A Simple Guide to How I Grow My Orchids in Semi-Hydroponics

[@NicoleDeanna]

Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 0:39 Resources & References 1:34 Basics of Semi-Hydroponics 3:35 When to transition Orchids into Semi-Hydroponics 4:20 Preparing & Cleaning Leca 5:00 Preparing Orchids for Semi-Hydroponics 5:44 Difference between Semi-Hydroponics & Self Watering with Leca 6:45 Orchid adapation to Semi-Hydroponics 6:58 When to Repot In Semi-Hydroponics 8:00 Watering Orchids in Semi-Hydroponics 8:45 Feeding Orchids in Semi-Hydro 10:11 Altering PH of water for Semi-Hydro 11:04 Flushing 12:03 How Long do Water Reservoirs Last? 12:55 Repotting Orchids already in Semi Hydroponics 15:04 Semi Hydro is not a one size fits all solution Orchids that Don’t Work Well for me in Semi Hydro 15:57 Dealing with Top Dry Layer 17:09 Semi Hydro in very dry environments 17:39 Leca has a cooling effect 18:24 Semi-Hydro is not suitable for all orchids 18:50 Algae issues 19:32 How I Grow my Orchids in S/H 20:18 Outro & Recap

[@francesbee1832]

Great, informative breakdown of semi-hydro! I will definitely try this method for some of my orchids.

[@nattiesgarden]

Nicole, this is one of the best videos I've seen on semi-hydro. Such a wealth of useful information! I especially like how you highlighted the differences between s/h and self-watering because they seem similar in theory, but actually quite different in practice. I've switched most orchids to self-watering to have larger water reservoirs, but s/h definitely has its advantages too. Great video!

[@NicoleDeanna]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed this video! I'll make some follow up videos with how I feed and containers I use. It's a good grow system! The large self watering pots are incredible for big cattleyas!

[@EileenWstCstGrl]

Great video, Nicole. So much information and the timestamps really help when you want to go back and look something up. I refer to your videos quite a bit, so I appreciate it!

[@NicoleDeanna]

Thank you so much Eileen

[@janicelindegard6615]

What a great video! Thank you. I know this took a while to produce. I think you've been the most helpful of all the orchid "girls" on KZbin for me. Your videos are concise but still full of information. The fact that you're in the US in NYC makes me lean toward your advice as well; I live in Chicago. Can you do a video about containers you use for semi-hydro? Which ones you use for which type of orchid or even if you do have a favorite pot for each type of orchid. I checked out some of the links you provided and, again, thanks!

[@NicoleDeanna]

Thanks so much Janice! I'm glad the videos have been helpful. I appreciate the feedback :) I'll make a note of this and add this to a series of videos of Semi Hydro. Thank you for watching :)

[@steveortez2613]

Nicole I am also I NYC one thing I have experienced is that water in leca dehydrates faster than the fertilizer in the water so what happens is that when you feed your orchids if your TDS is 300 it will raise your TDS it is good to flush before you feed all the time also it’s good to report before the orchid gets root bound into another pot squeeze the pot slightly with both hands before removing the orchid then just remove orchid with leca attached and place into new larger pot and surround with new leca fill with water for 2-5 days and flush continue with your regiment. People often continue to feed without flushing there orchids thinking that the TDS in the water they provide will stay the same but what happens is the salt’s from the previous feed will desolve and raise the TDS so if you feed 300 PPM for example you will find that if you test the TDS after feeding it will raise to over 150 over 300 PPM this will cause nutrient lock out and cause an inconsistency in growth you will find your self trying to cater to different orchids in different ways such as watering patterns feeding patterns I have over 45 cattalyas in different growth stages from seedlings to 5 inch pots and one thing I’ve learned is that the cattalya seedlings need to be kept moist but not wet constantly I’ve had seedlings small as a pinky nail grow with no problems it takes a long time but there growing out of 48 I’ve lost 3 and those 3 I received dry and with no roots one thing I’ve learned is that if the orchid has green leaves and 1 small root it will grow and can be saved good luck I enjoy your KZbin channel and look forward to more content thank you for sharing your knowledge with everyone

