Transfered all orchids to semi-hydroponics

[Ely]

I hope they like their new medium; cause I'm not changing it again !

I was online trying to find a suitable source for a LECA type medium only to have some bad luck. To my dismay First Ray's was offline, so that was not a possibility... Sorry Ray... maybe I'll buy an RO system later .

I continued my google searches finding few sources with the goods I so desperately seeked. Many were ebay sellers with only a few pounds of media. Darn! I'll need more than that...

The next website was a nice find; although at first glance I thought I would never find the media amongst their massive list of goodies. Alas! There it was! Hydroton! Not the same as PrimeAgra, but it looked like it would do the trick.

After reading through some reviews I decided to buy some and give it a shot; after all, the orchids needed new media.

I looked at the price and decided to buy one 50 liter bag of hydroton. Now I needed some pots. Yes! 5.5" pots for $1.50 each. Pricey, but sturdy and reliable. I put 30 in the shopping cart. After looking at the ammount of media one would hold (supposedly .75 gallons) I did the math at discovered I would only be able to fill 17 pots with the media! Oops... Better get another bag.

So in the end I had two 50 liter bags of hydroton, 30 5.5" baskets, 8oz. neem oil, 8oz. Orchid Pro, and 8oz. K-L-N. The total, with shipping, was a little under $170. Four days later it arrived, and I got to work.

I poured one bag of hydroton into the bath tub and rinsed it off four or five times. I then filled the tub up with fresh water and some K-L-N and let it sit about 24 hours. Wow! Time slows way down when you want something done! It was about then I realized I might have a little too much media...

After unpotting, cleaning, trimming roots, pulling off leaves, repotting, and sweating like a pig in Death Valley, it was done. YAY!

So now I have twenty three orchids (some died, one was infected with black rot, so I cut off the saveable portions and made about eight new ones out of it.) two amaryillises, one bonsai, and a chunk of aloe-vera in hyrdoponic media.

By the way, I have about 10 gallons of hydroton left from the first bag, and the whole second bag, left over... . I'll order more pots... !

So far it seems good, but it's only been one day! I treated all the orchids with fungicide spray and neem oil/soap spray about six times so far. Oops... Too much maybe, but they look healthy... I also flushed them off about three times with distilled water (no RO system yet...) and got the media soaked some more. They have a radiator style heater next to them that I move into different spots. I also have the humidifier and fogger working together. The humidity is about 50% and the temperature is about 78 degrees.

Not bad, huh?

[snow]

i wish you luck
remember; patiece!

[billc]

Wow, you've been busy. I just transfered 4 neglected Phals. to S/H 2 weeks ago. The roots were more than half rotted, but there was some new growth so I figured what the hey! 3 of the phals seem to have taken to it well, the new roots are continuing to grow. The sickest of the bunch, had limp leaves that seem to be getting a little healthier as time goes on. I also had 2 keikies on another phal that I threw into the left over Prime Agra and they have really taken to it. The three little roots I can see have already grown almost an inch.
One thing I really like about the Prime Agra is that the flower stakes I use stay straight and stay where you put them. Good luck with yours!!
Bill

[Ely]

Thanks! A couple of the divisions have wimpy leaves that look like they need moisture badly. They had the feel of the skin on a pear that's overly ripe. I hope the pseudobulbs plump back up... maybe there is hope!

[Ray]

I always caution against wholesale repotting episodes like that, for three reasons:

1. It is always best to move plants into S/H culture when they are growing new roots, and it is unlikely that all plants are doing so simultaneously.
2. With any new culture method, or change in any one, single component of your overall culture, there is always a learning curve. Seems to me that risking a plant or two is better than all of them while you learn.
3. Considering all of the other aspects of each individual's specific conditions, what grows well in S/H culture for one, might not do so for another. Again, why risk it before you have at least some idea of what will happen?

That said, it sounds like you are doing everything you can to increase the probability of overall success, so good luck!

[Ely]

I ended up pulling four of the orchids out of the pots (Angraceum, Brassia, Paphiopedlium, and Psychopsis) as they were too big for the 5.5" ones I ordered. I ended up putting them in two gallon ice cream buckets with more media, and the roots are well covered. After moving things around the highest humidity has reached 77% and the highest temperature 86 degrees. A little much for my liking. After repotting a couple of the bulbophylums (I didn't do a great job on the first try) it looked like the roots were doing better, and the new root growth that looked dry before transplanting looks lots better! I can only hope for the best and if I lose a couple orchids, that's life and I'll keep living. It's a learning experience, and I think it will pay off. Success or failure I will have added to my ongoing knowledge of orchids.

[dave b]

What kind of Angraecum? Not all Angraecoids will take to s/h well. Also, many dont like their roots being disturbed, so ya gotta be careful.