Giving Semi Hydro Orchid setup another go.. with some changes

Today we make another experiment with orchid setups, the famous semi hydroponics, with a bit of customization.
▼▼▼More info bellow!▼▼▼
If you never heard about this growth technique, here is a lot more inf on the subject firstrays.com/s...
This setup implies the use of a pot without drainage, but with some holes on the sides, raised from the bottom of the pot. A reservoir is present and the leca pebbles are always in contact with water at the bottom. Through capillary action and evaporation, the water is delivered to the surface.. not always :P
Due to my environment I had to customize it a bit. I am using shorter pots, higher reservoirs and small leca pebbles. So far so good, but we will see how to fix other issues in the future.
Michael's Orchids in SH / @michaelsorchids
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[@MichaelsOrchids]

You're wonderful, thank you for your shout out! I'm so glad you're retrying this setup, and I think you're making some really great adjustments: raising the reservoir based on the type of orchid that's being grown has been hugely helpful for me. I'm looking forward to seeing your winter updates, I'm so curious to see what will happen!

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

Michael's Orchids I liked your tip about your heating mat for making the transfer easier on the plants. it alsow will keep the plants warm in the winter 👍👌🎉

[@sjreichler]

I had problems with algae in my SH pots, and I solved it without chemicals by nesting all of my clear pots inside opaque pots of the same size without holes. This allows me to remove the clear pots for watering and checking the roots without having the algae issues.

[@sjreichler]

I can also increase the water level above the drainage holes because the nesting outer opaque pot seals the holes off.

[@johnmason455]

While I'm a little jealous that you can get seramis and I can't, I am sold on semi hydro for orchids, and have been since I first encountered the idea. Theorhetically it satisfies all the basic needs of an orchid, air to roots, no buildup of dissolved organic acids, and ready access to moisture. Glad you are giving it another try with leca for us American viewers (although the growstone comments below have me intrigued). The basic setup of semi hydro is the same as many cannibis growers have used which they call krusty buckets. I would love to see you try a semihydro with small seramis for african violets, I think they would love it. The work I have done in this sort of setup is with leca and perlite (perlite for seedling orchids, great results). For mature orchids I fertilize at each watering with a hydro tomato formula at about 1/8th strenth ( 150-200 ppm), with the addition of kelp extract and fulvic acid (1/4 tsp ezch per gallon) and the ladies love it. Hopefully we will get seramis soon in the USA. Keep up the good work!

[@Korina42]

Av's do love semi-hyrdo; your best bet is to remove the root ball and however many leaves you need to leave a nice stem, scrape the stem lightly, pot it up, and bag the whole thing until you get enough roots to support the plant. Open the bag over a few days to re-acclimate it and enjoy your flowers. For standard size Av's I used Hydroton (the big round ones) and they did very well. Plenty of moisture, plenty of air, just a little fertilizer, and the roots didn't care about light.

[@debbyavery5693]

I love AV. Would love to try semi-hydro on one to see how it works. Exciting!!

[@ayleno3698]

I have transferred my oncidiums to semi-hydroponic system more than 6 months and I am very satisfied! The roots are developing very well the new growths are very happy, but I consider that the use of the heating pads are necessary for the best development of the roots.

[@ayleno3698]

I no longer care about watering frequency and I use algecide for the pool to fight algae in the pots.

[@Sara-qw4hi]

There is a great video of a presentation from Thomas Voytilla that is worth watching (search: Tip of Texas Orchid Society- semi hydroponics). I have about a dozen orchids that have been grown semi hydroponically for three years now (and more that are newer conversions), phals, phrags, paphs, oncidium intergenerics and cattleyas. A note on the root rot: New roots that grow after you convert to s/h can certainly thrive if they grow into the water reservoir. All of those dozen I mentioned have tons of roots wrapping around the very bottom and have happily been there for years now. The older roots on the orchid that were grown "traditionally" can definitely die off since they are experiencing a total change in environment. This may cause a set back since you need your orchid to establish a new root system but the long term benifits are worth it to me. Also make sure you are taking into account the evaporative cooling. A lot of people use heat mats for their warm growers after they convert, I did not but my climate is super hot and humid. This has been one of the biggest problem for people in growing phals in s/h, not enough heat from the bottom can stall new root growth and kill off existing ones. Good luck, hope it works out better for you this time around!

