# Semi Hydro is working !!



## Gilda (Mar 12, 2007)

Paph Michael Koopowitz reaching for the reservoir !





Paph spicerianum *in *the reservoir !!




These have been in SH for a little over a month...hydroton is the medium.


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## kentuckiense (Mar 12, 2007)

Good to hear Michael is doing well!


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## johnndc (Mar 13, 2007)

wow, that's great, and so quickly. My michael koopowitz seems to be liking semi-hydro as well.


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## Roy (Mar 13, 2007)

Questions, do the pots you are using have any holes in them or are the intact like a cup??? If they are a cup, how often do you check the water level? If there are holes ( in base???) what water level do you keep in the tray they are in please.
Roy.


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## Gilda (Mar 13, 2007)

Roy said:


> Questions, do the pots you are using have any holes in them or are the intact like a cup??? If they are a cup, how often do you check the water level? If there are holes ( in base???) what water level do you keep in the tray they are in please.
> Roy.


Yes, the cups have 2 holes like most semi hydro growers use...the holes are a little over an inch from the bottom....I check my orchids way too often...:rollhappy: but the "rocks" seem to be staying moist for about a week in this size. If I see it getting low I add more...I don't let them go dry .I am sure as it gets hotter I will see a change. 
Now if MK will just bloom !!:wink:


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## Roy (Mar 13, 2007)

Do you think the same results will be achieve by just using normal pots in a tray of water.? I have a Phrag in Hydroton in a squat pot in a saucer of water that seems very happy.


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## Roy (Mar 13, 2007)

Sorry Gilda, meant to ask, are the cups for Hydroponics with the holes or something different and you put the holes in.
Roy


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## Gilda (Mar 13, 2007)

Roy said:


> Sorry Gilda, meant to ask, are the cups for Hydroponics with the holes or something different and you put the holes in.
> Roy


A lot of people grow with their pots sitting in water ,and they do great so I sure yours will succeed. For my conditions that is not feasible, I do not want that much mositure in my house...I have to run a dehumidifer in the winter or my windows drip after I water !! 
My cups are deli cups..plastic drinking cups..anything can be used that you can get the holes in..I have seen plastic paint buckets, dishpans etc etc used ...


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## Grandma M (Mar 13, 2007)

Roy 

I will add my 2 cents worth.

I use either hydroton or prim-agra. Some people prefer prim-agra but I can get hydroton locally. I don't like to pay to ship rocks. When I need to repot, I boil the old medium, using a bit of physan 20, to make sure they are safe to reuse. I have even used regular bleach. After it is clean, I let them dry and then just dump them into a plastic container. When I want to reuse it, I soak it for several hours or overnight with KLN. I have both paphs and phrags in it and they do just great. The phrags especially love the S/H method. I do have a handful of other orchids in it also. I have been using this method for almost 2 years.

The very large pots (8 inch) I buy from First Ray but the smaller ones I make myself. I use either the plastic cups I get at Costco or what I find at a store that sells the 1 quart deli containers. In a pinch I have asked for a couple from the deli in the grocery store. They always sell me a few at a cheap price. I try to find the clear plastic cups that rather thick.

I use an electric drill to put the holes in. I found a bit which makes perfectly round holes at Lowes , but that really isn't necessary, a regualr bit works also. I just like my holes to be round......I'm just a fussy old lady I guess.

Some of my in bloom slippers are pictured in the thread 'Orchid Jungle'. You can see that they bloom well for me in S/H.

Grandma


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## toddybear (Mar 13, 2007)

Please enlighten this dull person...what is KLN?  

What size hydroton do you both use? I read it comes in small, medium and large. I can find a source for large (20 mm) only...is this too large?


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## kentuckiense (Mar 13, 2007)

Back during my s/h experimenting days, I used to make the pots by unfurling a paper clip and heating the end of the wire until it was red hot and then just melt/cut a hole in the plastic.


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## Gilda (Mar 13, 2007)

*A good place for cheap deli containers*

Here is a link for some good/cheap deli containers of all sizes....
http://www.wesellcoffee.com/page29.html


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## Gilda (Mar 13, 2007)

toddybear said:


> Please enlighten this dull person...what is KLN?
> 
> KLN is a liquid rooting hormone...helps with transplanting shock.


