contemplating s/h for a number of plants

[}{ead$hot Zod]

I've been doing a lot of reading in this forum and a few other sites about s/h and orchid growing. I know everybody's experience will be somewhat different but if there is anything on this list that screams "do it" or "forget it" I would be very thankful for any responses.

I have to repot almost everything on his list. And since nothing here has a pot at the moment I will be starting there. I figure I would probably be better off with modified deli containers.

So any opinions would be much appreciated.

Bakerara Truth 'Silver Chalice' AM/AOS
Brassidium Fly Away 'Talda'
Brassidium Fly Away 'Maimi'
Brassidium Shooting Star 'Black Gold'
Burrageara Killauea 'Volcano Queen' AM/AOS
Burrageara Nelly Isler 'Swiss Beauty'
Cochleanthes amazonica x Kefersteinia toligram
Colmanara Wild Willie 'Pacific Bingo'
Degarmoara Pluto's Drummer 'Pacific Pink'


Epicattleya Siam Jade 'AVO'
Epidendrum 'Orange Cascade'
Epidendrum Radicans

Laeliocattleya Marcia Foster 'Bob Sanker'

Miltassia Charles M Fitch 'Dark Monarch'
Miltassia Royal Robe 'Jerry's Pick'
Oncidium Heaven Scent 'Sweety Baby'
Oncidium Sweet Sugar 'Million Dollar'
Odontoglossum Margaret Holm 'Alpine'

Scaphosepalum Verrucosum
Scaphosepalum Grande

Vuylstekeara Aloha Passion 'HOF #1'
Vuylstekeara Melissa Brianne
Zygoneria Adelaide Meadows

[Zoi2]

I can't really help much with your list as I mainly have catts, dens and phals--all in s/h. Be sure you have new root growth BEFORE repotting in s/h. Others will chime in on the specific plants you're inquiring about.
Joann

[}{ead$hot Zod]

ok thanks.

[billc]

Hello and welcome, I have had oncidium and colmanara in S/H and they did very well. I would assume the vuyl. would also be fine. As Joann said, the most important part of switching to S/H (assuming you have good culture to start with) is to have new roots growing. Otherwise your plants will just languish for a good long while.

Bill

[Grandma M]

Welcome

I have found, in my experience, that anything in the oncidium family loves S/H.

Marilyn

[}{ead$hot Zod]

ok thanks, thats a big help. I'm checking to see which ones have fresh roots.

[playtime8978]

Can I do a slight highjacking and ask if the have to be completely new roots or roots that have started growing again, I am wanting to try semi hydro with a few phals and really dont get whether its totally new roots or older roots with new growth that we are looking for to transfer. Thanks and sorry to interfere.

[Ray]

Completely new roots are better, but don't rule out new growth on old roots altogether.

What you have to consider is just how different, in terms of moisture-holding, the old medium is the the new.

In the case of an old root with new growth, the new growth will certainly tailor itself to the new environment, but the old part doesn't. If the new conditions are "too much" for the old parts, they can die and take the good parts with them. By contrast - and probably something we have all seen (especially in plants in old sphagnum) - that old root might just become a "static" connection between the new, active root and the plant, and carry on for years.

[billc]

Originally Posted by playtime8978

Can I do a slight highjacking and ask if the have to be completely new roots or roots that have started growing again, I am wanting to try semi hydro with a few phals and really dont get whether its totally new roots or older roots with new growth that we are looking for to transfer. Thanks and sorry to interfere.

Hi Carrie, I find that any new root growth(whether on an exsisting root or brand new) is what you need for the transfer to S/H to be sucessful. After a while, some of the old roots that had new growth may die off, but by that time the plant will be well established and won't miss that root. I have all my phals in S/H and they(and I) love it.

Bill

[playtime8978]

Thanks so much both of you that is great, I have an itsy bitsy Catt. intermedia var coerulea that has a new root started that I will try it on as an experiment to see how I go, I dont have any proper semi hydro pots so I am going to use a store bought soup container with some holes drilled in the sides about an inch and a half from the bottom, Its a tall container and from what I gather should work OK. I am tempted to try my masdies in it but am very scared of losing those as theyre one of my favs though theyre not doing an awful lot just now the new growths have slowed right down, I think it was too hot in our heatwave for them and it has slowed them down