Hrm...for the first time in 5 years you've made me want to maybe retry inorganic. I'm impressed with how well the catasetum is doing and think some of your adaptations to semihydro make really good sense - especially the self-wicking rope in combination with the non-porous stones on top. Thanks for sharing your results Annabel
Ooooh that's exciting! I know you had super bad experiences with semi hydro, so I'm glad this has maybe tempted you to try something slightly different 😀 It would be really interesting if you were to try it, it sounds like your environment would be a really good test for how well this can really work. I'm a little cautious that maybe it's something specific to my environment, but since I have struggled with the dry top layer and was never able to grow oncidiums or miltoniopsis in straight LECA (unlike others who report no issues 🤔) I'm super encourage that this could work for others- also given the improvement already in the orchids that have switched from LECA to this mix, after a short time. A friend has tried it with aquarium gravel as the top layer on self watering pumice and she has also noticed an improvement in root growth. I really hope we are onto a winning combination! 😀 Will report back with further updates! 😀
Very interesting. I've been growing my phalaenopsis orchids in lava rock for a little over a year now. They seem to be doing well. It will be interesting to follow your plants to see how they do.
After watching your videos for the past months where you've added grit to your repotted orchids, I've also started using a non-wicking pebble top-layer on my orchids in semi-hydro, and I really believe it is making a difference in regards to a more even distribution of moisture and allowing the new roots to gain momentum and not enter a moisture-stealing top-layer! I've had som snails in some of the pots I've added the pebbles to, though, so I've started boiling the stones, just to make sure that I don't have any intruders. Just thought I'd pass the tip on :)
I'm really glad it's helping! 😀 Am really happy with how it's working out also! But snails! It's funny you should mention because I recently found a snail in a phrag pot that I was sure I'd H202'd properly.... assumed initially I'd missed it but I wonder if there were some snail eggs in the pebbles 😮😮 I will start boiling too! Thanks for the tip, I probably wouldn't have put 2+2 together otherwise, I wonder if that is what happened 😮
Thank you for the update. I too love the simplicity of semi hydro & self watering setups with inorganic media. Most of my collection is in LECA (except Miltoniopsis & Masdevallia). I tend to play around with LECA size. The more moisture loving the smaller the LECA . Also finer root systems (like with Oncidiums) seem to prefer the smaller LECA ~4mm ( as opposed to the 8-16mm I use with Phals & Cattleya’s etc). I’m going to try the horticultural grit on a select few and see if there is a dramatic change. I’ll let you know how it goes in a couple of months.
Since it sounds like you don't have issues with the dry top layer killing off roots, it doesn't sound like the addition of non wicking pebbles will help much in your setup since the problem isn't there to begin with? Personally I haven't been able to grow the majority of oncidiums in straight LECA with no modifications (There are a few tough rooted exceptions and some will tolerate when mixed with seramis), even when manually sorting through all the LECA to find the smaller beads- the dry top layer would just kill all the new root tips for most species. But it doesn't sound like you have this issue, so no problem to solve?
The Orchid Room Yes you’re correct in saying I don’t have a problem BUT if I can improve on what I have going then yippee 😁 🥳 We all strive for improvements 👍
I'm not sure if it will maybe work to maintain more moisture in the pot for you- it does seem to for me, so maybe you'll notice an improvement from that end then? I'll be interested to hear your results! 😄
Follow up after almost a yr in semi hydro using lecca with aquarium gravel as a topoff. My plants are all doing beautifully with this method. A couple of these I've noticed throughout the year are 1) the top does not dry out as before. I have a good layer of rocks on top. 2) I only have to flush 1x mth and I've never noticed any kind of salt accumulation. I assume that's because the top is not drying out. I've got new leaves, roots and even blooms on plants that would never bloom for me before. I did lose a couple of plants that were weak to begin with. I really didn't expect them to make it anyway. All the rest are doing great. And I've not tried the pumice. I may not need it in my climate here since the orchids seem to be thriving well. I might try some on my oncidiums later if I repot them just to see if there is a difference I'm missing.
