Substitute for Clay Pellets

[Gurj]

Gurjeet, you could try out a simple experiment before you plant your orchids in it. Just take your SH pot fill it up with these pellets and water. Weigh it on day one and then weigh it every day at the same time, see how much water is evaporated everyday. If there is capillary action a lot of water will evaporate. Another test to see if there is enough capillary action would be to take one of these samll brick pieces from the top layer in the pot and touch it slightly either above the lip (between the nose and lip) or under the lower lip between the lip and the chin. These spots on our body are very sensitive to temperature and moisture. You will feel the moisture or if it is dry. If after several days you notice that the water is evaporating and that the pieces on the top are moist, I will conclude there is sufficient capillary action to support orchids.

Alrighty, here it goes. This container has everything it needs to be an SH, hopefully. The green band shows the water level and the three capillary materials sticking out on the surface is an added wick that goes all the way down to the bottom to wick up the nutrient solution. I will follow your experimental procedure and test it for the next week. Enough time for my orchids to show up and observe the test results. Thanks to all!