PET Method Update- Summer 2020

[isurus79]

Hey y'all,
Here’s an update regarding what your PET method plants should look like at this time of year in the USA (hint: its all about the roots! Also, the plants, and leaves, and new spikes lol). I also discuss some modifications I’ve made regarding the PET method after some trial and error. PET Method- Summer 2020 Update - YouTube

[SaraJean]

Another nice video, thank you Steve! I started cracking up when you pulled out the maculatum, that thing is a beast. Very cool flower on that one too

I tried this method out on about half of mine this year and man are they looking good. I used LECA on the bottom and I had some old basic orchid mix laying around for the middle layer. I think it’s fir bark, charcoal and sponge rock, wasnt sure how that would work for that layer but it seems to be fine. And yes, I left a lip on mine between the moss and top of the pot for the water to pool. I don’t really understand why this potting method seems to be working better than my normal sphagnum and clay pots, but it is. I would have thought that the sphagnum that’s watered every day, or every other day, would be plenty of moisture. But now I’m wondering if the center of those pots aren’t getting saturated enough. All of the ones growing in the PET seeming to be plumping up so much better and faster than my others.

[hypostatic]

How expensive are the chips compared to sphag?

Originally Posted by SaraJean

I don’t really understand why this potting method seems to be working better than my normal sphagnum and clay pots, but it is.

I'd think that clay would lose water/moisture too quickly, more so if outside. Clay is great for gas exchange in the media, which is sort of the opposite of what you want with catasetums.

[DirtyCoconuts]

very nice video Steve- thanks!


i am delighted to hear that you are using the shredded cypress mulch too. i have been using that in my cata mounts as a way to increase the moisture..these guys are so fun to experiment with!

i am going to try a few in PET new season to mix it up


and yes, you got me to watch a video....i am moving slowly into this century

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by SaraJean

I don’t really understand why this potting method seems to be working better than my normal sphagnum and clay pots, but it is. I would have thought that the sphagnum that’s watered every day, or every other day, would be plenty of moisture.

Honestly, the water well at the bottom of the pot is the key. It holds water (duh) and tons of nutrients so the plant can uptake on its own schedule, not on our (human) watering schedule. Plus, these guys grow with their roots in a confined, air-free kind of a place in the wild, which is well replicated in the PET method.

Originally Posted by hypostatic

How expensive are the chips compared to sphag?

A giant back of the cypress mulch was about the same size as a medium sized brick of sphag!

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

and yes, you got me to watch a video....i am moving slowly into this century

Ha! Nice! There's some good stuff on YouTube!

[DirtyCoconuts]

Well I started with a few of yours and that was a decent ‘dipping of the toe’. I assume all videos are as educational and informative and done by some one with a pleasing soft tone and reliable information....right???
Hahaha

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

Well I started with a few of yours and that was a decent ‘dipping of the toe’. I assume all videos are as educational and informative and done by some one with a pleasing soft tone and reliable information....right???
Hahaha

Totally

[hypostatic]

Originally Posted by isurus79

A giant back of the cypress mulch was about the same size as a medium sized brick of sphag!

Hmm I bet ctsms don't care whether you're using mulch or premium NZ sphag... But on the other hand, how much do I care about the media decomposing and turning stinky....

What slow-release fertilizer are you using? The ctsms drink up so much fertilizer; it would be nice to not have to continuously feed them.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by hypostatic

Hmm I bet ctsms don't care whether you're using mulch or premium NZ sphag... But on the other hand, how much do I care about the media decomposing and turning stinky....

What slow-release fertilizer are you using? The ctsms drink up so much fertilizer; it would be nice to not have to continuously feed them.

In the past I've used nutricote with a cal-mag supplement, plus a once per month dose kelpmax. This works great and is fairly simple.

This year I'm using Purely Organic for the first half of the growing season, nutricote for the second half, and am hitting the plants with kelpmax and Quantum (both from Ray) once per month. Now that I write this out, I realize I've changed a bunch of variables this growing season and won't know which one is responsible for good/bad results. Damnit.

[DirtyCoconuts]

So I live in a pretty unique environment, at least in the US, with the humidity and relatively small day/night temperature shift. So please take all my growing experience with a grain of salt.


This method (and Ray’s SH) inspired me to make a modified method that I use for my Catasetum and have started to try with other speicies too. I use a clay pot with slits or air holes higher than 1” and inorganic medium (lava rock, chunk perlite, leca, maybe something charcoal) and then I set the pot into a 2” deep drip tray (sold in pack from the dollar tree).


I use Klite and some osmocote on top and they stay wet but can always grow and root up if they so desire.



Flickr is not working but I’ll add pics tomorrow