considering s/h

[SparkieIXII]

hi everyone i have been looking through the thread about s/h it is very interesting i was just wondering how everyones plants are going and if you have had problems with the water sitting in the bottom of the pots going off. my mother-inlaw didn't think that it would be a good idea due to the plants sitting in water and the risk of them being too wet. i am interested in trying this idea with mine but would appreciate some feedback from other growers of this method.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Hey Sparkie!

The plants do not actually sit in the water, the water "wicks" up to the roots through the media. After awhile, the roots grow into the water area, but our test plant seems fine with that. It keeps growing, spiking, and blooming.

Some on here have lots of their collection in s/h so you will get better advice soon.

Cheers,
BD

[Mehera]

I have a lot of plants in s/h. Most of my orchids take to it pretty well, and I think it helps them with the low humidity which is a constant where I live.

There are lots of intangibles between the way one person does s/h and what another might do, and it can lead to different outcomes. I run mine on the dry side. I don't usually intend to let the reservoirs go dry, but sometimes it happens. I will take them to the sink every week or two and give the media a good soak before putting more water in the reservoir--usually at a low level. And sometimes, if a plant has just been moved to s/h, I put them in the wet pellets and let them sit without water in the reservoir for a few weeks (wetting the media each week) to let them adjust.

The thing you always read about s/h seems to be true for my plants: roots suddenly put into water might rot, but roots that grow into the water love it. I have phals, catts and lots of oncs in s/h, and have only had a few failures.

I do feel that this is something you should do when there is enough warm weather left in the season to let them get established before winter. I think putting them in this culture method in the cold winter months would be asking for trouble.

[SparkieIXII]

i live in australia so we are just starting to get into the wormer weather.but with the water in the bottem have you had any problems with that

[Mehera]

Not really. But as I said, I don't have them in water as constantly as some people do. And I don't put plants used to regular media directly into s/h without easing the way and letting them get used to it slowly.

Going into summer would be an ideal time to try. Don't move your whole collection into it, just a plant here and there to see what it's like. I like it.

[SparkieIXII]

ok cool ty

[hcubed]

I have also been experimenting with s/h and now have 5 in it - a struggling onc (was struggling before s/h and now doing really well considering is state before), a paph pinocchio (didn't even bat an eye at the change) and the rest are phals. The phals all had a couple existing roots go bad with the change but have all the responded with new root growth. I would however have a good root-growing fertilizer on hand to boost the new root growth and help the adjustment.

As far as the water in the bottom is concerned, I am on the other end of the spectrum - mine never go dry (not so much because I always fill them, but the weather just isn't that dry). So far no problems. I have been experimenting with having the reservoir outside the pot so that the rocks wick water up but there is no puddle IN the pot. Hard to say on the success of that though since the plants in it were rescues anyway.

I do however make a point of not just topping off the reservoir but completely flushing the pot regularly just as I would with other plants.

[SparkieIXII]

ok cool i appreciate your input

[uncasteeb]

I have a lot in s/h & mostly they do extremely well.
My Phrags (except besseae ) go nuts in it , during the hot months i water every day & have no problems with this.Cymbidiums go bananas in it as well , so many roots that i have to cut the pots off when i have to repot.The roots fill the res completely & even my 1 species Cymbidium is growing extremely well.
Phals seem to love it & some of mine have been in s/h for more than 3 years with out a repot & are getting huge.
Some of my Phals will bloom almost constantly , new spikes forming before the old 1,s die off but i do remove spikes when i move the plants to the g/h for the summer to give them a rest but usually they form new spikes within a month or so.
Dens are a bit more difficult to say they will thrive & flower.I have a Den kingianum in s/h & it flowers really well but a Den ochreatum grows huge canes but does not flower , i changed back to bark & i have smaller canes but i do have flowers.Den speciosum grows well but no flowers so maybe i will change this back to bark next year.
Encyclias go nuts in it for me as well.I have a Enc diota var atrourbens with a 4ft spike on it @ the moment with 70+ flowers.
My octopus plants also thrive , i have 1 with 3 spikes blooming away.
I would try a few test plants & get the system up & running & see how your plants take to it then change them over as you get more accustomed to the method.

[Mehera]

Always so nice to hear from you uncasteeb. And ditto about the encyclias; they really love s/h!