[@NicoleDeanna]

It's good to know we are in the same environment! I agree with you with the TDS easily being raised for orchids in semi hydro. Many people make the mistake of feeding and not flushing as much, and I agree that the salts get very toxic over time, especially if the pots dry out repeatedly! Flushing is so important. I can't flush every single time I water, but at minimum I do it monthly, and more for species and orchids that are establishing / more sensitive. I really like your idea of repotting BEFORE the orchid gets root bound. I sometimes wait till it's too late and it's a disaster to get the leca off. I'm going to take your advice and repot before the pots and containers get rock solid full of roots. Really appreciate you watching this video and sharing your experience. Happy growing 💗

[@arielzelaya9170]

Many thanks for sharing this information. I really enjoy your videos.

[@NicoleDeanna]

Thanks so much Ariel ❤️

[@nicolewildman8976]

Hi Nicole 😊 I'm a new subscriber. Greetings from the southern Caribbean. I'm from Trinidad and Tobago. This was an awesome explanation. I'm still a beginner and I learned a lot. Thanks again 😎🌴☀️

[@NicoleDeanna]

Hi Nicole! Thanks so much for watching and subscribing 💖 Appreciate you watching, and I'm so glad it was helpful! I hope you have a great weekend 🤗

[@wandashaw3551]

Hi Nicole, great tips, thank you so much. I have a few of my orchids in LECA self-watering and they are doing very well. I also lost quite a few and that was my fault, not transitioning them when they were growing new roots. I do like having my collection in a variety of media, that way I can see what they like best and who does well in what. I have two slipper orchids in LECA self-watering and they have both rebloomed for me!!

[@NicoleDeanna]

Hi Wanda! Thanks for watching! It's great to experiment with orchids in different media and then you can choose what works best. So nice to hear about your paphs in Leca working out well! I might need to try again :)

[@cobuslim3303]

that pebble tip is absolutely genius!! my laelia purpurata's roots always burn when they touch the leca. i found that orchids in leca are more sensitive to overfertilizing/insufficient flushing

[@NicoleDeanna]

Thank you! I got the tip from the orchid room. It has saved me with sensitive orchids! I agree, orchids in this system need to be flushed often!

[@anna-karinhelldner7778]

Hey! Thanks! Very interesting, I think that the climate where you live and the origin of the plant is decisive how they thrive in semi-hydro / self-watering. Always fun to try out. I live outside Gothenburg, Sweden.

[@NicoleDeanna]

I agree! Success with any method is very environment & orchid specific. Thanks so much for watching :)

[@anitabrown2022]

Can you plant a newly purchased with good roots but no new root tips in leca semi-hydro.. if not what are the steps for this?

[@NicoleDeanna]

It's best to wait until you see new root tips, but if you do transition one with good roots, I say do it in the spring and when it's warm. This is likely when you'll get new roots coming in later and the timing will be better. I think you can do it for hybrids well, but I'd be careful with species as you really need those to have new roots or they can get a bit temperamental.

[@anitabrown2022]

Ok thank you!

[@tonyturner6948]

Can we have an update on semi hydro and which orchids are doing well. Thanks from the UK.

[@NicoleDeanna]

Sure, check out my monthly updates, and my most recent ask me anything video a few months ago, I go into this in detail then.

[@comaxdsm]

Hi Nicole, I am going to try seaweed extract (kelp) but not sure how to use it in addition to orchid fertilizer. Do you mix the seaweed extract with fertilizer or in place of (alternate with) fertilizer?