Hi Jo Ann, thanks for updating me- it's great to hear others experiences in different environments, you may observe things that I haven't experienced. It sounds like you have had quite similar results though- I am now using a larger pebble layer for larger rooted orchids, and small aquarium gravel for smaller rooted orchids, as I found some phals seem to have access blocked by the small pebbles. Not sure if you have observed this at all? One of my friends has no issues with this though so could be an individual plant thing. Anyway, thanks for updating me, and I am glad to hear your plants are doing well!
@@TheOrchidRoom I'm only using the large aquarium gravel right now for the phals and actually all my others as well, like oncidiums and catts. They are all doing well. All my dendrobiums are doing well with this as well with the exception of one. I may lose it. That's why I was thinking of trying some pumice stone mixed in with the leca on this one in particular. This is so much easier and less time consuming than other media and I want to continue with the semi hydro method.
That's really interesting! Thanks for sharing, it's great to hear what's working for different people in different environments 😀 Do you use the grit for the whole pot or just a top layer?
No, this shouldn't be an issue- since there are many air gaps, this will still have more air circulation than small grade bark or moss. I've seen people putting layers of plastic on the top of semi hydro pots to stop the dry top layer without issue, but I would rather not do that since it would totally stop roots being able to penetrate the top layer. The pebbles are rounded so there will always be more airflow than bark or moss provides anyway. What is airflow- simply oxygen/CO2 accessibility between the media to allow proper gas exchange at the root zone. Inorganic material is hard and therefore there is no filling up of those air gaps with water like you may get with bark which expand and degrades once it remains wet. Regardless of those points, in self watering there are also air gaps at the base of the pot and in semi hydro there are flushing holes. Both of those will provide gas exchange inlets.
Annabel....the cateleya at 2:00....what was the date you did the pumice repotting? I'm clueless of time expectations for new growth to occur and how much progress to expect. I'm a bit spoiled to seeing how fast propagation of veg and leafy plants (like pathos ivy, etc) occur so I'd like to try and get my expectations in line.😄 ♡ Thanks!
Hey! The cattleya violacea rosea 'dark lip'? That one was repotted in the video linked in the description, of the first 3 orchids repotted into pumice. The video title is pumice trial in semi hydro and the date the video went up was 3rd of September. So allowing a few days for editing and uploading, the actual repot was probably done right at the end of August 😄 The violacea is a species bi-foliate cattleya and can be a slower grower than some more vigorous cattleya hybrids so I'm quite happy with it's progress 😀
Hi :), I've started watching the videos from this series as interested in switching my orchids medium to leca. Very interesting the gravel on top idea. Also, where did you get your cups/pots from? I am starting to collect what I need for SH :). Thank you :)
Thankyou! It's good to research before you dive in for sure! 🙂 The cups are jusy 'disposable' plastic cups from supermarkets, that I wash and reuse. But the orchids do soon get too big for them unfortunately. They're good to start off with as cheap options while you set up, and they go through the dishwasher well 🙂
If I pot my new phal that barely has any roots in with pumice and possibly add a top layer of aquarium gravel if need be. That should be okay? Oh course I’m going to watch it. Thank you
Hi, lots of factors to consider but all my phals respond really well to the pumice in the mix in a semi hydro setup so in my environment that would definitely work great, I've rescued lots of orchids in semi hydro. I would also pop the orchid onto a heat mat during the transition and add seaweed extract to its feed. Before you put the orchid into a new setup I would also soak its roots for several hours in a mix of seaweed and nutrients to get some energy into the plant before it goes into the setup. In some peoples environments the initial roots rail going into semi hydro, so that way you've got some extra energy into it before it goes in so it can make new roots. Hope that helps!
The Orchid Room I add seaweed extract to my fertilizer, but wouldn’t soaking it for hours be too much? Is a heating pad ok? I actually have it under a plant grow light. Thank you!🌺
@@myataylor4807 I soak all my orchids that are coming out or organic mixes for several hours, often even a full day. If they're going into semi hydro they will be moist constantly anyway but I find soaking helps them transition. Heat mat, depends where you are located, semi hydro with leca or pumice will create a cooler environment around the roots zone, if we are talking about hot growers like phals the heat mat helps speed up the transition and new root growth. Just a seedling one, nothing extreme. Helps you maximise your transition success if you're growing in cooler temps on a windowsill.