[@DaniTakagi]

Please, don't forget legends. My English it's not really good and legends helps me a lot. I love your channel. Thanks 🙏🏻

[@orchidgarden3124]

Danny, I've been using semi-hydro on a handful of orchids for >9 months, and I have never had the slightest issue with fertilizer or salt accumulations. I think the reason for this is that every 3-4 weeks I put the pot in my sink under a good stream of water and vigorously flush out the pot for about 1 minute. The water flushes out of the holes at the bottom as I run it in through the top. This also flushes out any dead root material or as you said "bio mess" from algae. It is simple, quick and economical and keeps the pot fresh. If you are worried about residue from tap water just rinse quickly with a bit of RO water after flushing with tap and you should be fine.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

+Amy Bascom Hi Amy, good idea with the follow up rinse :D also because the pot stays more wet than dry, salts tend to not deposit and remain dissolved :) I suspect the top layer stays moist.. ish too?

[@orchidgarden3124]

MissOrchidGirl I live in a fairly dry climate, especially in winter. The top inch or 2 of the pot does get dry. What I do is mist the top layer of leca every 1-3 days, depending on how much time I have, and that seems to be sufficient. This small amount of time I spend doing the misting gives me a chance to examine the orchid for problems (pests, etc). In the summer, it's not as much of a problem. A little sphagnum on the top might help too. I grow a larger number of orchids in a seramis/leca mix (styled after yours) with just a layer of leca on top, occasionally a little moss on top. I find this method to work equally well to the semi-hydroponics method. Both seem to give good results. I'm going to give both ways another year to see what I like better, I may just continue to use both methods depending on the orchid.

[@ninbin34]

thanks for getting me hooked on Michael :)

[@christinalai967]

I'm delighted to tell you that I found seramis in Canada/ US. They go by the name lava rocks, which is what they are. I'm going to get clay pebbles and those and try. So excited! 😁

[@drpk6514]

You can cover it with a layer of something like bark or moss to reduce the evaporation and moisture will clime up.

[@austintrask2658]

Damn, girl, that was an extremely informative video. Total clay pebble newb here, learned a lot!

[@juanmelgar152]

Good luck with it and thank you for all your videos. I learn a lot. Years ago I tried this setup but maybe it was not for my climate. I killed all my roots. :( But now they are fine in new medium.

[@alanm9523]

I'm tempted to give semi hydro another go, too. The ingredient in physan 20 is benzalkonium chloride. You can get alternative products in Europe that contain this. Look for a patio cleaners or greenhouse algae control products in a garden centre. You just need to calculate the equivalent concentration. My environment was too cold for phals in S/H and they did horribly. But oncidiums and cattleyas did really well!

[@NesuChambers]

I plant to use semyhidro on my catasetinae next growing season. I noticed that with seramis you get several issues. It's hard to introduce water properly because you want to moisten the top just a bit but it wicks the water down, the roots don't have as many gaps to grow and honestly seeing pictures of people I always see more roots in semyhidro pots than in seramis. I know they should be able to pierce through but for example I have a lot more roots on the bottom with leca (I usually do a final leca layer to prevent seramis from dropping at the bottom) so maybe they just like more space. And then the issue with fertilizer, I know this can be solved with a layer of pebbles but overall the top gets a lot of salt deposits because you need to go high on the numbers and it dries out pretty fast. Then it's the root rot issue, it happened to me and to some other people I chat sometimes with that the second batch of roots was lost, because like I said you can't keep the bottom moist without the top being really moist as well with seramis, and the roots didn't like being too wet too soon (the plant had already leafed out and the bulbs would shrivel so I was positive the plant wanted water). I was thinking about semihydro with maybe a small top dressing of microfiber. So I can make the top a bit wet without overdoing it, like it was moss, while the roots need to go deeper to really find water. Bernie Butts from the catasetinae group on FB, a very experienced grower in canada told me that they really refrain from starting real watering until there's quite a lot of roots because in his experience the plants produce more roots while "searching" for water, and I kinda experienced this as well. I have 2 plants in seramis, 1 in mostly leca with a bit of seramis and a layer of bad pebbles on top (bad=they leach a bit) and then another on moss, so I can compare results.

