditions I think the edge goes to the wicking method.

As has been pointed out - a wick in water transferring it to LECA doesn't have near the contact area that the LECA does sitting in water.

That doesn't mean it won't work. What it does suggest is that your environment better not favor rapid evaporation.

Don't forget - the S/H technique works best if ALL the LECA stays CONSTANTLY moist.

Thank you so much for all your responses! Very helpful :)