Dry layer on leca

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Hi there. I have the dry layer on my leca and it is with my phragmipediums that do not have a lot of roots. I tried the plastic layer and that worked however with my larger plants that have multiple growths the plastic will not work because they are closely packed. I tried spagnum moss but that drys out to fast. Also I am woried about root rot with the water it sits in because it is pretty high. What should I do? Thanks and happy growing!!!
 
I have been trying two methods to grow Phrags. myself. One is working well, the other not so much.
I have been treating them as two different groups of orchids. All of my smaller ones I have shifted back to pure Sphagnum moss. I grow these all under lights indoors. Outside here in SE Michigan, I can not keep them wet enough. I water these besseae, dalesandroii, schlimii things quite often, every three days. They sit in a little water but still dry rapidly. Sphagnum is tricky to use, too dense or hard packed blocks water absorption. too loose dries out very quickly. My humidity is up to around 50-60% in the winter, 70-80% during the summer. Winter days are about 10 hours under lights, 12 during the summer. I have fans blowing lightly all year round.
My larger types like Don Wimber, Inca Embers, Sorcerer's Apprentice are in a mix that I call my "oreo" mix. I put a layer of fine bark, perlite and charcoal in the bottom. Then I use a layer of sphagnum moss then top dress with more seedling bark mix. After three years of growing like this, those plants look good. They are growing well, are regular bloomers but I still water them every 4-5 days inside and out. These bigger types go outside by May 15th and come in around October 1st.
Kovachii likes to be in a seedling mix too but need more water then Don Wimber types in my limited experience. They are not easy to grow. Even it's hybrids need more attention. Kovachii likes it a bit cooler too.
But you will get more responses here and probably get as many methods as responses. It seems like every one does something a little different. Good luck.
Bill
 
Dry LECA indicates insufficient humidity, so anything you can do to increase that will be a “plus”.

The plastic barrier to slow evaporation doesn’t have to go around each individual growth. The hole in the middle can surround all of the growths, only covering the space between them and the pot rim. Have you considered putting the moss on top of the plastic? I wouldn’t be surprised if the dry LECA wasn’t helping dry the sphagnum.

How tall is the pot? Is it plastic with no perforations? My current biggest S/H pot is 12” in diameter and 13” tall, with a 2” deep reservoir. However a deeper reservoir should be of no consequence as long as the plant wasn’t potted with the roots in the liquid.
 
I thought Ray would suggest using a layer of rock wool cubes on top as an evaporation retardant. With Phrags, I use a bottom layer of LECA, a middle layer of Grodan medium cubes, another layer of LECA, and a top layer of Grodan. I water every 6 days for the active growing period and even less during my winter cool down period.
 
Theodore, I assume you are in Billings, Montana. I tried this method in Orange City, Iowa, and I this method couldn't ever keep up with low ambient humidity. The top was always drying out. I never had any success with this method under those conditions. In the humid summer the plants would do well but in winter the plants would suffer and many were lost. Unless you can increase the humidity some how you are going to have constant trouble.

P.S. I had my plants indoors, under light, inside one of those little mini plastic green houses to try maintain humidity to no avail. Humidity was in the 30% in winter.
 
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Theodore, I assume you are in Billings, Montana. I tried this method in Orange City, Iowa, and I this method couldn't ever keep up with low ambient humidity. The top was always drying out. I never had any success with this method under those conditions. In the humid summer the plants would do well but in winter the plants would suffer and many were lost. Unless you can increase the humidity some how you are going to have constant trouble.
Do you think if I mixed grodan grow cubes in the leca this would work?
 
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