[@tammianelson9857]

I have started using leca and growstones on most of my orchids. I am in the US and don't have access to seramis, so I decided to give growstones a try.The growstones hold a lot of moisture, like seramis, so I combine it with leca for some of my orchids. I really like it so far and I noticed a decline in fungus gnats. My terrestials and semi-terrestials orchids I still have in organic media, but put a layer of growstone gnat nix in the bottom of my pots and top dressed them. I grow my orchids in my home and the gnats were driving me crazy. This seems to be working out great. I will be using this stuff in all my house plants.

[@sunahyun6339]

Great way to timing, I've been researching algaecide for semi hydro grow method. Thanks for this experiment.

[@emilydewsnap]

(Raises hand in interest for leca semi-hydroponics) I am interested in using inorganic leca after dealing with mold develop from using bark medium. But have the same concern that you have about algae. Thanks for your thoughts. It's so tricky because all our environments are different so it takes time finding the right media. Congrats on your new orchid btw!

[@lynnkrawczyk4790]

I wonder if adding a screen between the reservoir and the roots would prevent them from growing down into the pool of water. BUT I've done semi water culture - which lets the roots sit in full water for two days and in nothing for five days - and the phals did great with it. No rotting.

[@robertschuster7246]

personal experience dont believe anything until you have proven it for yourself i love it, it is my version of the american dream

[@marcosviniciusdaruy6676]

Hi. I'm using ordinary leca for cattleyas and they are doing wild. I avoid small leca because cattleya's roots are thick. I also noticed that using a heating mat (as also recommended by Ray) when root tips are just starting (especially when you are coverting into s/h) increases humidity in top leca, preventing against root tips dissection (your white pebbles alternative solution).

[@adamzaneagle]

I’m growing my orchids in river pebbles from Lowe’s and they’re all thriving, just need to water them daily and give them a lot plant food

[@MissOrchidGirl]

... 'JUST' need to water them daily, to me that sounds like a continuous nightmare, a daily chore that if I cannot perform due to... Pain? lol.. my orchids are in danger of dehydration.. what if the pain lasts for 2 days?? What if a familly member needs help for a few days? What if I get sick? What if I somehow .. I go on vacation???? Or I need to travel for work?????? The horror bhaha oh gosh getting anxioys just thinking about it 🤭😂😂😂

[@medibayir]

OMG! You are in Cyprus??!! That's my home country 💕 I'm missing it so much! I'm in Australia very very far away. Hello to all my fellow country men/women! 👍😊

[@angiebondarenko4988]

Hi, Danny. I live in South Florida and can say that it's almost no possibility to buy a ceramis. Only some vendors sell it. You have an opportunity to buy this stuff visiting orchid shows, but in Summer there are no shows. One bag (app. 5 lb) costs $12-15. Sometimes I use a gravel or lava rock.

[@stuartkaufman6131]

One or two cords or thick strings made of a synthetic material with one end in the water reservoir and the other end up at the top of the leca seems to wick extra water up just fine.

[@sharpierugger2]

This is a late comment so I’m not sure you will read this. I worked several years in the pool and spa industry. For algae, the best working algaecides are based on copper and even better is silver. Not sure if orchids tolerate metals in the water in combination with fertilizer, may rust. I’ve heard of people putting coins made from nickel in fountains. Just some ideas to experiment with.

[@human__________]

leca has led me down quite a rabbit hole of ideas and inspirations. I'm thinking of doing a tropical plant wall in semi hydro. Mostly leca, maybe some smaller clay, maybe some aquarium soil. Pretty sure most aquarium soils are literally very small leca like balls. Coming from the planted aquarium side of things I know that if you have nutrient rich water and enough light, you're going to have algae. Period. So you need to protect from light or have the water moving enough that it can't grow well. For the wall I'm thinking of having all the pots connected in one circuit with a pump to move water. And a reservoir to hold a sponge filter to deal with ammonia etc from organic die off. Would also serve to aerate the water. Think it would work quite well.

