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I rinse the Hydroton very thoroughly before use. I would unpot your most troubled plant to see what the roots are like. A bad-root plant is going to struggle in anything for a while, but in Hydroton, with almost daily heavy misting, new roots have a chance to grow. I pot my plants deeper in...

I don’t want it to be virus, but having tested my entire collection in the past, and testing every new plant, my experience fits with what I have read: it is difficult to visually identify a virus infected plant. I am hoping that David has ready access to Agdia test strips (or the equivalent) to...

Miltoniopsis roots don’t have thick velamen. Somehow, the pseudobulb doesn’t seem to protect them from water sensitivity. My Miltoniopsis in Hydroton get heavily misted every day and then fed with a heavy watering about once a week. The roots are getting a lot of air but are never dry. Many...

How was your climb down, Leslie?

Deborah, we know your overall conditions are excellent and your water and fertilizer are correct. I think the first thing I would do is unpot the plant to see the condition of the roots. Good roots with your conditions and I can think about diseases, but I would need to see the health of the...

Ray, or one of his online calculators, will tell you exactly. When I run what you have given it is a very high ppm N. Yet, the EC is more in line with a solution that is about 75 ppm N. Even 1 mL/Liter would be a solution that should have an EC that is higher than 500-600.

The correct amount of fertilizer depends on a number of things including temperature, amount of light, type of orchid, potting media, and number of healthy roots. You might be doing it just right.

What does watering mean for you? Is it a large volume of solution or only a modest amount? You are adding it to the pots in place in the moss, so I am thinking the amount isn’t very large?

I think what you did still shows that you are not accumulating salts in your potting media.

You must be using a very low concentration of fertilizer. With a fertilizer solution that is approximately 100 ppm N and an EC that is in the 600-700 µS range, I get a pour-through EC of about 200 using RO water with an EC of 5. With a 200 µS solution I think the pH will be valid.

Istvan, I have used Apera pH and EC meters. I think they sell in Europe. The pH meter uses a single calibrator solution at pH 7.0. Since I am only trying to be sure that my fertilizer solution is around 5.8, I am content with a single calibrator. The EC meter uses a single calibrator (I think...

I am starting to think that the pour-through procedure is better for identifying if your media is retaining salts. You get this information from doing the process that Ray described but testing the EC. If the EC of the pour-through fluid is distinctly higher than the EC of the fertilizing...

The labellum coloration works for lueddemanniana. Can you see the little wings on the reproductive structure? Three flowers is very nice growing.

Because natural sunlight varies considerably through the day, artificial lighting can deliver the same overall number of photons when it is run for the same number of hours at half the light intensity. The natural habitat day length for most Cattleyas is about 11.5 hours in mid-winter to 12.5...

I wish I could beam you my Apogee meter so I could know what your peak photon flux density is right now!

David, I think the color produced by your LEDs is a nice mid-white and at the height you have them, you are getting diffuse lighting, good for pictures.

No, a larger, healthier plant could give better blooms, matching the awarded one. Our growing conditions can really affect various aspects of flowers – size, shape, and color. Your flower is close enough to still be a division.

Clearly superior to the previous five AOS awards. Wide petals, closed form, strong color. Looks tetraploid. Do you know if the breeding was for tetraploid?

Very nice size, and the color is good. Maybe subsequent flowers (or another flowering) fix the little folds at the top of the petals and the bit of curving forward of the edges of the dorsal sepal. This is a 2N (diploid), but it has broad petals and appears to have good substance. Take good care...

You have stated the hypothesis exactly. Now, we find out, and I think I will be joining your side.