new to semi, a few questions

[patrickj]

I am taking the dive.

I am starting a phal had some really bad root rot. It has a couple of new roots about inch or so long. I trimmed all the excess rot and saved only about two good roots.

my setup:
4 inch pot
Hydrotron
better grow orchid fertilizer, diluted solution, about 1/4 the amount
about 3 inches of water in the resorvoir.

The reason I have soo much water...I am afraid that it will not wick up to the rools. The roots are only about 1 inch.

Do you think they will get enough water? The phal has alot of dehydration and its starting to wrinkle. So i figured, why not try semi hydro and see if it will bring it back...

any advice...or tips for a newb.

[terryros]

I am 8 months into s/h with a mixed collection, including a number of Phals. I used Hydroton at the beginning and had success but am now transitioning to PrimeAgra for much of my collection. I grow with the pots in a saucer of water rather than using the pot as its own reservoir. Your Phal will struggle for a bit, maybe for months. Older roots often rot away after repotting in Hydroton/PrimeAgra but some old roots can make it and all the new roots will do fine. Keep the plant out of bright light. You need to water from the top frequently. PrimeAgra (First Rays Welcome to First Rays Orchids) wicks up better than Hydroton, which is why I am using it with Paphs, Phrags, Miltioniopsis, and all my Phal seedlings. Frequent watering of Hydroton can overcome its weaker wicking. I use Green Jungle liquid fertilizer from Orchids Limited which I know is more expensive but it still only costs me about $0.25 per gallon of watering solution and I know how carefully its complete formula was researched in the field. With a collection my size the cost difference doesn't matter. First Ray's MSU formula is also complete and cheaper and is powder form to be mixed up.

[patrickj]

Ive seen many pictures of the primeagra setups. I can really see difference in wicking action opposed to hydrotron.
Hydrotron is just what i had around the house.

I normally do not ask questions because most I can figure out for myself by research, but I just could not find our much about the subject.

How should I dilute the solution? I am using the BetterGro fertilizer, which is available from most bigbox stores.

I trimmed away all of the rotted roots, but those two small roots worry me. Any other input?

[terryros]

Go to First Rays site that I had in my previous post. He has a fertilizer calculator that you can use to determine the dilution that you want. I think he would argue for getting the MSU-type fertilizer which will cost only about $0.03-0.05 per gallon of solution. BetterGro Orchid Plus is a 20-14-13 and using the calculator available at Fertilizer PPM Calculator you would use about 1/2 teaspoon of the Orchid Plus in a gallon to get to 132 ppm Nitrogen.

You can't do anything about those two roots - if they are alive now leave them and see what happens.

[patrickj]

wow sweet about that calculator. the website is kind of hard to navigate.

I will work on trying to keep it happy. Thanks for the advice and i will post my success (or failure).

[quiltergal]

Patrick, you're going to have an uphill battle all the way with a plant that is already in poor condition. Ask me how I know! That said, it can be done, but it will take a very long time and lots of patience and TLC. My first plant was pretty much at death's door when I put it in s/h. It nearly croaked on me but the will to survive won out. That was well over a year ago. Today it's putting out gorgeous giant leaves and it's pretty much filled the pot with roots. I noticed on Saturday it's sending up a spike.....the first I've seen since I bought it 2 years ago.