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  1. S

    Gordon, rock wool cubes

    Thank you to all of you for posting. Now I'm trying to digest it all. I really would like to move away from organic media as much as possible, either because I'm lazy or don't want the waste of repotting (your choice). I especially appreciate the contributions of Ray, as he has a scientific...
  2. S

    Gordon, rock wool cubes

    Thanks for the conversation. This is related to my recent question about growing Paphs in an inorganic medium. Seems that rockwool has many drawbacks . I’m wondering also how the container influences root growth when combined it’s the medium. I have many plants in semi hydro, and perhaps I...
  3. S

    Slippers in inorganic media

    Timing then is probably key as it is for many other genera. No new roots, no repot
  4. S

    Slippers in inorganic media

    With Cattleyas yes, as a pot is more of a perch than a container, and repotting is by division without disturbing the original, which for me is leca in a basket. Phrags seem to do great in semi hydro. Paphs not so sure. No repotting in nature. Agree about roots. But the the best Paph grower I...
  5. S

    Slippers in inorganic media

    I don't like repotting all of the time, and wonder what success others have had growing slippers in inorganic media. Please share your ideas.
  6. S

    Inorganic medium for Paphs

    I would like to move away from organic media in my orchid growing as much as possible, mostly because I'm too lazy to repot! I've had great success with Cattleyas, and am trying semi-hydro in some other genera. Seems to work well for Phrags, but I'm not so sure about Paphs. Does anyone have...
  7. S

    So, what's your perfect long petalled paph substrate?

    I have been following this thread with interest, as I'm in the process of examining my Paph and Phrag collection in Semi-hydro the past few days. Generalizing I'd say it's great for Phrags and less than ideal for Paphs. But that doesn't really address what I believe is important here. Ever...
  8. S

    Root rot party

    Each genus has a favored ratio of water and air at the roots. Increase one and or reduce the other. Usually better to increase water by changing medium or container. Many do well in clay pot pot with holes, or a basket of some sort. These are epiphytes. Ray is correct
  9. S

    Paphs in sphagnum....in baskets?

    The key, as with most orchid genera is keeping a proper ait to water ratio at the roots. What you are doing may well work. Clay pots and moss are another option as is semi hydro.
  10. S

    This is what people are being taught?

    My friend Ray said," “Overwatering can kill orchids”. Nope. Insufficient air to the roots does it. " Darn right, Ray. I think understanding principles is much more important than having "rules," which presumably are based on the principles but may not be understood. And what I'm learning from...
  11. S

    Rand Air Cone pot

    He packs the moss very tightly, and that combined with air at the bottom of the pot and the clay itself causes relatively fast drying, but I think the air is the important element rather than the drying, which is just another way to get air to the roots. Our plastic pots kill a lot of plants.
  12. S

    Rand Air Cone pot

    I grow almost exclusively Semi-hydroponically, so I do not use these. BUT, I do place an inverted small empty plastic net pot at the bottom of each pot, as I think most orchids prefer some air at the roots, which is the whole purpose of the air cone pot. However, the underlying principle is...
  13. S

    Pot culture tip

    Good name, Ray--the Goldilocks Principle, neither too wet or too dry. Here is how I would state it: "Healthy roots are critical to orchid plant health. The velamen covering the roots is kept healthy by maintaining an acceptable ratio of air and water at the roots. This ratio may vary between...
  14. S

    Very limited anecdotal evidence, but...

    Wonder if it would slow down senescence on Dracula
  15. S

    Gloria Naugle

    Here is my Gloria Naugle 'Red." I bought it from Paph Paradise. It bloomed for the first time last fall. If cloning of Paphs is now possible, that could improve what we have available (but possibly limit breeding).
  16. S

    Rock Wool + LECA

    In the end, it's only about the air/water balance in the environment, so changing the container may have as much impact on this balance as the medium. Change to clay or basket and you can use a wetter medium.
  17. S

    Rockwool chunks

    Thanks for your reply, Ray. Very useful to have a ceramics engineer here. I think I tried one clay pot in S/H. Not even sure where the picture is. Might be useful to experiment more. You have confirmed what I have observed and what I have suspected, and in a sense it confirms what Alan does...
  18. S

    Rockwool chunks

    I agree with Ray about one size not fitting all, as there are many variables, but I think the most important principle to follow is to find the best air/water balance for my own situation. Orchids want adequate of both, and over time this is impossible to do with most organic mixes, as they...
  19. S

    The 'water twice' approach to watering

    Well, Ray, I water first so as to leach out the salts, but then we don't really know that it works! LOL. If I'd thought of it a couple of weeks ago before starting fertilizer again, I might have tried some experiments. Perhaps I still have some leca outside (that's also been rained on!) that...
  20. S

    The 'water twice' approach to watering

    Thanks, Ray, for your input. I have always watered first and then fertilized, but that doesn't mean it's right. However, I think you have noted elsewhere that the game is quite different for those of us growing in semi-hydro, which means the roots are always wet and hydrated. This would be...
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