[@NicoleDeanna]

I added it with the fertilizer, you can use the instructions on the bottle and add it in addition to:)

[@michaelmccarthy4077]

While it isn't my grow method of choice, I just moved my Den victoria-reginae to s/h (with growstone) to see if it will help it. The plant has good roots but it just looks _terrible_ so maybe the constantly damp and possibly cooler root zone will help it.

[@NicoleDeanna]

Nice! The cooling effect should give it a little drop that will hopefully help it thrive. If I were in FL, I'd probably grow differently. I envy that you can have bareroot vandas, and mount so many things. One day I'll end up down there haha. Hope you're well Michael. Loved seeing the kitchen updates!

[@lienlienchan]

I found that my cattleyas didn't like semi hydro at all, it didn't do anything: no new roots, no growth, so I had to put it back into barks . I 'm glad it works well for you. I agreed that some plants does not do well in semi hydro , in certain , environment .

[@aida5891]

It's recommended to switch cattleyas to semi hydro when they have new roots growing. Because you were waiting for new growths makes me think you moved your cattleyas to Leca at the wrong time.

[@NicoleDeanna]

It happens! I agree with it being environment dependent, but sometimes you have to give it time and the orchids can be stubborn and take some time to establish. I agree with the comment above about waiting for new root tips, usually those adapt and the orchid will start pushing out a new root system from there, though to your point, some environment conditions don't work as well, so it depends! If you have very cool conditions for instance, SH is tough since it's so cooling.

[@suzisaintjames]

Ninja orchids is now using leca in self watering pots. She pulls the wick up to the roots. 💖🌞🌵😷

[@orchidsbythelake]

My Hoyas… most of them are in semi-hydro setup. They are not picky with pH and whatnot so it’s perfect! Personally, if you grow orchids in greenhouse, cons outweigh pros… but maybe it’s just me. 🤷🏻‍♂️ I thought about it when I was living in apartment. But of course I tried it with bellina! 😂 it didn’t do well so I just quit it.

[@NicoleDeanna]

Bellina loves to stay nice and hot! I can see the pros and cons of having a green house. My biggest issue with growing indoors is not getting a cool enough night to the orchids, and messing up my wood floors. I would love to spray everything to water and flush with a hose, instead I'm stuck walking to my sink with each pot, one by one to flush and I have 200 😂😂😂😂 hey, the Hoya cuttings you gave me are doing great! I need to send you some updated pics, but cummingiana is growing like a weed 🥰

[@suzisaintjames]

Thinking about your issues with leca sticking during repotting, have you considered using semi hydro with no media? See Danielle's Orchid Ranch. 💖🌞🌵😷

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@suzisaintjames I've seen it, but I'll admit, I really dislike the algae and fungus knats 😭

[@suzisaintjames]

@@NicoleDeanna , I've had my mini phal bare root in a glass for 11 weeks, in a south facing window sill (right by the glass) and don't have either gnats nor algae. I don't believe she does either. There are a few more that are growing in water that I can think of that don't have gnats. I guess I didn't think it was a problem, until you mentioned it. Because, I thought I remembered reading that fungus gnats need media to lay their eggs? I had gnats a long time ago in a houseplant with soil, so I know they're common to my area. Besides, I love seeing the bare roots turn from silver to green and back again, so I know exactly when to water. Orchids are sooo beautiful in glass. Sending lots of love 💖 from sunny 🌞 Arizona 🌵. Take care of yourself and each other 😷

[@suzisaintjames]

@@NicoleDeanna , have you seen anyone talk about gnats in hydroponics or water culture? I'd sure be interested if you have as I'm 11 weeks as a new orchid mom and find new orchid sites every day. But like you I can't stand gnats and will start looking to re-home this orchid if there's a possibility of getting an infestation. That KZbin algorithm sure doesn't work well for orchid growers. 💖🌞🌵😷

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@suzisaintjames I haven't but there are fungus gnat traps on Amazon. I think it's an issue whenever there's persistent moisture, I get it all the time with leca, it's so annoying :(

[@suzisaintjames]

@@NicoleDeanna , I'm pretty sure they only like moist media and don't go to straight water. Talk to some people who do hydro or water culture... It might be your answer to all your leca annoyances. 💖🌞🌵😷

[@markkrebs7474]

I am a bit confused to why you would get rid of the Leca in the middle when repotting? I mean its not like you need to exchange it to get new nutrients to it, so just pop the whole thing into a new and bigger container without disturbing it.