The Orchid Room Hi Annabelle, about how long when you transitioned your orchids (mainly your phals) did you noticed new roots? Would adding a layer of sphagnum moss to the pumice be too much moisture in your opinion? My phal has 2 half pathetic roots on it. And I don’t know if their even functioning. The phal lost it’s other roots. I’ve also been spraying it’s leaves at night to try and hydrate it. Oh I also got a heat mat for it as well. Sorry, I know that’s a lot of questions.😏
Always thanks for info you share,, i was wondering what is the maximum temperature in this room with this media? I love these pebles but im guesing at my 34 celcius wont work!💖
Hi! So inorganic rock based media (LECA,pumice etc) will stay a bit cooler than ambient temperature so from that point of view it would be ok-the only issue I can see is maybe the dry top layer again especially with LECA. My grow room went to 30-36C over summer for a few weeks and they were all fine but just drank the reservoir up super fast. But that was short term and my more normal temp range is 20-30C... Pumice mixed through would help more with moisture retention though and a top layer of inert non porous pebbles would stop roots dessicating hitting the dry layer. I suppose the only way would be to try it out on one plant and see, sorry I can't be more help for hotter climates! But the extra moisture this could potentially provide may make life easier with watering in hot climates... what sort of orchids are you th king for?If you do try it it would be interesting to hear your results!
So the self watering wicking material, just a thought / question. Do you place the wick through the bottom of the top container into the water reservoir? Have you tried to run the wick into the top portion of the potting media, where it was getting dry, so it can wick water directly into the top layer of the potting media. Seems you have 2 x wicks, so could you test running them at different heights in the top container?
Hi! Thanks for the suggestion! Yes that works too for sure. I typically run the wicks for self watering to the middle of the pot, not sure why but I've never tried right to the top for the wicks, but I have with a different material. You do still get a dry top layer though due to the rate of evaporation unfortunately, for my environment at least. I do a similar technique using a material called synthic, which holds more water, running it vertically through semi hydro pots right to the top. Still get a dry layer again though 😥 The roots will grow through it and microfiber, but since its inorganic and is reported to have a lifespan of many years, I leave it on the roots when it comes to repotting. I use a top layer of pebbles in place of LECA to stop roots dessicating when they hit the dry layer, they're fine with dry and non porous (mostly, finding a few sensitive rooted exceptions that need lots of humidity) but dry and porous (LECA/Pumice) dessicates them in my experiences. It also seems to slow the rate of evaporation having pebbles that won't wick on the top, and keeps the layer of LECA under the pebbles a little more moist. A combination of all 3 and some different media has helped lots for sure! Thanks for your ideas 🙂
It seems to work really well for me here so I'd be excited for others to try it and hear if it works well for you too! 😀 Melissa has also tried it with some aquarium gravel on the top and she says it also seems to work the same! Not to speak for her though. Let me know how it works and we can see if it's the same in different environments 😀
I assume you are referring to algae, you don't specify. When algae dies or if present in excess they can be harmful. In reservoirs, while alive, there is a possibility they may be beneficial, since they will be photosynthesising and adding oxygen into the reservoir. Oxygen is required for aerobic respiration by the roots, and lack of oxygen is why orchid roots die when left in soggy media.
