How I clean my water culture vases & how often. My fertilizer recipe for Fall. Lots of info.

[@GrizzlyUrsusArctos]

Since watching your videos I’ve had a dying phal produce an enormous amount of blooms that stayed from last September to March. Unbelievable! I’ve never had any orchid bloom. Thank you

[@marrigoldmccarthy6319]

Thank you I was cleaning my vases completely I will follow your advice on leaving a little behind in the vase thanks again great advice as usual 😁❤

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Thanks so much for watching, Marrigold! :)

[@tkburn1439]

The algae produces oxygen, which is why the root system does so well with algae growth in the water

[@randyreal5871]

Cool! Thanks I've had a white one I bought a year and a half ago that hasn't bloomed I'm trying this out.

[@sincerelykeanue45]

Do you just mist them with distilled water or do you have a bit of nutrients from you watering in the mist?

[@tobiesmom]

Great video, Amy! I love the way you explain everything so clearly. I think rinsing the roots every two or three days (after they sit in the fertilizer solution) really helps prevent that excessive algae growth on the root system. BTW, I see a spike! :) When your phone rang, I paused the video because I thought it was MY phone, LOL!

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Caro! Thanks so much for the great feedback! So our phones ring alike! lol! (I usually take the phone off the hook when I record...I forgot to this time! ;)

[@Linda60ism]

Hi Amy, love your video, once again. 😀 I want to clear something for myself. In one of your latest videos you showed a fertilizer schedule for water culture growing. 2 days wet - 2 days dry. 1/8 Better grow, 1/8 Lime, 15-20 drops CalMag, 20 drops Seaweed. That is what i do. But here you have a dif. fertilizer schedule for fall also. Which one I should use though! Help, my favorite adviser! 😀

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Linda! You're using the right amounts for this time of the year. I do seasonal fertilizer updates, according to what they need at a specific time of the year. Happy growing and have a great day!

[@bc.deerchild8265]

How long can this gallon mixture be Stored? Only have one who loves it on top of fridge with a grow light. Out of frustration turned it to water culture after too many spills cause of light weight Orchiata bark & my clumbsie ness! Amazingly it is doing well after month or two. Loves the warmth! :) PS: About time the quart measuring cup be Semi Cleaned!! May wait for fertilizer; most soft roots removed week ago & had decided just DO IT! Somehow knew & isn't perfect Yet leaves are firm!

[@OrchidWhisperer]

I usually make my fertilizer and use it fresh...I mix up half recipes of fertilizers often. If I store them longer than 4 or 5 days, the pH starts going alkaline. You're really wise to just semi-clean...it's good to keep some of that home bacteria going unless your roots just rot. You'll get more root growth in the Spring...yes Spring is coming! lol!

[@diannh2894]

All my orchids I have ever tried to put in water culture died :( do u have any tips?:/ it's a phalenopsis but it was a mini. Not sure if that means anything

[@pattiel1108]

Interesting. So for us newbies, what do you mean by "schedule two days wet and two days dry"? Do you drain the water for the dry days or take it out of the vase or what? Thanks for clarifying!

[@rastreer]

Ok am going to ask a question that does not concern orchids...how do u clean yr wood floor..its soo shiny...please do share😊

[@OrchidWhisperer]

😊 This is actually a laminate floating floor...and it's so easy to take care of! I just mop it with a mild soap solution from time to time. Have a great day!

[@rastreer]

@@OrchidWhisperer your floor a beauty and am obsessed with shiny floor😂😍 Thank for replying for orchids or floors🙏😊

[@cachef1]

That was a very informative video as they all are. But I have a question - who is that little critter sitting on the back of your table with the yellow footpads and he is also black and yellow. At first I thought a little duck but ducks don’t have footpads like that. I couldn’t take my eyes off trying to figure him out!

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Thanks so much, James! :) The little critter is a bear. I have a friend who has a bear coming to her yard and wrecking havok, and I have it on my table in her honor. It's also the first Christmas present my daughter ever gave me, so it's near and dear to me! :) I'll do a closeup of it in a video, it's really charming!

[@georgevega962]

Nice video. Can you explain why if you find a dead root you clean the container completely?

[@cindypope4238]

Thank you for that video. Very helpful! What should I do if I have a squishy root in my moss or bark?

