Water culture

[jonesl8102]

I'm experimenting with 2 days wet then 5 days dry. I'd like to hear from anyone who has used water culture.

 

[big923cattleya]

Are you talking about hydroponically?

2 days wet, 5 days dry is not water culture in my mind. It is growing on a wet/dry schedule.
So many of the orchids that we grow are “epiphytes” plants that grow on another plant for support. They do not derive nourishment from the host plant. They are not parasites.
Some orchids do grow in areas where they are often flooded during the rainy season. But that is not 24/7/365.
Epiphytic orchids need oxygen flow around their roots to survive.

On another forum I met a few people trying to grow orchids hydroponically. We would discus this exact same point back and forth. Over a 5 year period they never once produced images of their orchids thriving as they claimed. Were they truthful or not? I don’t know.
But in the end we should all use the method that works best for us. There are lots of variables. Probably as many methods as there are types of orchids. But experience is what helps us to grow orchids. If one method doesn’t quite work, we try another.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Unfortunately the photos aren't available:
https://www.slippertalk.com/threads/aquatic-phalaenopsis.42165/

 

[Ray]

I'm experimenting with 2 days wet then 5 days dry. I'd like to hear from anyone who has used water culture.

I am not a fan of the technique because it does not provide any mechanical stability to the plant in the container, which is something they like. I'm not saying the concept of no medium is bad - many vandas grown around the world are grown with no media, but at least that have a basket or wire to "grab hold" of...

Are you talking about hydroponically? <snip by RB>

On another forum I met a few people trying to grow orchids hydroponically. We would discus this exact same point back and forth. Over a 5 year period they never once produced images of their orchids thriving as they claimed. Were they truthful or not? I don’t know.

A Phrag that has been growing in passive hydroponics for almost 20 years. The heat, storms, and my negligence have it pretty beat up, but it keeps on chugging along.
It was divided last summer, so a year ago was two old and one new growth. Now, in addition to the two flowering (which has been going on for months), it has one old growth, one almost mature, two about half-way there, and 4 recently emerged.

 

[big923cattleya]

What is passive hydroponics?

Years ago, Dr. David Grove, from the NYC Judging Area, would visit Thailand once a year. He had a contract grower there who grew out seedling crosses of his. He showed us several slides back then of his trips. There they grew Vandas on heavy hemp or twine that would hang down from a lath house.
His grower was wholesale only. But when he wanted to take plants home with him, they would just snip them with heavy scissors and remove them from the twine. It was amazing to see. (He has written a few books on Vandas and if anyone is interested, maybe you could find them) He has passed a while back but he was a Vanda legend.
David would always bring back some Vanda coerulea hybrids and some special coerulea clones. I never missed a August judging when he was back from Thailand! The coeruleas grew great. He gifted me a Vanda Sensai Blue that I got an AM on!! He was happier for me then I was!! Incredible man.

 

[jonesl8102]

Are you talking about hydroponically?

2 days wet, 5 days dry is not water culture in my mind. It is growing on a wet/dry schedule.
So many of the orchids that we grow are “epiphytes” plants that grow on another plant for support. They do not derive nourishment from the host plant. They are not parasites.
Some orchids do grow in areas where they are often flooded during the rainy season. But that is not 24/7/365.
Epiphytic orchids need oxygen flow around their roots to survive.

On another forum I met a few people trying to grow orchids hydroponically. We would discus this exact same point back and forth. Over a 5 year period they never once produced images of their orchids thriving as they claimed. Were they truthful or not? I don’t know.
But in the end we should all use the method that works best for us. There are lots of variables. Probably as many methods as there are types of orchids. But experience is what helps us to grow orchids. If one method doesn’t quite work, we try another.

Thank you for the info... I've been watching YouTube videos and the method was described as water culture. I'm only experimenting with orchids that are sickly. I like the concept of being able to see the roots at all times

 

[big923cattleya]

Well why did you decide to make a change. So much of what i see at my three local societies stems from overwatering. It reminds me of all poodles are dogs, but all dogs are not poodles. Too many people I try to help are stuck in the "I treat orchids as house plants" that is of course true. However you can't water them as such. And you can't grow them in soil.
So much of these problems stem from Phalaenopsis being purchsed in cute little cache pots. In the inside is another pot with sphagnum moss. This combination turns deadly quickly for Phalaenopsis. Hydroponics is not the way to save them. If too much water killed the roots, growing in water will not bring them back. Repot Phalaenopsis with fresh media, keep shaded, water once ever 3-4 days and root grow back within 6-8 weeks.

 

[Ray]

What is passive hydroponics?

A form of hydroponics (later dubbed "semi-hydroponics") using an inert potting medium and no "active" devices like pumps or air stones to deliver nutrient solutions to the plants, but relying on the wicking of the solution up from the reservoir by the potting medium, instead.

I developed it when I was traveling 6-7 days a week on business. It's really hard to care for your plants when you're not there, and between the pot design and inert medium, it allowed my to automate watering without ever worrying about too much water or too little air.

 

[big923cattleya]

Interesting.
Learn something every day. Thank you for the explanation.