Hrm...for the first time in 5 years you've made me want to maybe retry inorganic. I'm impressed with how well the catasetum is doing and think some of your adaptations to semihydro make really good sense - especially the self-wicking rope in combination with the non-porous stones on top. Thanks for sharing your results Annabel
Ooooh that's exciting! I know you had super bad experiences with semi hydro, so I'm glad this has maybe tempted you to try something slightly different 😀 It would be really interesting if you were to try it, it sounds like your environment would be a really good test for how well this can really work. I'm a little cautious that maybe it's something specific to my environment, but since I have struggled with the dry top layer and was never able to grow oncidiums or miltoniopsis in straight LECA (unlike others who report no issues 🤔) I'm super encourage that this could work for others- also given the improvement already in the orchids that have switched from LECA to this mix, after a short time. A friend has tried it with aquarium gravel as the top layer on self watering pumice and she has also noticed an improvement in root growth. I really hope we are onto a winning combination! 😀 Will report back with further updates! 😀
Very interesting. I've been growing my phalaenopsis orchids in lava rock for a little over a year now. They seem to be doing well. It will be interesting to follow your plants to see how they do.
After watching your videos for the past months where you've added grit to your repotted orchids, I've also started using a non-wicking pebble top-layer on my orchids in semi-hydro, and I really believe it is making a difference in regards to a more even distribution of moisture and allowing the new roots to gain momentum and not enter a moisture-stealing top-layer! I've had som snails in some of the pots I've added the pebbles to, though, so I've started boiling the stones, just to make sure that I don't have any intruders. Just thought I'd pass the tip on :)
I'm really glad it's helping! 😀 Am really happy with how it's working out also! But snails! It's funny you should mention because I recently found a snail in a phrag pot that I was sure I'd H202'd properly.... assumed initially I'd missed it but I wonder if there were some snail eggs in the pebbles 😮😮 I will start boiling too! Thanks for the tip, I probably wouldn't have put 2+2 together otherwise, I wonder if that is what happened 😮
Thank you for the update. I too love the simplicity of semi hydro & self watering setups with inorganic media. Most of my collection is in LECA (except Miltoniopsis & Masdevallia). I tend to play around with LECA size. The more moisture loving the smaller the LECA . Also finer root systems (like with Oncidiums) seem to prefer the smaller LECA ~4mm ( as opposed to the 8-16mm I use with Phals & Cattleya’s etc).
I’m going to try the horticultural grit on a select few and see if there is a dramatic change. I’ll let you know how it goes in a couple of months.
Since it sounds like you don't have issues with the dry top layer killing off roots, it doesn't sound like the addition of non wicking pebbles will help much in your setup since the problem isn't there to begin with? Personally I haven't been able to grow the majority of oncidiums in straight LECA with no modifications (There are a few tough rooted exceptions and some will tolerate when mixed with seramis), even when manually sorting through all the LECA to find the smaller beads- the dry top layer would just kill all the new root tips for most species. But it doesn't sound like you have this issue, so no problem to solve?
The Orchid Room Yes you’re correct in saying I don’t have a problem BUT if I can improve on what I have going then yippee 😁 🥳
We all strive for improvements 👍
I'm not sure if it will maybe work to maintain more moisture in the pot for you- it does seem to for me, so maybe you'll notice an improvement from that end then? I'll be interested to hear your results! 😄
Fabulous progress 🤩🤩
Follow up after almost a yr in semi hydro using lecca with aquarium gravel as a topoff. My plants are all doing beautifully with this method. A couple of these I've noticed throughout the year are 1) the top does not dry out as before. I have a good layer of rocks on top. 2) I only have to flush 1x mth and I've never noticed any kind of salt accumulation. I assume that's because the top is not drying out. I've got new leaves, roots and even blooms on plants that would never bloom for me before. I did lose a couple of plants that were weak to begin with. I really didn't expect them to make it anyway. All the rest are doing great. And I've not tried the pumice. I may not need it in my climate here since the orchids seem to be thriving well. I might try some on my oncidiums later if I repot them just to see if there is a difference I'm missing.
Hi Jo Ann, thanks for updating me- it's great to hear others experiences in different environments, you may observe things that I haven't experienced. It sounds like you have had quite similar results though- I am now using a larger pebble layer for larger rooted orchids, and small aquarium gravel for smaller rooted orchids, as I found some phals seem to have access blocked by the small pebbles. Not sure if you have observed this at all? One of my friends has no issues with this though so could be an individual plant thing. Anyway, thanks for updating me, and I am glad to hear your plants are doing well!
