S/H reward with Dtps. Blooming

[Ranchnanny]

Hi there, Just thought I would share with all of you my Dtps. Long Pride Fancy that is blooming for the first time since its been in s/h medium. Before when it was in bark I almost lost it then I repotted it in s/h around March of this year and these are the of what it looks like today. I have been amazed how this one 'chid' has just taken off putting out roots like crazy. I also have another one Dtps. Enchanted One Prince Charming which I noticed is just starting to put up a spike no yet.

I am really excited about the s/h medium cause I am having really good luck with it.

[terryros]

It looks like you are using Hydroton as a medium which is what I have most of my mature Phalaenopsis in and they are also all doing well and spiking after about 6-7 months in S/H. I grow with my pots in saucers filler to 1 inch and I fill through the top with fertilizer fluid about every two days. I now have moved most of my smaller Phal plants into PrimeAgra, trying to see the difference. What I notice is that PrimeAgra is overall smaller and it definitely wicks fluid up through the medium better than Hydroton does. I still fill through the top about every two days to be sure the solution is fresh enough. I see the better wicking as a good advantage for Phrags and Paphs and want to see what it does for Phals and Catts. We know there are growers who do great with either medium, probably because many other things also influence results. I haven't really seen any good side by side comparisons of any genera in PrimeAgra and Hydroton with all else kept the same. We know that Ray has good pictures of the better wicking of PrimeAgra than other LECA. Maybe frequent watering overcomes this advantage. I am going to try and compare the medium with a couple of clones of things as a simple experiment. Overall, I think I like the "feel" and appearance of PrimeAgra but I am going to only gradually move my mature Phals and Catts into PrimeAgra as I prove similar success with it.

[Ray]

Frequent watering does overcome poor wicking.

[DelawareJim]

Originally Posted by Ranchnanny

Hi there, Just thought I would share with all of you my Dtps. Long Pride Fancy that is blooming for the first time since its been in s/h medium. Before when it was in bark I almost lost it then I repotted it in s/h around March of this year and these are the of what it looks like today. I have been amazed how this one 'chid' has just taken off putting out roots like crazy. I also have another one Dtps. Enchanted One Prince Charming which I noticed is just starting to put up a spike no yet.

I am really excited about the s/h medium cause I am having really good luck with it.

Congratulations! Nice plant and flower.

Cheers.
Jim

[Snowden]

Woo Hoo! Good job!