[@kathymieczkowski4981]

Is it okay to place an orchid inside leca without drainage holes...let's say a glass vase. I've seen pictures of other orchid growers growing orchids with leca inside glass vases....and the roots are gorgeous!

[@tylers2102]

I'm not really sure how economical this would be, but you could try having a power set of drainage holes and just cover them with hot glue in the summer (leaving the higher holes intact), and peel off the hot glue in the winter to maintain a lower water level

[@pearlcustodio3368]

I just did and its good for my phaleqnopsis

[@lintian201]

You are so creative and smart! Love it.

[@ZYX58645]

I use transparent self-watering planters for the SH setup. Basically it is a net pot sets on top of a transparent container, with thick cotton strings hang from net pot to absorb water in the container. The water level shouldn't reach the bottom net pot. This setup will let medias stay wet, but not submerge in water. Much easier to drain and flush the media.

[@ZYX58645]

Thank you, I haven't noticed rotting yet, but will replace them with synthetics.

[@SarahBecker]

I just repot when the algae gets bad it is not a problem it just looks gross and smells. Repotting is so easy with S/H. If you keep the pot dark you will not have a algae problem. Keep them in one of you white pots. The roots adapt to living in the reservoir and do fine. It is the old roots that should not be in the water. New roots will be fine in the water.

[@christrinder1255]

Got the a great UK version which my orchids love and its called Vitalink Premium Clay Pebble Balls which I bought on eBay. Recommend them, just be sure to rinse them first before use because there is a grey residue powder that needs to be rinsed before you plant your orchid or your water will turn grey which makes looking at your roots more difficult. (As per instruction on the pack). Because the sizes of the small pebbles are irregular it allows spaces that allows for the exchange of gasses.

[@brendamcintyre703]

I have been keeping my orchids in Leca for quite awhile now, but now I see what I'm doing wrong. I've had them in regular orchid pot and could not keep the top layer moist. So I'm going to rework all of that. I've never really had any issue with algae, but it's probably because the top was too dry. The leca absorbs water so slowly that conventional watering just ran straight through. I've been misting the medium everyday. Don't worry I make sure to avoid getting the crown wet and if it does I dry it out really well. I'm very interested in this method. Organic potting material attracted too many pests for my liking because I keep my orchids in my house. I've also been trying water culture but so far I only have mediocre results. Have you ever tried a layer of charcoal at the bottom or even mixed throughout the leca? I have some other plants in water culture (they are aquatic plants) and I placed a layer of charcoal in the container. They have been in the same container for more than 2years and I've never changed the water. I only have to top it off from time to time. I don't have algae or any odors. Just a thought.

[@terryklemesrud758]

This looks like it will be a great experiment!! Thanks!

[@meadowfrance]

5:18 Add that to the MissOrchidGirl bloopers 😂

[@milagroslluisma3153]

Where can we order to purchase seramis.

[@Plant42]

JUST getting sick and tired of getting spoiled media so found some Lecca, found some clear cups... found 5 willing volunteers (3 orchids that are not doing well (Oncidium Sharry baby, Dendrobium Thong Chai, and a phal, and 2 that are doing well (Wils. Hilda Plum Tree 'Purple Wings', and ... ANOTHER PHAL) and so the Experiment shall commence! Wish me luck!

[@MissOrchidGirl]

+Plant42 oh good luck! Hope it goes well :D

[@Plant42]

Fiddling, FIDDLING, FIDDLING with the water levels... it is driving me CRAZY but I wouldn't have it any other way!

[@pixie2488]

Hi I am also leaving in Cyprus (North Cyprus) I am also struggling to find this product’s. Can you please tell me where did you manage to find products for Orchids? Specially leca and sphagnum moss. I watched %90 of your videos and keep watching them because it’s full of clear information and soo helpful. I will be really appreciate if you can share where did you manage to get your products because if you live in Cyprus you know it’s really difficult to find what you need in this İsland!! Thanks for all your videos please keep doing this because it’s pure useful information your English is really understandable.I love watching them 🙏😊 💐

[@newbe46]

I tried something similar with two different phals, one with a matured root system the other with a growing root system. Both of them didn't turn out that good and got worse as the root grew into the water and developed some issues. If I have time to let then dry out from time to time I guess it would have been fine. I end up potting them in the "premix" medium and both are growing better than before.