@@TheOrchidRoom I'm only using the large aquarium gravel right now for the phals and actually all my others as well, like oncidiums and catts. They are all doing well. All my dendrobiums are doing well with this as well with the exception of one. I may lose it. That's why I was thinking of trying some pumice stone mixed in with the leca on this one in particular. This is so much easier and less time consuming than other media and I want to continue with the semi hydro method.
I use potting grit my orchid seem to love it
That's really interesting! Thanks for sharing, it's great to hear what's working for different people in different environments 😀 Do you use the grit for the whole pot or just a top layer?
thanks for sharing your knowledge :)
Thanks! 🙂
Annabelle, Do you have any concern that the top layer may reduce air circulation in the pot?
No, this shouldn't be an issue- since there are many air gaps, this will still have more air circulation than small grade bark or moss. I've seen people putting layers of plastic on the top of semi hydro pots to stop the dry top layer without issue, but I would rather not do that since it would totally stop roots being able to penetrate the top layer. The pebbles are rounded so there will always be more airflow than bark or moss provides anyway. What is airflow- simply oxygen/CO2 accessibility between the media to allow proper gas exchange at the root zone. Inorganic material is hard and therefore there is no filling up of those air gaps with water like you may get with bark which expand and degrades once it remains wet. Regardless of those points, in self watering there are also air gaps at the base of the pot and in semi hydro there are flushing holes. Both of those will provide gas exchange inlets.
Annabel....the cateleya at 2:00....what was the date you did the pumice repotting?
I'm clueless of time expectations for new growth to occur and how much progress to expect.
I'm a bit spoiled to seeing how fast propagation of veg and leafy plants (like pathos ivy, etc) occur so I'd like to try and get my expectations in line.😄
♡ Thanks!
Hey! The cattleya violacea rosea 'dark lip'? That one was repotted in the video linked in the description, of the first 3 orchids repotted into pumice. The video title is pumice trial in semi hydro and the date the video went up was 3rd of September. So allowing a few days for editing and uploading, the actual repot was probably done right at the end of August 😄 The violacea is a species bi-foliate cattleya and can be a slower grower than some more vigorous cattleya hybrids so I'm quite happy with it's progress 😀
Do you use a humidifier?
Hi :), I've started watching the videos from this series as interested in switching my orchids medium to leca. Very interesting the gravel on top idea. Also, where did you get your cups/pots from? I am starting to collect what I need for SH :). Thank you :)
Thankyou! It's good to research before you dive in for sure! 🙂 The cups are jusy 'disposable' plastic cups from supermarkets, that I wash and reuse. But the orchids do soon get too big for them unfortunately. They're good to start off with as cheap options while you set up, and they go through the dishwasher well 🙂
@@TheOrchidRoom thank you 😊
If I pot my new phal that barely has any roots in with pumice and possibly add a top layer of aquarium gravel if need be. That should be okay? Oh course I’m going to watch it.
Thank you
Hi, lots of factors to consider but all my phals respond really well to the pumice in the mix in a semi hydro setup so in my environment that would definitely work great, I've rescued lots of orchids in semi hydro. I would also pop the orchid onto a heat mat during the transition and add seaweed extract to its feed. Before you put the orchid into a new setup I would also soak its roots for several hours in a mix of seaweed and nutrients to get some energy into the plant before it goes into the setup. In some peoples environments the initial roots rail going into semi hydro, so that way you've got some extra energy into it before it goes in so it can make new roots. Hope that helps!
The Orchid Room I add seaweed extract to my fertilizer, but wouldn’t soaking it for hours be too much? Is a heating pad ok? I actually have it under a plant grow light.
Thank you!🌺
@@myataylor4807 I soak all my orchids that are coming out or organic mixes for several hours, often even a full day. If they're going into semi hydro they will be moist constantly anyway but I find soaking helps them transition. Heat mat, depends where you are located, semi hydro with leca or pumice will create a cooler environment around the roots zone, if we are talking about hot growers like phals the heat mat helps speed up the transition and new root growth. Just a seedling one, nothing extreme. Helps you maximise your transition success if you're growing in cooler temps on a windowsill.
