Using Semi Hydroponic pots for chip medium
 

Hi, I have been looking at First Ray's s&h pots and have been thinking they might do well for my Phrags. The pots seem taller than the regular pots. I couldn't see the bottom of the pots and am wondering if there is good drainage from the bottom. Has anyone used pots from FirstRay's? I would be using the woodchip mixture instead of Semi Hydroponics.

Please let me know what you think. m

Hi! Unfortunately these pots would not work for that. They only holes these pots have in them are on the side about an inch up from the bottom to create a reservoir for the s/h method.

If you are looking for some tall pots, check out the following link at Quarter Acre Orchids, unfortunately the pots do not come in clear like most of us would like! Anderson Band Pots

...or you can take the S/H pots and drill the holes in the bottom, as you need them ;)

Or you can go to a dollar store and buy clear plastic food containers and use a heated nail or a wood burner to put holes in it.

S/H pots don't have holes in the bottom, that's part of the S/H technique... to have a resevoir in the bottom.

However I've heard from Ray that Phrags can be grown well using the S/H technique. It may be worth reading up on the technique as a whole. Semi-hydroponics

I have one Phrag growing that way and it seems to be liking it so far, but it's only been in there about 6 months.

LOL folgers coffee containers......

OK maybe you could also use a layer of hydrotron in the bottom of the s/h container and perhaps a piece of screen material to keep the wood chips from getting mixed into the hydrotron in the bottom?
You could then keep the wood chips above the water level and they would not get soggy?

Gore Orchid Conservatory uses a variation of S/H they call "Quasi-Hydroponics" using traditional media, regular pots, and rain gutters.

Gore Orchid Conservatory - Phrag. semi-hydroponics

By extension, I don't see why traditional media in one of Rays S/H pots or a deli container with holes about 1-1.25 inches up from the bottom shouldn't work as well.

Cheers.
Jim

I think that the disadvantage might be that staying contantly moist and never drying out, the media would rot quickly.
I've read that some people have great results with paphs and prags in water culture, where the plant is in a vase with just water and fertizer.

I don't think I would try a Paph. that way, but I don't see why a Phrag. shouldn't work. After all, in their native habitats some do grow on stream sides with some roots into the water.

Cheers.
Jim

People have been growing many kinds of orchids this way, including Cats. The roots develope a special coating which allows the right amount of moisture to penetrate. Because there is no bark, etc. it doesn't rot. I know, it soumds weird. I put an epicat and an encyclia cocleata in water a few days ago, and you wouldn't believe how fast the roots are growing!
Look it up under Vase culture.

OOPS! I meant look it up under water culture.
Nancy