The Orchid Garden

water culture update

Question:

– Theresa, it does sound very interesting.  I read the water culture article on – Vengers Orchid’s website some time ago but do not have the gut to experiment with – it.  I am going to try this water culture on a few catts now.  I was trying to – experiment with the semi-hydroponic method as described by First Rays Orchid but – ended up with a rootless cattleya; but the other catts in semi-hydroponic pots are – doing okay, mainly because I empty the water out of the reservoir after every – watering.  (My reason was that if I left the water remains in the reservoir – constantly, I would end up with all the rootless orchids!) –   – Thanks for your explanation.  -Vinh- – If anyone is interested I have some pictures of water cultured Phrags which I have grown successfully for two/three years. Look at the ursl below —— Gideon Singer Webpage: members.home.net:80/gsinger Remove the ‘nospam’ to email

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Although I have found this technic somewhat inconvenient, I have grown a few phals this way, just to see if it works, and it does. I have had phals in water culture for over two years and through two flowering periods. I did not change the water, and in fact there is reason to allow algae to grow, as it helps in the culture. I fed the jars of water at the same time as I fed the pot plants and with the same fertilizer with enough water to top off the jar.

Has anyone tried this with Phal seedlings?  I have a few lueddemanniana keikis I want to cut off. Reka

Response:

pericolo: How often do you change out the water and add fertilizer?  I also tried water culture to try to save a couple of ailing plants.  The initial results looked good, with some new growths starting, but these growths were of a stunted size.  After a year or so, the plants gradually declined and died. These were Dens so maybe the technique is not well suited to them?  I would generally just top off the water each week, and then dump the old and refill about once per month.

Which genus you try? I’m started with a few plants that don’t going well (oncidium sp., Dend. Delicatum, and a single backbulb of Laelia lundii). The oncidium after a good growing for an year start to decline and I quick move it in sphagnum. Dend. is in my balcony after a winter with min. temps about 1-2

Filed under: Orchid Flower

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