The Orchid Room what do you soak them in and if I may ask what are the proportions of the mix?
The Orchid Room Hi Annabelle, about how long when you transitioned your orchids (mainly your phals) did you noticed new roots? Would adding a layer of sphagnum moss to the pumice be too much moisture in your opinion? My phal has 2 half pathetic roots on it. And I don’t know if their even functioning. The phal lost it’s other roots. I’ve also been spraying it’s leaves at night to try and hydrate it. Oh I also got a heat mat for it as well.
Sorry, I know that’s a lot of questions.😏
Always thanks for info you share,, i was wondering what is the maximum temperature in this room with this media? I love these pebles but im guesing at my 34 celcius wont work!💖
Hi! So inorganic rock based media (LECA,pumice etc) will stay a bit cooler than ambient temperature so from that point of view it would be ok-the only issue I can see is maybe the dry top layer again especially with LECA. My grow room went to 30-36C over summer for a few weeks and they were all fine but just drank the reservoir up super fast. But that was short term and my more normal temp range is 20-30C... Pumice mixed through would help more with moisture retention though and a top layer of inert non porous pebbles would stop roots dessicating hitting the dry layer. I suppose the only way would be to try it out on one plant and see, sorry I can't be more help for hotter climates! But the extra moisture this could potentially provide may make life easier with watering in hot climates... what sort of orchids are you th king for?If you do try it it would be interesting to hear your results!
@@TheOrchidRoom thank you so so so much💝
So the self watering wicking material, just a thought / question. Do you place the wick through the bottom of the top container into the water reservoir? Have you tried to run the wick into the top portion of the potting media, where it was getting dry, so it can wick water directly into the top layer of the potting media. Seems you have 2 x wicks, so could you test running them at different heights in the top container?
Hi! Thanks for the suggestion! Yes that works too for sure. I typically run the wicks for self watering to the middle of the pot, not sure why but I've never tried right to the top for the wicks, but I have with a different material. You do still get a dry top layer though due to the rate of evaporation unfortunately, for my environment at least. I do a similar technique using a material called synthic, which holds more water, running it vertically through semi hydro pots right to the top. Still get a dry layer again though 😥 The roots will grow through it and microfiber, but since its inorganic and is reported to have a lifespan of many years, I leave it on the roots when it comes to repotting. I use a top layer of pebbles in place of LECA to stop roots dessicating when they hit the dry layer, they're fine with dry and non porous (mostly, finding a few sensitive rooted exceptions that need lots of humidity) but dry and porous (LECA/Pumice) dessicates them in my experiences. It also seems to slow the rate of evaporation having pebbles that won't wick on the top, and keeps the layer of LECA under the pebbles a little more moist. A combination of all 3 and some different media has helped lots for sure! Thanks for your ideas 🙂
Excellent video Annabel! Where do you get your pumice from?
Thanks! 😀 It's the lava-lite brand from Amazon, there's a link in the description also 😀
Very nice update! Love those roots on the catasetum .They all adopting well with the media . What type of water do you use? RO .
Hi! Thanks! No, I use a zero water filter jug system. For more info I mention it in this video ruclips.net/video/ux9WzRnMZmg/видео.html
👍👍
I’m stealing your ideas and using pumice and potting grit. 🌸
It seems to work really well for me here so I'd be excited for others to try it and hear if it works well for you too! 😀 Melissa has also tried it with some aquarium gravel on the top and she says it also seems to work the same! Not to speak for her though. Let me know how it works and we can see if it's the same in different environments 😀
Potted my Sotoanum and my Sharry Baby today in leca & pumice with top dressing of grit. Will keep you informed!
Well they do harm . They eat up your orchid food . Try to find how you avoid elegy !!
I assume you are referring to algae, you don't specify. When algae dies or if present in excess they can be harmful. In reservoirs, while alive, there is a possibility they may be beneficial, since they will be photosynthesising and adding oxygen into the reservoir. Oxygen is required for aerobic respiration by the roots, and lack of oxygen is why orchid roots die when left in soggy media.