SH Transplant Experiment

[Bud]

Ray is the inventor of the S/H method. It has worked very well for me. My very first orchid plant on S/H is the Mokara on my avatar. Then I tried an intergeneric Oncidium, four medium sized Vandas then on to two Cattleyas and then finally ended with Phal. philippinensis now in spike for the second year blooming cycle.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Hopefully on topic, I am most interested to know, Ray, if you have thoughts regarding putting the holes higher on the pot, when transferring over to S/H.

Some pots I've chosen are very tall. So I put the holes higher up. Some plants I've put into S/H grow extensive root system, depending on the orchid. Thus, my thought has been a taller pot.

Have you any words of assistance, other than always an inch or so up?

The height of the holes merely determines the depth of the reservoir. What's more important is the distance from the reservoir to the top of the medium, as that's where the plant grows.

In that part of the pot, you have two, competing processes - wicking of the water upward to wet the medium, and evaporation from the top, drying it.

If your growing conditions favor evaporation - sunny, warm, breezy, low RH - then shortening that column of medium above the reservoir is an advantage. If evaporation is not accelerated (as in my very humid greenhouse) that height is irrelevant.

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Or anyone else who's been doing S/H long enough to assure a variation thrives?

There are no guarantees, but several things favor successful semi-hydroponic culture:

• Transplant a healthy plant, not a sick one.
• Transplant it only when brand new root growth is emerging from the base of the plant.
• Water frequently, using very dilute fertilizer solutions.
• Make sure the rest of your cultural parameters don't force issues detrimental to the plant's needs.

An example of the last one is the classic mistake of growing a phalaenopsis in a dry home, and turning the thermostat down in the winter to save energy costs. The dry air accelerates the evaporation from the open, airy medium, which cools the root system. That, coupled with the lowered room temperature, drives the root zone temperature too low for the plant, and the roots die and rot.

[mtorchid]

WaterW, for my orchids that like to stay "continuously moist" I either put A: the holes higher up the sides, B: put traditional "two holes one inch up the side" pots in another container where I can raise the water level above the two holes level, C: Do the same as B but put orchids in open net-pots inside another container where I can control the water level. The advantage of C is that, being in a net pot, it is very quick and easy to flush water through it, then just put the net-pot back into the reservoir container. One option for you with taller containers would be to water more often, perhaps. There are so many ways to approach s/h but at the end, what's critical is the roots receive the moisture/air they require- right?