My first attempt at Semi Hydro

[Gilda]

These phrag seedlings that I have had for a year ...have pretty much done NADA , so I am experimenting with them in SH. I do not know what kind of "rock" these are, as they were given to me. I found the cups in the home canning/ freezing section of boxstore. They seemed to be perfect for my situation, very few roots on these guys ! One paph is in it ,too.... .. little or no roots. Does everything look OK ?

[catfan]

Hi Gilda-

Hope things are cooler in your neck of the woods...Charleston has been a scorcher for the last several days!

I haven't tried semi-hydro, but it looks like you've done a great job with your potting. Keep us informed as to the progress...I always thought S/H would be good for in home growers, and have even thought of experimenting with it to see...but now that I've got a greenhouse, my enthusiasm for bringing plants back inside is gone....

Stay cool-

T.

[Gilda]

Hi Gilda-

Hope things are cooler in your neck of the woods...Charleston has been a scorcher for the last several days!

Stay cool-

T.

T.
We finally got some relief from the heat last night ! I do have a small attached growroom...my treehouse greenhouse ! Plus I also grow in my sunroom/dining room, and yes , I do dread bringing the big guys back in from the shade house !
I keep hearing how struggling orchids perk up in SH , so I thought I would give it a try. Nothing ventured ..nothing gained !
Cool should be heading your way !

[Ennui]

Hiya,
I grow some in S/H,
and everything looks ok
for now....

Advice I've heard
is to flush pots well when watering
in the first month or so,
to wash away any "pre-S/H" roots which may begin to rot.
..Later, as time passes, and perhaps algae begins to grow
inside your container,
like me you may wish you had put the S/H pots in cache pots,
or simply slipped inside another canning cup which had been painted black.
So, a warning from the future,
act now or suffer the wrath of algae.

[uncasteeb]

They look fine.
Water them from the top every 2 days , pour the water in slowly so that the medium doesn,t jump out of the containers.This should help any new roots to stay moist as they make theie way down to the res.Best quality water you can use(rainwater , reverse osmosis)
In my experience once the plant has sent roots into the res then they really fly.
I,m not 100% convinced that s/h is the best for seedling Phrags , mine have taken a long time to get adjusted(Except for Phrag St Ouen) but they do look fine & happy now.
Leave off the fert or very very weak , the fert will stay in the res so it will be available to the plants all the time so i,d advise about 1/8 strength when you have some roots.
I have saved a Phal with no roots in s/h(it,s leaving & rooting now) but it does take some time.
Best of luck.

[LJA]

They look really good so far, Gilda. Don't know if the S/H will help them do better, but I'll be curious to find out how it goes for you.

[Jmoney]

in my experience, phrags LOOOOOVE s/h. except for straight besseae, which I find does better in clay/sphag for me, and the long-petalled species. the rest of them turn into total weeds with roots up the wazoo. just make sure the reservoir never dries out and use relatively pure water.

[WolfinKW]

I've been wanting to try S/H but can't seem to find a local source for LECA or something similar. All I can find is lava and "dave's orchid bark" I just can't put my brain around paying shipping for rocks yet.

[LJA]

lol!

yeah, paying shipping for rocks....

[Diane]

No, No - you've got the wrong perspective! You aren't paying for shipping rocks - you are gaining the opportunity to have a bunch of lovely poop colored little balls of clay, which will add significantly to the, ummm the ummm, uhhh, the unique atmosphere of your growing area. (actually - I still think they look like those old candies called Boston Baked Beans - could never understand why anyone would want to name a candy after beans...)