I'm a laboratory student and pH is the most misunderstood concept that's still used as a measurement, even though it's poorly suited for that. Basically the pH doesn't describe the dangerousness of a liquid at all, for instance hydrochloric acid has the pH of 2 and concentrated is corrosive. But if you take one drop of it and dilute into large amount of water, that pH will also be 2 but will not corrode anything because of dilution. A way better method to measure impurities dissolved from media would be electricity conductivity meter, that's what I use with my orchids and aquariums.
+Anna Teisko-Murfitt Hi, this video refers actually to the rate of nutrient absorption in the presence of certain ph values. There is such a thing as an ideal range, but all of these in part 2 :) I did not insinuate any toxicity or poisonibg, simply inefficient nutrient absorption at ph ranges of 8.5 to 9.5
Ítalo Ximenes It's my experience as aquarium hobbyist that people needlessly adjust pH without understanding what it is, I just tend to overreact when it's brought up. Too many times people just keep on adding chemicals and chasing the ideal pH they saw recommended for a fish, only to kill it in the process.
Anna Teisko-Murfitt I work with enzymes (Candida antartica lipase and some others) and in my experience both the ionic force of the solution and the ph can change how proteins and other molecules behave. I also believe that there's such a thing as the ideal ph for the plant to get nutrients, the exact value I do not know, I can only trust Miss Orchid Girl on that, I'm not literate enough with orchids xD
Maybe the Leca is absorbing impurities produced by the plants, then releasing them when watering is applied. You mentioned that it gets worse with age, maybe the Leca needs to be removed washed, reheated to dry and sanitize, then repotted. It might perform better in an environment with constantly flowing water. Leca probably lets water pass in and out while trapping harsh compounds inside and over time it gets worse.
Your so smart! My dumb brain has a head ache from trying to wrap my head around PH and all the technical aspects of orchid care and keeping. Bless your heart! You go girl!
Hi Danni, Thank you for your honesty. I enjoy watching the trials and experiments that you do. I have learnt a lot from your videos. I love orchids but have had a lot of failures in the past. With your videos I have corrected a lot of mistakes. I use fluffed up Spagnum moss in plastic pots with 50% holes - like a net. The orchids are on a wire frame on top of a large fish tank, by a large glass window - no sun, plenty of light. Jane Sth Australia.
This was a very good video. I've been transitioning slowly to semi hydro. One of my orchids has grown a huge number of roots quickly since I planted her using the semi hydro system. I am so excited. I'm so happy you have identified and potentially solved this ph problem before I completely swirched.
I know nothing about this topic, so I don't have an opinion yet, but since so many people are questioning fertilizer residue, the plant itself, or any other idea they come up with causing the pH to rise, perhaps there is a more conclusive test. The simplest test probably would be measuring your water pH, then adding it to a container with only clean LECA inside, and then measuring the pH again. That way, there are no other possible contributing factors. Just an idea. Thank you for sharing your discoveries and hypotheses with us!
I hope you didn't loss anyone with the KH. As my brain needed a kick start as I don't test for KH or GH for that matter. But as a fish keeper the info is their if I need it.
white deposits could be mold. I have had similar looking white "cast" on some of my orchids after coming back from 3 week long vacation. so, long story short, I had none on the orchids I left on the balcony and quite a few containers inside of the apartment were affected (even though I left a window a bit open). Also I left some of the wet leca in the bawl in the corner of the room as I was potting some orchids in the last minute =) that sanitized and never used leca also had this white mold as a result I came to a conclusion that it was caused by the luck of ventilation (already fixed it by placing a tower fan in that room)
With bonsai it's a bit different, unless you have succulents or other desert growers, you want to keep the substrate constantly moist, which means after a while leca will have a neutral effect on the ph without raising it. In orchids it's mostly the wet/dry cycle that resets the ph raise which would be the same for desert growing bonsai.
I presume that the pH of the leca depends on the clay being used. Easiest thing would be to bath the leca in a strong acid and then rinse it off. That should neutralise any alkaline buffers in the leca, you would have to experiment with the strength of the solution to find the right one for your leca. Btw one can use a cheap litmus paper to check the pH instead of your expensive pHmeter ;) Vinegar should work, its just that you might have to add a lot and change the solution several times. Just have patience!
Hi Danni, interesting video :) I have a question for you....... why orchids? Other then the fact they are pretty and fragrant etc, what drives you to put in all this hard work and educating yourself (and others) on everything orchid? What initiated the spark and What made you become ‘miss orchid girl’. Where does your passion come from?
