That is a nice design. I can envision the adult plant leaves arching and creating the illusion of a single miniature tree with the driftwood being the tree’s trunk.
When you talk about misting your orchids, this is something I never do. I water/fertilise with Rain Mix (occasionally flushing), I am always wary of misting, not wanting droplets to linger and cause rot. A very unusual orchid and a great mounting video, it's always difficult maneuvering fishing line through holes, especially when filming. Thanks Marc.
Rot and fungus are often a problem. You grow in a closed environment AKA your grow room. I grow in the house and humidity is always a challenge then. I don't work with humidity trays as these can cause mold in the rooms and the effect of higher humidity around the plants is practically 0. In my grow tent, I mist every evening and twice a day when temps go over 25°C for longer periods in it. In there, the fan goes on so the plants dry quickly. Both in my water for misting and watering, RainMix is present, unless I need to mist more than once a day. I will bring a video on watering and fertilizing later this summer. This most likely will be an interview with Dirk Bruynincks, the developer of the RainMix and co-founder of Akerne. We've been working on it but so far we have 3 hours of footage, that needs to be broken down to smaller chewable bits. As for fear of (crown) rot, how do plants in nature cope with (heavy) rain and mist? On very important thing I learned is; Look at your plants, see how they react to certain things and changes in their grow space. I'm confident to grow some orchids outside during several months of the year. I even leave a few outdoors in winter. I know what I do with my orchids is possible under my growing conditions. And yes, sometimes I fail or get it wrong, lesson learned the hard way. But misting, spraying, I keep on doing it, as I've done for over 35 years now. You know I grow in my home. Now when it's HOT here, I have windows open day and night + 1 fan running 24/7. This circulates and changes the air in my "grow room". At Akerne, how do you think they water? With tens of thousands of plants, they can’t water pot by pot, they use a hose with a sprayer on. Each plant is soaked from top to bottom every watering. All dust and other stuff that accumulates in leaf axils and other parts of the plants is washed away, including fertilizer residue. Pores on leaves are open and clean and the plants can breath. Those that suffer or go down (and these are very few) aren't fit for keeping or sale and end up as compost. You've seen the quality of their plants and root system. Yes, sometimes there's a mark on the leaf, but that's it. I rather spray a it more than I water because you can never actually see what goes on in the pot, even when opaque. Some orchids need more water than others and that's a finger feeling one has to learn. I must say that being in natural habitats has given me a lot of help with developing that feeling and I can envision what the different growing conditions are when reading up about orchids. Remember the problems Roger had in his old grow room? Very high temperatures and even higher humidity. Now his orchids seem to do better. He sprays more, uses less fans AND he opens up the garden door or small window several times a day because the cat's go in and out! More airflow and air change, less problems with rot and fungi. Orchids come from the tropics, some can withstand or need high temps but most don't + the majority of species and certainly hybrids are born in captivity. They never have been in their natural habitat! The biggest problem for high light orchids is not the temp. or humidity, it's the lack of sufficient light thy need, mostly, to bloom. Sorry for the looooong reply again, but you know, that's me. 😜 🤪 😊
I just absorb your comment, then read it again until it remains, which takes great effort these days! Last evening, as we have had rains, I opened my window, it is 18c at 7:30 am with humidity at 70%, my fans are on and all three growing lights. I appreciate you taking the time to answer me Marc and I'm really looking forward to your video on fertilising. 👍
That is a nice design. I can envision the adult plant leaves arching and creating the illusion of a single miniature tree with the driftwood being the tree’s trunk.
Thanks!
When you talk about misting your orchids, this is something I never do. I water/fertilise with Rain Mix (occasionally flushing), I am always wary of misting, not wanting droplets to linger and cause rot. A very unusual orchid and a great mounting video, it's always difficult maneuvering fishing line through holes, especially when filming. Thanks Marc.
Rot and fungus are often a problem. You grow in a closed environment AKA your grow room. I grow in the house and humidity is always a challenge then. I don't work with humidity trays as these can cause mold in the rooms and the effect of higher humidity around the plants is practically 0. In my grow tent, I mist every evening and twice a day when temps go over 25°C for longer periods in it. In there, the fan goes on so the plants dry quickly. Both in my water for misting and watering, RainMix is present, unless I need to mist more than once a day. I will bring a video on watering and fertilizing later this summer. This most likely will be an interview with Dirk Bruynincks, the developer of the RainMix and co-founder of Akerne. We've been working on it but so far we have 3 hours of footage, that needs to be broken down to smaller chewable bits. As for fear of (crown) rot, how do plants in nature cope with (heavy) rain and mist? On very important thing I learned is; Look at your plants, see how they react to certain things and changes in their grow space. I'm confident to grow some orchids outside during several months of the year. I even leave a few outdoors in winter. I know what I do with my orchids is possible under my growing conditions. And yes, sometimes I fail or get it wrong, lesson learned the hard way. But misting, spraying, I keep on doing it, as I've done for over 35 years now.
You know I grow in my home. Now when it's HOT here, I have windows open day and night + 1 fan running 24/7. This circulates and changes the air in my "grow room". At Akerne, how do you think they water? With tens of thousands of plants, they can’t water pot by pot, they use a hose with a sprayer on. Each plant is soaked from top to bottom every watering. All dust and other stuff that accumulates in leaf axils and other parts of the plants is washed away, including fertilizer residue. Pores on leaves are open and clean and the plants can breath. Those that suffer or go down (and these are very few) aren't fit for keeping or sale and end up as compost. You've seen the quality of their plants and root system. Yes, sometimes there's a mark on the leaf, but that's it. I rather spray a it more than I water because you can never actually see what goes on in the pot, even when opaque. Some orchids need more water than others and that's a finger feeling one has to learn. I must say that being in natural habitats has given me a lot of help with developing that feeling and I can envision what the different growing conditions are when reading up about orchids.
Remember the problems Roger had in his old grow room? Very high temperatures and even higher humidity. Now his orchids seem to do better. He sprays more, uses less fans AND he opens up the garden door or small window several times a day because the cat's go in and out! More airflow and air change, less problems with rot and fungi. Orchids come from the tropics, some can withstand or need high temps but most don't + the majority of species and certainly hybrids are born in captivity. They never have been in their natural habitat! The biggest problem for high light orchids is not the temp. or humidity, it's the lack of sufficient light thy need, mostly, to bloom.
Sorry for the looooong reply again, but you know, that's me. 😜 🤪 😊
I just absorb your comment, then read it again until it remains, which takes great effort these days! Last evening, as we have had rains, I opened my window, it is 18c at 7:30 am with humidity at 70%, my fans are on and all three growing lights. I appreciate you taking the time to answer me Marc and I'm really looking forward to your video on fertilising. 👍
@@orchidsgardeninengland1682 always a pleasure Margaret
Appreciate watching your hands work, Marc. Lots of “aha s! “ …
Thanks !