Bare Root Method for Phals

[Jenascrich]

Very cool! I have a mini Phal that I can try this with and it's indoors by a window. You just have enough water so that it touches the tips of the root, right?


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[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Jenascrich

Very cool! I have a mini Phal that I can try this with and it's indoors by a window. You just have enough water so that it touches the tips of the root, right?


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The way I do vase culture is soak for a period of time to allow root to absorb water (time is based on water needs and experience, anything from 15 minutes to a few hours).

Then I drain COMPLETELY until the next watering.

[estación seca]

Phal leaves are wide enough that you can sometimes just set the plant on top of a narrow vase. If the plant falls in, you can make a support with two chopsticks and some string. Tie the two chopsticks together with the plant stem sandwiched between them.

[Arizona Jeanie]

Thanks, Estacion--does this work OK in our dry Arizona weather? I'm giving it a try. The plant doesn't fall into the vase but rather is top heavy--nice leaves but minimal roots. It wants to tip and I'm afraid it will damage the roots while I'm watering/soaking/pouring. I'm off to find some chopsticks I guess! Thank you

[estación seca]

It works, but I suspect we have to water a lot more than people elsewhere. If I use only the spray bottle, twice a day, they shrivel.

[Zabeta]

I also grow some phals this way, although I've never rebloomed any phal (whether in SWC or potted in bark). It was the only thing that saved one of them. However, I noticed that one or two really didn't take to it, so I still have those potted in bark. In any case, they're all growing leaves and roots at a pretty healthy pace! My air is very dry so this is a good way to counteract that.

[Arizona Jeanie]

Would this be considered "hydroponic" growing? There's no soil or medium, and all nutrients go into the water. It's not automated (at least at my house!) but still seems to me that it would meet the definition of hydroponics. I'm wondering what happens to those supposedly essential and very beneficial mycorrhizae when there's no growing medium?

[dolfanjack]

I tie me plants to a bamboo rod using a spent flower stem to keep the leaves from being damaged. When I water I fill the vase (about a hour) then dump all the water out. When I have a new plant I leave water in the vase (not touching the roots) for more humidity.

[nillo]

Arizona Jeanie, pretty much all container culture could be considered hydroponics because the nutrients are coming not from the medium but from the irrigation water. The breakdown of organic matter contributes little in the way of nutrients in a pot compared to the CRF and fertigation. It is just not a recirculating hydroponics system but a 'to waste' hydroponics system. This is also why I shake my head a little everytime I see SemiHydro here. Um no it's just plain old hydroponics. There is nothing semi about it. Hydroponics does not require a fancy recirculation system.

[u bada]

Dolfanjack, the pics are great, the phals look great like that...

I've been experimenting the method with a couple mini phals in what could have been juice cups. They have done very well... I think the idea of light coming through glass vases probably helps, even though we do grow them potted and no light to roots just the same in that situation...

thinking about putting a spare ascofinetia in a vase... hmmm...