Terra Cotta jars?

[hthood1@gmail.com]

Does anyone have any experience or insight on mounting warm growers to terra Cotta jars or cylinders? Thinking den phals or vandas. As I understand it, the water seeps thru the clay and keeps the roots hydrated, and the humidity up. Would the evaporative cooling make this less than desirable for warm growers? (Read somewhere that the surface could be 10 to 15 degrees cooler than ambient.) Thanks.
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[Brutal_Dreamer]

I've seen it done, and have grown cattleyas this way, but perfer to grow vandas in baskets with lava rock. Hopefully someone else will have some good advice for you.

Cheers,
BD
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[raybark]

I have built such clay mounts by silicone-gluing a terra cotta pot upside down to a tray, filling it through the drainage hole, and there have been (are?) commercially available products. Here’s my take:

If the porosity of the clay body is exactly correct, and your growing environment matches it, the exterior surface stays moist. If the the porosity is too coarse, the water leaks out too rapidly, or if it’s too fine, it won’t permeate it fast enough and it’ll be too dry. Likewise, if your growing conditions are too humid or too dry, that will affect the outcome as well.

Yes, evaporative cooling is a concern (one commercial product was sold as a Cool-Log) and nothing hot-growing like a phal or vanda will like that. Plus, any dissolved minerals or fertilizer added to the liquid will deposit on the surface, ultimately poisoning the roots.

[hthood1@gmail.com]

Thanks guys, figured that would be the case. If one day I lose my common sense and get a masdie and decide to spend the money to cool my house enough to provide an environment that would support one then maybe...
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