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Cindy and thanks so much for watching! I have a video about dealing with squishy roots in moss or bark...here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4GQh5J9qL5sh5o Have a great day and happy growing! :) Amy

[@GenevieveCreatedOnALark]

Love your water culture videos. I have converted some of my new ones over and they seem pretty happy but I’m noticing that they get white mold on the parts that are wet but not in the water. Is that harmful? I do a full water culture and give them a 24-48 hour break from the water on the weekend. I’m wondering if that white mold is ok? Do others get that too? Or are they in the water too much? My house is pretty dry so I try to keep them in the water as much as possible.

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi and thanks so much for your sweet comment! The white mold is perfectly normal on a healthy, green root. If there is mold and the root is squishy, that's a sign that the root needs to be removed. Have a great day and happy growing! :)

[@GenevieveCreatedOnALark]

Orchid Whisperer thank you for responding! I’m glad its not harmful!

[@celmanangkil7826]

What kind of water you will use..,aside from water is there anything you will put in water

[@valiasalsera]

Dear Amy, how often do you spray those beautiful air roots? Your videos are my daily portion of happiness *-* Your HUGE fun, Valentina

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Valentina and thanks so much for your sweet comment! It made my day! :) I spray the air roots about every other day. If my house is really dry in the winter from my heat system cutting on, I try to spray them daily. Have a wonderful day and happy growing! Amy

[@valiasalsera]

❤️🌺🌺

[@johnfleming7879]

I just got through root pruning a store-bought Phal. I cut of the flower stem because I had dropped the little pot. I cleaned and dried the roots, let it stand in clear water from an untreated source, then put it in medium. I saw what looks like a little but beginning to sprout from underneath a leaf, near the bottom of the plant. could this be another flower stalk?

[@OrchidWhisperer]

This sounds like a basal keiki. Usually spikes grow between leaves, under the 2nd leaf down from the top.

[@langwilson1271]

Where do you buy your seaweed extract?

[@chuchoi4761]

You can buy it on ebay.

[@jessiewang4201]

Hi Orchid Whisperer! I also watch another person on KZbin, who have been raising her orchids in water culture for many years, and she only ever raised orchids in water culture (no moss, no bark etc.). Her orchids are all healthy and well, yet I noticed that all her orchids have only few leaves (like two or three layer), unlike orchids growing in moss which could grow up to seven layers of leaves and even more. Why do you think that orchids grow in water culture may have so few leaves? Do you think water culture is more close to orchid's natural preferences? I also recently transformed one orchid to water culture, it grew many new roots in water. Yet I noticed the new leaves it has do not grow as big as when it was in moss. I feel like water culture orchids do not get as much organic nutrition as it was in moss and other media, most nutrition it relies on are from chemical fertilizers, which is like a human feeding on nutritious supplements rather than food. What do you think?

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Jessie! I have videos I did Feb 2018 about the pros and cons of orchid media and water culture where I discussed these issues. I finished that series with a discussion that covers yours questions about what I think about the different methods, here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYXcYWqvYqaniZY Thanks so much for watching and have a great day! :)

[@1ameca2queixpan]

Hello :) can you share your Spring fertilizer recipe? I love your videos :)

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Sefy! I will be sharing my Spring fertilizer recipe video this week! Thanks for watching! :)

[@1ameca2queixpan]

Orchid Whisperer thank you so much

[@jessicawoodward8911]

New subscriber to your channel. Any advice for extreme dehydration? I have 2 that are in a rotation of water/tea bath. I am only about 2 weeks into this tea/water soak. The tea really changed the color of the roots, maybe that is staining??

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Jessica and welcome to my channel! I have some recent videos on water culture from Oct and Nov 2020 that may help you. (They're on my water culture playlist.) When they're dehydrated, I will place just a bit of the stem in water till the roots reach the water. You can see how I have them set up. I've never used tea, so I don't know about the staining, but it does make sense. Happy growing!

[@GrizzlyUrsusArctos]

Is algae bad for the orchids?

[@melvertadiggs6704]

What is the best orchid bark that u would recommend for Phil orchid

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi! Orchiata bark is what I use and recommend. Happy growing! 🌺

[@snehaverma7317]

What to do if new leaf die?

