Algae growing in S/H medium

[Becky15349]

Ha, ya know, I've wondered the same thing...but frankly, algae has been around longer than humans, so I don't worry to much about it being toxic. To be honest, my 'chids with more algae grow better than the ones without!! I feel like most of the time, its just me (silly human) imposing my aesthetic opinion on a plant that is otherwise completely fabulously happy. So, more to the point: unless we see algae growing up into our orchids, growing on their leaves or otherwise somehow harming them, I think the two can live in harmony in S&H...perhaps even in happiness, IMHO

[Ranchnanny]

everyone well the algae is still growing but its not growing in all the containers . I have just left it alone. When I run water through the containers that helps but I think the Orchidarium being so warm may be the cause and the 'chids' on the windown sill that get some sun or light have algae on that side of the container. Algae or not I love the s/h medium all my orchids are doing well especially the Phals. OMG! leaves, roots and spikes all at once
Just ordered a misting system from Herbmist should arrive by Wed. of next week. Will post for those interested. It will have only 1 mist head due to the size of the Orchidarium.

[Ray]

Any time you have light, moisture, and nutrition, you will have algae. If you don't like the looks of it, the thing to do is to prevent its growth. Do not try to eliminate it in-place.

Think about it: if you have a fairly substantial amount of it and you kill it, you have just converted a flower pot into a cesspool of dead, decaying vegetation. Is that good for your orchids?

The approach I take in such a case is to repot into a clean pot, then put the old one in the dishwasher (while my wife is out of the house).

[orchidjunky]

Originally Posted by Ray

Any time you have light, moisture, and nutrition, you will have algae. If you don't like the looks of it, the thing to do is to prevent its growth. Do not try to eliminate it in-place.

Think about it: if you have a fairly substantial amount of it and you kill it, you have just converted a flower pot into a cesspool of dead, decaying vegetation. Is that good for your orchids?

The approach I take in such a case is to repot into a clean pot, then put the old one in the dishwasher (while my wife is out of the house).

Yeah that was my issue.. the "cesspool of dead decaying vegetation" I didn't want to physan it and then have this murky slime in my reservoir! But I think I will leave the algae alone as long as it don't plug the holes up!

[ericst11]

if you want to keep algae form growing . don't grow in a see through pot because the algae needs light to grow or grow in a plastic slat pot so you get more air and it drys up.

[Ray]

...but if you grow in a slat pot, the evaporation will overcome the wicking action and you no longer have a viable S/H setup.

[terryros]

You need clear pots if the pot itself is the fluid reservoir but not if the pot is sitting in a saucer of fluid, which is what I am doing. So, I bit the bullet this last weekend and repotted everything into green azalea pots. I also have no extra drainage holes working against the wicking of fluid. It was actually a bit fun to be able to check each plants root system and do surgery on the dead roots. Every plant had new roots growing well but I think that most of the original roots from when things were potted into s/h during this last five months had died. I think this must be what happens. We need new roots that are accommodated to s/h. The algae was limited to the walls of the pot as we would expect. No Physan this last month and I think things are growing a little better with no change in day length or temperature.