HI, just found your video - thank you for the info! Question, why did you change from clear pots to white pots? I am just about to change to semi-hydroponics and would love to know the 'best' container to plant them in. Thank you
Interesting. Recently I’ve noticed my orchids tend to have a spurt of growth right after being fertilized but then seem to slow until fertilized again, even though they’re sitting in fertilized water. I think you might be on to something! Of course I may be imagining this 😂 I haven’t tested the ph of my reservoirs tho. Interested to see how you use the filter granules...
clean leca with h202 (just a spash) in water.. im not sure why it does that. but i have the same issues with my ebb and flow system. ph ing every day in a pain in the butt haha
How about adding a bit buffer like edta, or something of that sort to your water? I used to work in a lab growing plants in hydroponics and sterile cultures, and all media were buffered.
leca always claim to be ph neutral, maybe there fake leca or leca is clay coated or something , if you check each ball properly sometimes there breakage ,inside the ball is silver in color , think that the one leeching high ph ?
+Aaron Devine It's a hassle to boil and also the ph is not as low as vinegar, or lemon juice, which are the most convenient and pocket friendly options if you don't want to buy acids :) ps: tea should ALWAYS be boiled, we don't want to spread virus and disease now do we ;)
Of course there is a pH change! Anytime you add something to the water, pH either goes up or down, regardless of water culture, etc. My opinion is, to prevent continual high pH readings, alter the additives between high and low pH. The bigger picture is, are your orchids doing well? I am not a fan of hydroponics for orchids! Thumbs down.
I'm a laboratory student and pH is the most misunderstood concept that's still used as a measurement, even though it's poorly suited for that. Basically the pH doesn't describe the dangerousness of a liquid at all, for instance hydrochloric acid has the pH of 2 and concentrated is corrosive. But if you take one drop of it and dilute into large amount of water, that pH will also be 2 but will not corrode anything because of dilution. A way better method to measure impurities dissolved from media would be electricity conductivity meter, that's what I use with my orchids and aquariums.
+Anna Teisko-Murfitt Hi, this video refers actually to the rate of nutrient absorption in the presence of certain ph values. There is such a thing as an ideal range, but all of these in part 2 :) I did not insinuate any toxicity or poisonibg, simply inefficient nutrient absorption at ph ranges of 8.5 to 9.5
Anna Teisko-Murfitt I do agree it's misunderstood, but I don't understand why you think it's not suited for measurements.
Ítalo Ximenes It's my experience as aquarium hobbyist that people needlessly adjust pH without understanding what it is, I just tend to overreact when it's brought up. Too many times people just keep on adding chemicals and chasing the ideal pH they saw recommended for a fish, only to kill it in the process.
MissOrchidGirl True, sorry for not actually finishing the video before commenting. I'm still a noob. :p
Anna Teisko-Murfitt I work with enzymes (Candida antartica lipase and some others) and in my experience both the ionic force of the solution and the ph can change how proteins and other molecules behave. I also believe that there's such a thing as the ideal ph for the plant to get nutrients, the exact value I do not know, I can only trust Miss Orchid Girl on that, I'm not literate enough with orchids xD
Basically, clay contains alkali metals (you ad water to that metal and it creates a base, highers the Ph
Maybe the Leca is absorbing impurities produced by the plants, then releasing them when watering is applied. You mentioned that it gets worse with age, maybe the Leca needs to be removed washed, reheated to dry and sanitize, then repotted. It might perform better in an environment with constantly flowing water. Leca probably lets water pass in and out while trapping harsh compounds inside and over time it gets worse.
Your so smart! My dumb brain has a head ache from trying to wrap my head around PH and all the technical aspects of orchid care and keeping. Bless your heart! You go girl!
Hi Danni, Thank you for your honesty. I enjoy watching the trials and experiments that you do. I have learnt a lot from your videos.
I love orchids but have had a lot of failures in the past. With your videos I have corrected a lot of mistakes.
I use fluffed up Spagnum moss in plastic pots with 50% holes - like a net. The orchids are on a wire frame on top of a large fish tank, by a large glass window - no sun, plenty of light. Jane Sth Australia.
Hi Danny as winter is approaching pls make video on winter rest for orchid as this is the most confusing part of orchid growing .
This was a very good video. I've been transitioning slowly to semi hydro. One of my orchids has grown a huge number of roots quickly since I planted her using the semi hydro system. I am so excited. I'm so happy you have identified and potentially solved this ph problem before I completely swirched.
Very helpful and well explained. Thanks very much
I know nothing about this topic, so I don't have an opinion yet, but since so many people are questioning fertilizer residue, the plant itself, or any other idea they come up with causing the pH to rise, perhaps there is a more conclusive test. The simplest test probably would be measuring your water pH, then adding it to a container with only clean LECA inside, and then measuring the pH again. That way, there are no other possible contributing factors. Just an idea. Thank you for sharing your discoveries and hypotheses with us!