[@markma3005]

The root system on your Phalaenopsis looks very healthy. I have not cleaned my Phalaenopsis vase for a long time and now I can't take the plant out of its vase without damaging the roots (stupid me)! My Phalaenopsis seems to have put out a keiki, so I can perhaps do a better job with the keiki by not making the same mistakes I had with my original plant if the keiki survives.

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Mark! Let me see if I can help you out. Fill the vase to the same level as you use for your water culture with warm, soapy water. Let it set for a while, and that will help with the roots that are stuck to the side of your vase so you can get it out. If it doesn't work the first time, try it a second time. That's what works for me! Happy growing! :)

[@markma3005]

@@OrchidWhisperer Thanks, but I have my plant inside a ball shaped vase, so the opening on top is too small to tease the roots out and the roots are literally trapped inside the vase. Guess I may need to break the old vase and place the plant in a new easier to clean vase.

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Mark! I've had to break containers before to the orchid out...but they were ceramic. Please do be careful if you decide to break that glass vase! Also, the roots can still cling to shards of glass if the vase is broken, so keep that in mind. I'm just thinking about your safety. :) Happy growing and have a great day!

[@markma3005]

@@OrchidWhisperer Thank you very much :)

[@adelaidewilson7917]

Frangipani

[@juliegoyette9238]

Hello! My CalMag is in powder solid form, how much should I use to equal your 8 drops?

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Julie! Get a TDS meter...I just did a video last week about them...and use 50 ppm. Happy growing! Amy😇

[@juliegoyette9238]

@@OrchidWhisperer thank you!

[@Linda60ism]

Hi Amy, Thank you for the video. I need your advice, please. I am going on vacation in the beginning of May and very worry how my Orchids survive 7 days without their 2 days in water - 2 days dry routine. What shell I do? 2. I use your schedule for winter 2 dry, 2 wet in 20 drops of CalMag, Seaweed 20 drops, 1/4 tsp. Orchids Better Gro and 1/8 tsp of Garden Lime. No matter how long I keep Garden Lime grains in a water, it doesn't desolves completely. I use it anyway, but not sure if it's OK for my plants. Please, advice if you can. Thank you very much in advance!

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Linda! I would place those orchids in just plain water...no fertilizer...for those 7 days you're gone on vacation. Then when you come home, you can drain the vases and resume your schedule. But they'll be fine in water for 7 days. I don't think that undissolved garden lime will hurt anything, but you could always add just a pinch of Epsom salts (a very small amount...like 1/16 teaspoon) instead of using the garden lime. That will provide ample magnesium. Happy growing!

[@Linda60ism]

@@OrchidWhisperer Thanks a million Amy! Now I don't have to worry, God bless you! ❣ You know yourself, these gorgeous plants become our kids and we worry about them! I thought when my kids grow up and go on with their lives, I can relax a bit, but instead I turned my orchids to a WC and now have more worries then I wanted. LOL Thank you dear!

[@usaklein]

Thank you so much. Excellent tip indeed. How long do you leave the solution and do you drain and rinse before add plain water? Deeply appreciate your sharing this video with us. Have a blessed day. ;)

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Usa! So nice to hear from you, my friend! :) I leave the orchid in the fertilizer solution for 2 days (in the fall) and then drain the fertilizer culture from the vase. Then I rinse off the entire roots system (air roots included) and allow it to set dry for 2 days. Then I repeat the process. I'm getting much better growth now. :) Have a great day and happy growing! Amy

[@dorafarfan6865]

Thank you for all the information. I'm having problems with mosquitoes larvae in the water. Can I add something to the water to kill the larvae whiteout damaging the plant? Thank you!

[@elaineculbert8594]

Dora Farfan hi Dora: I’m no expert but I would think if you change the water every so many days, you are eliminating (or disturbing) any larvae from forming on the surface of the water. Mosquitos love still/stagnant water on which to lay their larva.

[@MariaCastro-ih8md]

Any vitamins for them

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Maria! Yes, I use fertilizer on them regularly. I just published a video yesterday...you can watch me mix up my fertilizer recipe. Happy growing!

[@MariaCastro-ih8md]

@@OrchidWhisperer thanks

[@alinka4806]

Where you buy the vases???

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Ali! I buy the vases at WalMart. Happy growing!

[@alinka4806]

Thank you 👍Orchid Whisperer🥰

[@jwiheath1928]

Try good Will

[@maricarmenruizbotia4056]

por favor Traducir al Español

[@mariedraper9823]

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