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## gonewild (Mar 13, 2007)

kentuckiense said:


> Back during my s/h experimenting days, I used to make the pots by unfurling a paper clip and heating the end of the wire until it was red hot and then just melt/cut a hole in the plastic.



An electric soldering iron works great to punch the holes.


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## Gilda (Mar 13, 2007)

gonewild said:


> An electric soldering iron works great to punch the holes.


They work really good till you drop them and they break into a million pieces !


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## Kyle (Mar 13, 2007)

I use a dremel with a 1/4 hole attachment. Makes perfect holes everytime. And no fumes.

I only have 3 plants in S/H, but they are doing really well. I think I should try more this summer.

Kyle


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Mar 13, 2007)

Hmmmm....I'm still not impressed with SH, even though I now top off only with fertilizer solution...no change from when I just topped off with plain water. I have also noticed that the plants that are doing well with SH, seem to mainly just grow roots. My Phal schilleriana, which has made the best root growth of any SH plant, has not actually produced any new leaves at all in the entire time its been in SH....Take care, Eric


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## Roy (Mar 13, 2007)

Thanks Gilda, the pots shouldn't be a problem but PrimeAgra is, we don't have it here. The Hydroton is available and one wholesalers has it in 3 sizes,
4-8mm, 8-16mm & larger. The one that is closest for pick has one size 8-16mm. They sell to Commercial growers and Hydroponic shops, 40 bags 
( one pallet) minimum order. I could probably use a fair amount of those 40 bags in a repotting but the cost might bend the wallet too much. Reason, over 1000 Paphs & Phrags to do.


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## Grandma M (Mar 14, 2007)

Thanks Gilda. I'm happy to get a source for the larger 64 oz container. I expect to order some. Thanks again.

Grandma


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## lothianjavert (Mar 14, 2007)

I had never had anything in S/H until I bought a phrag like that last year, and it is so happy in there. I'm definitely switching over the rest of my phrags.


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## SlipperFan (Mar 14, 2007)

lothianjavert said:


> I had never had anything in S/H until I bought a phrag like that last year, and it is so happy in there. I'm definitely switching over the rest of my phrags.


Everyone has their own opinion and experience, but mine has been that not all Phrags like S/H.


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## Gilda (Mar 14, 2007)

You should use caution when switching to any new growing medium....watch your plants carefully ! I only did more after seeing some success. There will be failures !


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## papheteer (Mar 15, 2007)

does anybody have any experience with parvis in s/h? any thoughts?


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## NYEric (Mar 15, 2007)

lothianjavert said:


> I had never had anything in S/H until I bought a phrag like that last year, and it is so happy in there. I'm definitely switching over the rest of my phrags.


I have to post photos of the roots of the plants I grow hydro vs. S/H. I sind a lot of roots dying in plants I rec'd S/H. Be Carefull. :wink:


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## lothianjavert (Mar 15, 2007)

This one seems to be very, very happy. I don't plan to switch all of my plants over, just the phrags, since I have trouble keeping them wet enough.


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## James (Mar 15, 2007)

papheteer said:


> does anybody have any experience with parvis in s/h? any thoughts?



I recently put a Ho Chi Minh and a malipoesne into s/h.

It will be a while before I know if they like it.


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## Gilda (Mar 15, 2007)

NYEric said:


> I have to post photos of the roots of the plants I grow hydro vs. S/H. I sind a lot of roots dying in plants I rec'd S/H. Be Carefull. :wink:


Yes, Please post pictures !


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## Ray (Mar 17, 2007)

I think that folks attribute far too much - both good and bad - to "semi-hydroponics" in their culture of plants, and one mistake folks make too commonly is that they assume "one size fits all", or that there is only "one size", which is certainly not the case. Not one of us would even contemplate putting everything in our collections in Aussie Gold, in the same plastic pots, under the same lighting levels, and at the same temperature conditions, but for some reason, many assume s/h has a pinpoint definition.