[@motherofheelers8818]

I have tried with the big ones before with some cymbidium and then seemed to like it until I started getting forgetful watering it and then it got scale and almost died so I just tossed them. Cymbidiums are too big for what I am going for in my collection anyways. I am really interested in trying it again and achtually from some seramis mixed with pine bark available in the USA so I bought 4 bags. I know I will use it, dont know when I will be able to find it again. Thanks you experimenting and inspiring me to try again!

[@kathymieczkowski4981]

Why would an orchid grower want to change a certain type medium if an orchid is growing new roots...i.e. my situation. I purchased a beautiful phalenopsis (burgundy) orchid to my collection in August, 2017. I took her out of her original medium to check her roots, as I always do when I bring home a new orchid. I'm learning though. I placed her in fwc after unpotting. It's March and she just recently lost her blooms all at once last month! I am amazed at this because I cannot seem to keep an orchid in bloom after purchasing at all. I understand that not one orchid is the same...they're like children. Anyway...long story short...I cut her spike to the next healthy node. Her roots aren't as abundant, but she is growing a new beautiful root that is growing towards the water. Should I keep her as is? Or...can I try leca with her? Thank you, Miss Orchid Girl, for your help :) Keep on making these awesomely informative videos!

[@popup854]

I was thinking the bio load would be would decomposed and act as fertilizer. The process is pretty lengthy but I think you understand where I am going. almost like a fish tank. But will it smell is the question :)

[@nicknahnnoogin]

Hi Danny, I found the leca medium at IKEA in the US

[@screamtoasigh9984]

It's hydroton. You can get it Amazon, or other places. Also search "clay pebbles".

[@gabriele7921]

Hey. about the issue with roots going down in the reservoir... I was thinking you could put a net that prevents the roots going through or you could use a deep pot with vertical strips of microfiber to drag water up.

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

oo Michael has such a stylish setup. with glass vases. the diamamt drill bit is a bit expensive but boy would I like sence of style 😍 everybody subscribe at Michael's channel. but dont forget Astrid or Sara becker or the semihydroguy (I have a lot of vids in a play list named semi hydro. there is a speaker who has 400 plants in semihydro since 2008.

[@kimberlyoboyle451]

I wish Astrid would make videos again! She is so smart and fun!

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

Kimberly O'Boyle o man she cracks me up. she has a new job and battled depression off and on so I imagine live is a bit hectic for her atm.

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

Kimberly O'Boyle ps thanks for subscribing Kimberly ❤ I haven't filmed my own orchids yet. kust made playlist about themes I find interesting or need to study up on different plants like zygos. hope you can find what you like and I hope in the futer I can keep you entertained by filming my adventure getting into this hobby killing plants and experimenting. I rattle sorry that's me 😅🙈

[@kimberlyoboyle451]

Same with me- I'm getting ready to make a little video to document my collection, I also have roses and a rose icon like you, I wanted to be able to watch through your playlists! :)

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

Kimberly O'Boyle awesome keep me.posted when you make your vid I'll subscribe to your channel to!. I haven't made all the playlist neat and tidy per maker and in chronological order. some are some aren't and time is an issue. so I hope you will bare with me with the messy lists and double or triple vids in 1 list. methods are the ones that need some TLC badly. ps if you have some vids your missing and think they would fit the bill of that list let me know. I'm currently trying to figure out how I can get private messages on my phone since I'm hardly ever on my laptop. but boy that's a hassle. good luck with your orchids and roses. happy growing and I look forward to your video😊

[@ChannelOrchids]

thank you. 😀

[@Vesper_6]

Hi, can you share some guidance on growing phalaenopsis in a dry winter weather, I am using hydroclay pellets Ina clay pot. I started to notice the pellets dry really fast and began using a reservoir tray. Is that good for my orchids health?

