When to repot seedlings?

[iwillard]

My Phrag seedlings survived my abuse and some are now almost 3 inches tall and growing. When do I repot them? They will be joining their elderlies in the ebb & flow system in rockwool.
Right now, they are still in sphagnum moss with constant water in the bottom,when I pour the standing water out they immediately curl up which may be an indication that they are not ready for prime time.

 

[iwillard]

I went ahead and repot my seedlings in rockwool and placed them into the ebb & flow thingy,they tripled in size.

 

[Migrant13]

Looking good! You need no advice.

 

[Silvan]

Great!! Keep us posted on their progress.
How do you like your hydrofarm megagarden so far?

 

[iwillard]

Silvan,

This Ebb & Flow thing is great and worth every penny,I wish it was larger. My seedling kovachii's roots are coming through the pot.
It's comes on every 12 hours and floods the roots,no more worries whether they are getting too wet,too dry,if roots are getting enough nutrition,oxygen,etc.

Migrant,

I need all the advice I can get! I hate killing orchids. Someone put a lot of time and effort to get it to certain point then poof! it's gone in the hands of an inexperienced individuals.

I try to read everything I can in the books,over the net but sometimes you don't know who to believe so I rather turn to the ST list knowing just about everyone has been on the "learning and still more to learn" stages and are willing to give tips. I cannot thank you all enough for parting with your valuable information.:clap:

 

[NYEric]

Looking good. Are they in straight rockwool or do you have any solid media (aliflor or diatomite, etc) to provide air spaces?

 

[iwillard]

Straight rockwool.
I cut them into smaller cubes (1/2" x 1/2"),if they are cut clean they stay fluffed up. Had couple of pots hand shredded that got badly compacted and had to repot them.

 

[NYEric]

i grow my seedlings in mix of rockwool cubes and aliflor or diatomite. (Wont be using diatomite for long. ). BTW, I hope you have a tag for those plants, I already have a couple of pots that are growing "Phrag??? "

 

[iwillard]

I already have a couple of pots that are growing "Phrag??? "

Is that means you will have some empty pots?

 

[NYEric]

That means some hybrids will be NOID in a few years!

 

[SlipperKing]

I see his tag on the back wall of the pot. He is on top of it.

 

[iwillard]

I see his tag on the back wall of the pot. He is on top of it.

She is fanatical about tags.

I have several orchids here which were dumped here to nurse back to health by a close relative,they are doing just dandy and growing like weeds yet as I told my relative,ripping out the tags may be fine to them but leaves one operating in the dark.
All I know,several are cattleya hybrids and few are oncidium hybrids by their pseudobulbs and foliage.

 

[NYEric]

OK, I found out the hard way that indelible marker on plastic pots is a formula for failing!

 

[Chicago Chad]

Straight rockwool.
I cut them into smaller cubes (1/2" x 1/2")

Inci-they make precut cubes.
http://www.brewandgrow.com/grow/hydroponics/hydroponic-mediums/rockwool-grow-medium/growcubes-and-growchunks-3449.html

 

[iwillard]

Chad,

Thank you for the link,that will make my fingers very happy. They are not simple to cube and it's either too much or too little cut pieces. I'll place an order right away.

 

[NYEric]

Any of the weedhead hydroponic stores sell bags of rockwool cubes.

 

[cnycharles]

Grodan rock wool cubes, like mix of 50/50% wet/dry fibrous rockwool


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[iwillard]

I bought the larger cubed rockwool in a hydroponic store,didn't know they were weedheads. I'm getting too old I guess and brain cells don't quite make the connection.

Cyncharles,

That is what I have now,size I've ordered is from Chad's link. Lazy woman's dream came through!:rollhappy:

 

[SlipperFan]

I tried rockwool that looked like cotton balls, some were supposed to be water retentive and some were not. They were a complete failure and a waste of $$. What makes the cubes any different?

The seedlings look great!

 

[iwillard]

Hi Dot,

Never seen the ones like cottonballs at that "weedhead" store,they only had the cubes and flats of rockwool for individual seeds.

Ones I cut up seems to have plenty air space and upper parts wicks the water when pump kick up the water. I'll try to get a picture of the roots.