[@NicoleDeanna]

Because with some of my hybrids sometimes the roots go into every single air gap so tightly that there's no more air and over time I find that the roots suffocate and die. It's only the case for the really really vigorous ones, I am fine with upotting anything not overgrown tho

[@marylawton7643]

Nicole have you noticed Annabelle from the orchid room hasn’t posted for at least a year do you know if she’s ok

[@NicoleDeanna]

I don't know unfortunately! Last I saw on IG she was working on her PhD and got very busy, but I very much miss her videos and updates!

[@marylawton7643]

@@NicoleDeanna thank you for your reply yes I miss her too she’s from U.K. same as me so we share similar growing conditions

[@javier209307]

Does anybody know something about Rick L?

[@NicoleDeanna]

I unfortunately don't know how he's doing :( I hope he's doing alright! His videos are missed!

[@Maria-In-Motion]

I don’t understand. The transparent pot you show with two holes shows water at the bottom of the pot beneath the holes. What do you call that? The roots obviously are touching that water.

[@NicoleDeanna]

It's an always moist system as discussed. Water remains in the water reservoir.

[@suzisaintjames]

The theory is that there's a transition that the roots have to adjust when you first transfer the plant from media to water. That transition is best handled by the orchid as the new root tips grow into the water. When she potted this orchid, she filled the leca just above the holes then added the plants and more leca. So on day one, the roots are not in the water. They are just in the damp leca environment (similar to the media before) just above the water. Yes, the leca is very moist, but not 100% water. As the root tips grow into the water, they are able to adjust to the new conditions of being in water 100% of the time and don't rot. Mind you, the older section of root continues to stay in it's familiar moist environment. I tried to transition an orchid without new root tips (it was in full bloom). And the two longer roots turned to mush in about two weeks. 💖🌞🌵😷

[@suzisaintjames]

The difference between semi hydro and self watering is that in true self watering there is an air barrier between the media/plant and the water reservoir and the two sections are never to meet as wet media rots easily. The water is drawn up into the media with wicks. In semi hydro, the media/plant is allowed to grow into water reservoir. Now, some people use wicks in semi hydro to help keep the media even more moist near the top as they find their media is not naturally wicking fast enough for their plants to be happy. So with orchids the terms can over lap, but with many house plants that cannot stand in water, the air barrier between the soil and water used in a self watering pot system is critical. 💖🌞🌵😷

[@abby13222]

Have you noticed that your orchids in S/H have suddenly declined after 2 years, or a certain period of time? I have heard this from a couple people and was wondering if you experienced this too 🤔

[@javier209307]

How interesting 🤔

[@aniliname]

I think this relates to what she was saying about dense roots and decreased oxygen

[@NicoleDeanna]

I have one orchid, a vanda that declined on me after about two years. Vandas to me are always hit or miss with leca! Otherwise, I haven't seen issues with my cattleyas, phals or Dendrobiums in this system. I do think that a lot of people allow their orchids to get root bound and up pot their Orchids without removing the leca and creating some air for the roots. They can decline because of the lack of air, so that's a factor and I think it's a common mistake because many people think leca is inorganic so they don't need to repot when the pot is full of roots. The reality is that they do need repots when there are no longer air gaps present.

[@abby13222]

@@NicoleDeanna that makes sense, thanks for taking the time to reply!

[@aida5891]

I have moved my first phals to semi hydro 4 years ago. Most of my cattleyas are in semi hydro for at least 3 years now. They are all still growing healthy