+EmiEmiEmiii that is exactly what I did and it will be published today.. but people like to rush :p
I hope you didn't loss anyone with the KH. As my brain needed a kick start as I don't test for KH or GH for that matter. But as a fish keeper the info is their if I need it.
white deposits could be mold. I have had similar looking white "cast" on some of my orchids after coming back from 3 week long vacation. so, long story short, I had none on the orchids I left on the balcony and quite a few containers inside of the apartment were affected (even though I left a window a bit open). Also I left some of the wet leca in the bawl in the corner of the room as I was potting some orchids in the last minute =) that sanitized and never used leca also had this white mold as a result I came to a conclusion that it was caused by the luck of ventilation (already fixed it by placing a tower fan in that room)
Thank you so much for the 🎥. PH has always been a big question of mine. Can't wait for part 2 God bless your day. 🙏🌹😝
We gotta figure this out! Thank you for doing these experiments!
I was planning on buying leca to mix with pumice and lava as a bonsai substrate but now I’m not too sure.
With bonsai it's a bit different, unless you have succulents or other desert growers, you want to keep the substrate constantly moist, which means after a while leca will have a neutral effect on the ph without raising it. In orchids it's mostly the wet/dry cycle that resets the ph raise which would be the same for desert growing bonsai.
I presume that the pH of the leca depends on the clay being used.
Easiest thing would be to bath the leca in a strong acid and then rinse it off. That should neutralise any alkaline buffers in the leca, you would have to experiment with the strength of the solution to find the right one for your leca. Btw one can use a cheap litmus paper to check the pH instead of your expensive pHmeter ;)
Vinegar should work, its just that you might have to add a lot and change the solution several times. Just have patience!
this is super interesting. I can't wait to see your solution
wow excellent video , this hobby is become a science class. I failed science miserabllllllly.
Have a great day.
Hi Danni, interesting video :)
I have a question for you....... why orchids?
Other then the fact they are pretty and fragrant etc, what drives you to put in all this hard work and educating yourself (and others) on everything orchid? What initiated the spark and What made you become ‘miss orchid girl’. Where does your passion come from?
Dani, where do you find your plastic pots with not holes. I know you put your own holes. Thank you for all of your great videos. You Rock!
HI, just found your video - thank you for the info! Question, why did you change from clear pots to white pots? I am just about to change to semi-hydroponics and would love to know the 'best' container to plant them in. Thank you
Interesting. Recently I’ve noticed my orchids tend to have a spurt of growth right after being fertilized but then seem to slow until fertilized again, even though they’re sitting in fertilized water. I think you might be on to something! Of course I may be imagining this 😂 I haven’t tested the ph of my reservoirs tho. Interested to see how you use the filter granules...
hello from Spain...I think... the problem of high ph is... not having the lecas stabilized
That's really not good. Ph too high for nutrient absorption. However, the plants should be showing signs of nutrient deficiency. Is that happening?
It's very beautiful
clean leca with h202 (just a spash) in water.. im not sure why it does that. but i have the same issues with my ebb and flow system. ph ing every day in a pain in the butt haha
Have you used a product called Flourish? It's an iron based clay substrate for fish tanks, probably would work in your setup.
+David Rodriguez hi, sorry the only product I know is the Seachem liquid carbon :p have a link? Also how would a clay substrate benefit the sh setup?
How about adding a bit buffer like edta, or something of that sort to your water? I used to work in a lab growing plants in hydroponics and sterile cultures, and all media were buffered.
Hi! Aside from LECA what else can you use of you are going to do this method with your orchids? Hope to hear from you! Thanks
Have you tried lava rocks for semi hydro? I read online that lava rocks do not change water chemistry, but i have not tested it.
How does that compare to water coming out of a pot with fresh bark media or river bottom stone?
leca always claim to be ph neutral, maybe there fake leca or leca is clay coated or something , if you check each ball properly sometimes there breakage ,inside the ball is silver in color , think that the one leeching high ph ?
How would you use super peat? Simply mix under the substrate?
Water with black tea which has lowered the PH before it goes into the pot?? Just a thought.
+Aaron Devine It's a hassle to boil and also the ph is not as low as vinegar, or lemon juice, which are the most convenient and pocket friendly options if you don't want to buy acids :) ps: tea should ALWAYS be boiled, we don't want to spread virus and disease now do we ;)
What about seachem acid buffer?
hello, what's the orchid starting @04:00? the one with the orangey-red blooms? i don't think i've seen it up until now :)
and it's also in the outro :)
It's the Encyclia vitellina, first time bloomer :D
thank you. it is wonderful
Why don't you try with water and Leica only, not with your orchids, regards
+Antonio Lopes Hi, I do this in part 2 :)
Of course there is a pH change! Anytime you add something to the water, pH either goes up or down, regardless of water culture, etc. My opinion is, to prevent continual high pH readings, alter the additives between high and low pH. The bigger picture is, are your orchids doing well? I am not a fan of hydroponics for orchids! Thumbs down.