my first phrag...Schroderae.....into s/h?

[Cinderella]

I won Phrag Schroderae last night in our local OS Raffle. August has been very lucky for me, I usually don't win anything! Anyway, this is my first Phrag ever and all I know is that they like good quality water and like to be pretty wet.

It is potted in a combination of rockwool and medium perlite as far as I can see. I am very unfamiliar with using these mediums and would like to pot in s/h. But....I know what Louis said about repotting when there is root growth and there is not right now. If I wait, I will miss my warm weather "window" and have to pot in the Fall/Winter and also I don't know how to care for a plant in rockwool.

Has anybody out there repotted a Phrag into s/h when it did not have new root growth and how did it do?

[uncasteeb]

My Phrag Sorcerers Apprentice came in Rockwool & pearlite , like you i,m not familiar with it,s use.Plus the latest growth on the plant was about 1 1/2" above the surface of the rockwool & i wanted it to be @ least level.

Repotted into s/h using LECA & about 10% charcoal(why not !) into the same pot it came in & just sat in a deep saucer of rainwater.
Never missed a beat.I have a spike about 2' high & 3 new growths(all growing).
The 3 seedling Phrags took a while to get comfortable(there in s/h pots) but now are growing well.I,ve had them for about 2 1/2 months.

[Cinderella]

hmmm. that brings me to another point. when you capture your rainwater, do you just do it in a bucket or with some kind of a filter? Thanks.

[Jmoney]

Schro is an easy-growing hybrid. As long as it has a good root mass, it will almost certainly *not* mind a repotting, and will probably use the warm weather to "take off" its root growth. It is a phrag that should love s/h. A teaspoon of super-thrive or KLN per gallon would help jumpstart it further.

[uncasteeb]

As for how i collect rainwater.

http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...read.php?t=786

I soak the LECA in a solution of Superthrive to facilatate a good start to root growth.

[Cinderella]

oh, right, the water butts. I will have to try just a bucket for now.

Jason, would you mix in the KLN/Superthrive every time you fertilize or just to get it started?

[Jmoney]

oh, right, the water butts. I will have to try just a bucket for now.

Jason, would you mix in the KLN/Superthrive every time you fertilize or just to get it started?

I sometimes use 1 drop/gallon during fertilizing (about every 2 weeks). I'm not convinced it does much, but I have a bottle of super-thrive that otherwise I wouldn't get that much mileage from. I'd use something like 1 tsp/gallon during repotting (i.e. soaking the medium & watering the plant right after potting). I do *not* recommend continuing this dose or anything more than a drop or two per gallon on a regular basis, or else you will get hideously deformed flowers. I've also heard reports of some weird growth patterns as well.

[Cinderella]

Yikes! Thanks!