[@jerrellthieke87]

you can get seramis and leca on ebay very readily.

[@Andsol9930]

Hi! I live in Illinois, USA and I am trying to keep my orchids in the right environment during winter and in the right medium. What would you suggest? Winter can get cold and dry I have a few humidifiers in the apartment but not too close to the orchids also they would be a little more cold in the day since the heater is off. What should watering and best medium be? I know my plants are suffering right now because the roots are not well.

[@virginialazar6604]

how i wish i can buy from you this kind of plastic pots and hydrocorn

[@cynthiacisneros1694]

Oh, well that’s why it dried out so fast! That would work for me. I’ll try it again…

[@anitarowlett4229]

Have you considered colloidal silver spray as a fungicide?

[@fortuneflux]

Not sure about Leca or Seramis but if people search for "Expanded Clay" media usually brings up Leca or for me at least other medium that looks like seramis

[@p4ul1010]

Hey Danny! I have a little question a little off the subject, are you planning to re install a mini green house for some cool growing orchids or maybe seedlings?

[@marioroz3142]

Because LECA and Seramis are hard to come by in my location, I currently use Pumice as my main inorganic media, but I don't know how good it is compared to LECA or another options.

[@roeypinkas8786]

So Dani do you suggesting to go to s/h culture or you still against. Also will you suggest to transfer only healthy plant or it's good to transfer orchids with less roots to? I have dendrobium that do wonders but a phalaenopsis that put a lot of roots but they all gow black in the middle after a month. P.S. My grow condition full time shaded sun it's enough 25-30°c.

[@cnpf312]

I have tried different methods of watering orchids (spray, different mediums and so on) and I always get these little flies all over the room. What can I do to avoid them?

[@danielkennedy6477]

I'm noticing that switching to the chip bark potting mix requires more watering. Is that common with that type of mix?

[@austintrask2658]

As a newb I've been wondering if a clay ball/bark mix would be best

[@JoeyR1210]

Where do u find the clear plastic pots that you use? I want to use clear pots/containers but I don’t want to use all glass.

[@tanyastelly6243]

A quick Google shows Alibaba sells LECA in various sizes-down to 2-4 mm!

[@janefromtennessee]

What is the name of rays website? I'm trying to learn about the Pebbles. I only have 4 right now and one is in water culture the others are in bark and they came that way. My room temperature doesn't stay right I know but I'm staying at my daughter's house presently

[@johnmcneill923]

What about the white pebbles on top?? Ok wrote to soon. Wonder if pumice stone is an alternative.???

[@jayceegudoy1801]

I am beginner to orchids. do they love lots of sunlight or shaded areas?

[@msweedlove]

Jaycee Gudoy depends on which orchid you are growing.

[@jayceegudoy1801]

msweedlove I bought some vandas and dendrobiums

[@msweedlove]

I am a new orchid grower. I haven't purchased a vanda yet :( its actually next on my wish list lol my dendrobium does well with a south window - high light. I always keep an eye on the leaves to judge correct light supply

[@Justusorjustone]

Jaycee Gudoy 50% sunlight and 50%shade...

[@lenahygiena]

Dani has her vandas in the window next to cattleyas, means high light. Dendrobiums... I would say intermediate light, bright shade. At least some of them grow well together with phals, windowsill growers :/ You can google the specific types of orchids, there are pro websites with all the growing conditions.

[@janefromtennessee]

Dendrobiums. How do they fare in leca?

[@troyinflight]

I have the exact same question!! Doing my research... Have received a seedling Dendro bareroot and want to pot it up semi hydro as its in growth right now, however am reserved on doing so as I have not found enough supporting evidence.

[@fennecweb]

Has anyone tried lechusa media instead of Leca? The media seems to stay pretty moist, but not sure if it will be too moist for orchids.

[@eloina17]

I can't repot my P.orchid the moss doesn't let it in like it supposed to

[@nonebutmyself7454]

Going to try using leca. How do you make the holes in your pots?