There's a lot to orchid culture, so once you select a technique you want to try, there are still a huge number of variables that need to be managed. Because of the variables that the conditions within a semi-hydro pot brings to the picture, there are even more to play with - particle size and packing density, capillarity, moisture absorption and release, evaporation, etc.

Unlike slipperfan, I have not found a phrag that does not like s/h culture, but I will add that in my greenhouse, I have had to increase the growing temperature above the way I used to grow them, and now have them about the same as phals. By the same token, I can say that vandaceous plants don't like it (under my conditions), while I know plenty for whom they thrive. Go figure...

We must also keep in mind that all plants of a hybrid or species are not identical. If they were, every seedling arising from a capsule would survive and grow equally if kept under the same conditions, and we know that's certainly not the case.


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## NYEric (Mar 22, 2007)

Gilda said:


> Yes, Please post pictures !


OK I'll try


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## Grandma M (Mar 22, 2007)

Eric
What in the world is that bottom picture????????????


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## Candace (Mar 22, 2007)

Well, it's no wonder the roots are dieing since they are in an organic mix that breaks down to allow no air through...That's why inorganic medium is used for s/h. Get some leca, man!oke:


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## NYEric (Mar 22, 2007)

Grandma M said:


> Eric
> What in the world is that bottom picture????????????


It's a sideways view of how I grow my really stolonous Phrags, in $0.99 birdfeeders, the roots grow down into the water.


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## NYEric (Mar 22, 2007)

Candace said:


> Well, it's no wonder the roots are dieing since they are in an organic mix that breaks down to allow no air through...That's why inorganic medium is used for s/h. Get some leca, man!oke:


Um, those roots are very much alive and growing out of the bottom of the pots!


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## gonewild (Mar 22, 2007)

Eric,
How long can you go without repotting with the wet organic media?
How tall is the birdfeeder pot?


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## Candace (Mar 22, 2007)

> Um, those roots are very much alive and growing out of the bottom of the pots!




I thought you were supposed to be posting photos of plants you'd received in s/h that had dead or dieing roots


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## Gilda (Mar 22, 2007)

gonewild said:


> Eric,
> How long can you go without repotting with the wet organic media?
> How tall is the birdfeeder pot?


I have had phrags in a similar mix and it has been a year...so far reblooms and roots are thriving..this is phrag sedenii. I would not put any paphs in this mix but I have not had a phrag that didn't jump for joy !


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## gonewild (Mar 22, 2007)

Gilda said:


> I have had phrags in a similar mix and it has been a year...so far reblooms and roots are thriving..this is phrag sedenii. I would not put any paphs in this mix but I have not had a phrag that didn't jump for joy !
> [/IMG]



Are you growing them sitting in trays of water so the mix stays very wet like Eric is?


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## Gilda (Mar 22, 2007)

gonewild said:


> Are you growing them sitting in trays of water so the mix stays very wet like Eric is?


No trays of water...I have 2 holes a little over an inch from the bottom of the pot..just like regular semi hydro. I can't have trays of water sitting around ,as my grow area is adjacent to my sunroom/dining area , and the door stays open in the winter..there is way toooooooo much humidty ! I have to run a dehumidifier in the winter or my windows drip !


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## NYEric (Mar 22, 2007)

Candace said:


> I thought you were supposed to be posting photos of plants you'd received in s/h that had dead or dieing roots


I don't want to disturb them, and also I transferred some of them over to Spagnum as the roots were so beat.


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## NYEric (Mar 22, 2007)

gonewild said:


> Eric,
> How long can you go without repotting with the wet organic media?
> How tall is the birdfeeder pot?


I started this a few weeks after the April 2006 GNYOS show. It depends on the media mix but the breakdown component seems to be bark; sphagnum and coconut chips are holding up OK, so far. The bird feeders are about 12" tall. Standard stuff.


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## gonewild (Mar 22, 2007)

NYEric said:


> I don't want to disturb them, and also I transferred some of them over to Spagnum as the roots were so beat.



What do you mean by "so beat"? 
How do the "beat" roots relate to the plants being grown in s/h having dead or dieing roots?


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## NYEric (Mar 23, 2007)

The roots on a couple of plants were almost non-existent!


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