s/h & dry climate

[Shawna]

Hi,
Your in Colorado also. It is great to get feed-back from the same location. Do you put spag on top of yours?

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Shawna

Hi,
Your in Colorado also. It is great to get feed-back from the same location. Do you put spag on top of yours?

Yes, Shawna, I do. The traditional s/h process of waiting for new roots and planting the orchid in its new home just won't cut it. You know as well as I, that there are some days (like today actually) when the winds get going and the humidity will plummet. This is for sure dry out your existing and even new roots. So loose, moist moss works perfectly! It dries out slow enough to maintain a good moisture about the new and existing roots but not too wet to rot any roots. It'll transition the plant really well, which is why I use it for my plants.

I did this for my Phal Hilo Lip, which I got as a rather puny plant (despite its cost!!!) and I'm happy to report that it has filled the moss with new roots and is currently sending them down into the hydroton-- so I'm marking that one off as a success.

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by Pilot

I use plastic as clay wicks the moisture away very quickly.

Correct- with my smaller pots (2-3.5) I use plastic, otherwise they just stay too dry in CO.

Once the pots get around 5" and above, I use clay pots for the catt alliances- otherwise they don't dry out as quickly as the catts would like.

This seemed to be the practice of many coloradoans when I was chatting at the last DOS meeting.

[Izzie]

The sphag top dressing is a life-saver here in CO- I even use some on some of my other garden plants that don't like to dry out as fast/as much.

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Izzie

Correct- with my smaller pots (2-3.5) I use plastic, otherwise they just stay too dry in CO.

Once the pots get around 5" and above, I use clay pots for the catt alliances- otherwise they don't dry out as quickly as the catts would like.

This seemed to be the practice of many coloradoans when I was chatting at the last DOS meeting.

Izzie-- You use clay pots for s/h? Or just for growing your catts in hydroton?

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Izzie-- You use clay pots for s/h? Or just for growing your catts in hydroton?

not s/h, just in hydroton. I only have one catt other than the laelia that is in a 4.5 pot (C. intermedia) and it is in bark with an inch or so of hydroton on the bottom, and sphag on top- clay pot.

The other pots that I use hydroton in are plastic, partly because the LECA holds water in plastic better than clay, and they are all smaller pots (2-3")- my two mini catts.

haven't done hydroton in the larger pots yet.
My L. anceps is doing well in a 6" clay pot in large bark with sphag on top- it's now outside.

[Izzie]

Sorry, that was probably clear as mud.

[Shawna]

Ok. I am going to put some spag on top. Was afraid it would smother the roots but sounds like it does just the opposite.

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by Shawna

Ok. I am going to put some spag on top. Was afraid it would smother the roots but sounds like it does just the opposite.

Works like a charm as long as you don't pack it- mine is just gently resting on top, it sinks in perfectly just from running water over it.
And then it gets misted once or twice a day, to keep the roots humid but not wet.