[@stephaniesanders1287]

Is tea tree oil too strong of a fungicide for algae. Its non toxic and when diluted can be used for skin as well as mold amd fungus

[@DrinkingStar]

How do you flush the mineral salt residues from the fertilizers used in feeding you orchids in the setup in this video?

[@Korina42]

Water. Lots of water. Like 5x or more the volume of the pot amounts of water.

[@DragosDomnara]

Hey I'm moving to Sosua Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic and am wondering what orchids I could grow outside because it is quite warm year round. I haven't seen phalaenopsis while I was here but only dendrobium and vanda.

[@tanyastelly6243]

jesse florian You might do well with Stanhopea as well. There is a vendor in Cuba that has some spatulated Dendrobium crosses.

[@dashark2084]

Hi, I am confused I thought you live in Romania. In this video you said you are in subtropical climate. I am just trying to figure out how to make it work in my environment. I am in South California.

[@Korina42]

She's from Romania, living in Cyprus. Whereabouts in SoCal? On the coast you can grow just about anything, inland it's desert conditions.

[@ethelrizarri2614]

HI! DENNY I JUST STARTED WITH LECA WITH SMALLER BEADS AS WELL VERY DUSTY AND I HAVE TO WASH THEM SO MUCH SOOOOO! MY POT HAS TO HAVE A DRAINAGE HOLES???

[@tanyastelly6243]

Ethel Rizarri It helps to rinse the LECA in a colander or strainer until water runs clear. Quick and easy.

[@Watcher1852]

G video but see if one goes this way it looks costly

[@diannebozakis5570]

How about a heating pad in winter

[@christinavonheidenstam3206]

I use that methot too to my grean plant s

[@chehunter5905]

instead of seramis. I use perlite and vermiculite.

[@janefromtennessee]

What is the name of the fungicide? Can I get it in the USA?

[@christinavonheidenstam3206]

Whay does it gets algi in the water whay is so

[@charitymonroe4577]

Im in the U.S. and cant find ceramis. I really want to get out of bark. I was considering the primeagra. If anyone has any suggest please let me know. I live in a very arid climate that swings from very hot in the summer to pretty cold (snow) in the winter.

[@alisonmaczka7359]

Hi! I am also in the U.S. as well. Yes it is hard to find seramis other than the really small size one. If you want to try something inorganic then the smaller size leca is readily available in the U.S. I've seen some people experimenting with growstone and liking the response. I have been using the classic inorganic mix I've ordered from repotme. If I find I need something more water retentive I'm going to try out what Dani has done. I'm going to buy some microfiber cloth and cut it into into strips and mix that in with my media. So far just the regular mix has been working well for me. You can also try a mix of lava rock and microfiber. I may experiment with something like that if my current set up ends up not working. I'm in Michigan. If that helps you a little. So most likely similar weather to yours. Hot and humid summers and falls with cold, dry winters.

[@charitymonroe4577]

Alison M. I have very dry climate. my orchids are completely drying out in 2 to 3 days. it is so dry here people run humidifiers for moisture. That is a good idea trying the microfiber. I may try that.

[@sjreichler]

For the past year and a half I've had excellent luck with the large size Growstone, which is available on Amazon in the US. I have never been able to get leca to wick properly in my environment, but Growstone seems more similar to Seramis in terms of functionality.

[@charitymonroe4577]

EpicPhals thanks, I will take a look at growstone also

[@meadowfrance]

You know you can order the small Seramis from www.germandeli.com/ ? Well that's where I got mine but it's out of stock right now.

[@davidcraddock2125]

Can you update on the cattleya's

[@liz5518]

Hi Dani. Thanks for another great video. Love your videos and turn to you for all my answers. I have over 50 orchids and watering them is a big pain, takes me hours and is really bad for my back, so I was thinking about water culture til I saw your video and decided against it, now thinking semihydro. I currently use the submerge the whole pot in water for about 5-10 minutes system. I live in a very hot and humid in summer and very cold and dry in winter USA state. My question is can I use the translucent deli type cups I currently use for my orchids but without all the drainage holes? They are medium to tall. But I noticed the orchids you show in your videos have less roots then most of my orchids, is it ok to use semihydro for a well established root system that reaches to the bottom and sometimes out of the pot bottom? If not what would you suggest. How would the orchids do with that many roots reaching the reservoir? I am currently using bark, charcoal, and perlite. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated in helping me make my watering procedure much easier. Thank you

