Interior Water Gardens

[quiltergal]

Has anyone purchased one of their hydro kits, and if so do you like it? TIA

[Tindomul]

Can you show us a link to their product? THanks.

[quiltergal]

Sorry, here you go.

Interior Water Gardens

It looks like an intriging set up.

[Ray]

IWG sells what are commonly known as "Luwassa" pots. They have a net culture pot to contain the medium and plant, an outer pot to act as the reservoir, and a gauge to determine the depth of nutrient solution in the reservoir. I have several tropical houseplants growing in them, and they're really nice. I don't know what brand of medium she sells, so cannot comment on that.

The pots are FAR better looking than the translucent containers I carry, and being opaque, don't grow algae nearly as well.

However:

1. It is possible to overfill the outer pot and drown your plants.
2. They are not self-flushing, so on a periodic basis, it will be necessary to remove the inner- from the outer pot and flush the medium thoroughly.
3. You will need to dump the reservoir before each watering. Plants don't absorb nutrients evenly, so between that and the effects of through-the-root respiration, you won't know what the solution chemistry is if you merely top it up when you water.
4. They are significantly more expensive.

[quiltergal]

Hi Ray, thanks for your reply. I just spent an hour reading your website and found it very informative and interesting. I'm a relative novice to orchid culture and SH has really piqued my interest. I have a nice little red potinara that has never re-bloomed for me. I have had it about 2 years and haven't repotted it yet. It seems like it might be a good candidate for SH. I really don't care what the pots look like. I'm just looking for healthier plants that bloom.

Sounds like the trick to a successful transition is to wait for new root growth.

[eveslyn]

Thanks, Ray, for the reminder about solution chemistry and the caveat about 'topping off' and 'flushing'. They are 'pretty' pots, though, for specific locations.

[20jlr]

you can use a bigger one to "show off" a plant grown in other pots, when in bloom. Just get a pot big so the s/h pot will fit inside. It works good to keep water from the overflow of off the dinning room table ect.