[@MissOrchidGirl]

+Liz May Hi, well it is a bit of a discussion here. I mainly potted new orchids. New orchids coming from a different medium will probably lose the oldest roots in adaptation, the high moisture semi hydro setup is something they are not adapted to. My older orchids have no issues since the seramis setup is similar. What I do is test out the plants in a sim (simulation) clear pot, since I prefer the white translucent ish pots. In one month or so I can see if and what roots died and I need to cut, then transfer the orchid. It is safer to do the switch when the orchid starts new roots as those will get adjusted to sh. So you can do some tests with a few orchids in clear pots. And yes you can use whatever container you like :) inevitably with some orchids there will be root loss, so timing will help, chose orchids that just started new roots.

[@liz5518]

MissOrchidGirl.. I think I may start my keikis in SH to try it out and see how it goes. Keep coming with the best free and easy to understand orchid advice there is on the web/youtube. My 50+ orchids are still alive because of you and your videos. Thank you so much for the advice.

[@joycepetersen5661]

Whare can I buy this product?

[@cherriemaylopez4609]

Hi! How do you prep your leca before using it?

[@MissOrchidGirl]

No prep 😊 found it doesn't do anything meaningful in thus setup, in others maybe, not here, waste of time in the end.

[@cherriemaylopez4609]

@@MissOrchidGirl thank you so much for replying 🥰

[@christinavonheidenstam3206]

Shall one have small leca

[@ionescuionut5041]

Have you tried a combination between leca and pumice?

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi, no I don't see the reason, what would you like the outcome of this mix to be?

[@ionescuionut5041]

To not encounter the layering problem. Well it was a suggestion, it worked for me. Maybe you can try it. It might be a suggestion for a future video as well

[@MissOrchidGirl]

:) pumice is an aerator, I actually need the opposite, a water retention medium. Thanks for the tip, but I don't think it would have helped me. It's an older video this one, I gave up sh in the meantime, too many pH issues ;)

[@ionescuionut5041]

Salut Daniela! Well it is water retentive and helps a lot with wicking. And yeah I know you don't have sh now :) it was just a tip in case you want to try out again 😅😅😅😅😅

[@eloina17]

what do I do?

[@Korina42]

Are you saying that you have a Phal in moss? You can repot it; Danny has videos on repotting Phals that are very helpful.

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

ps since you are getting more open-minded about different growing methods would you also be interested to like but a back bulb in semi water culture ?🤔 just for experimental purposes ofc. and Mabey clear the air about you being verry much against semi water culture. 😉

[@MissOrchidGirl]

+Rozanna van der Veen - Honders I do have a video I made this year about it :) I still don't consider it proper, poor oxygen levels and layering is not something I want to have. Also the version where you soak the orchids for 2 days and then dry for x days is more work than anything. Still not for me, we'll see in the future :)))

[@ditmagiknietvergeten]

MissOrchidGirl ofc I understand that with 200 or more orchids it's a hassle but it's was just for us who only have like 25 orchids at want to have a few I'm semi hydro a few in water a few in bark etc etc depending on the orchids ofc. I'm just studying up on all growing methods and how to save an orchids since I unknowingly and unwillingly bought 9 very sick orchids from a nursery. and I soooo love your scientifical way of looking and thinking it would be verry valuable if you could figure out how to make water culter work in Europe 🤔 even if it's subtropical in your region. anyway good luck and im.happy your plants are getting better and tjats all that count in the end. no matter how you get there in what method.

[@pumkinpower1]

The roots don't look too good!

[@MissOrchidGirl]

+Michelle LaCoss they rarely do :)

[@420aquarist]

Have you ever tried growstone? I think it might be very similar to seramis (sp?) www.growstone.com/

[@robertschuster7246]

I like listening to you you wory soo too much but i like your attempt trial and error they die ore life i like your attempt im trying the same.good luck

[@felicitycrowe6971]

M

[@ehehehehe2815]

First