Backwards SH?

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by Rivka

are you filling it with some sort of pure water? looks great.

and in terms of not recommending it because it is finicky and cost a lot, this is orchid growing after all, when has that ever stopped us!!

I just fill it with regular tap water. I mist the orchid with a light dose of fertilizer twice a week because it doesn't have any medium retain the fertilizer.

[Rivka]

are you concerned with build up of the dissolved solids from the tap water?
i had been reading here and elsewhere that they would just pug up the pores of the pot at some point not to mention burn the roots. since there is really no way to soak them off or replace the media like you would do with repotting a more traditional S/H, it seems one of the big concerns. a member of my orchid club has done similar growing and he doesn't any more because he says after about 2 years for him, nearly everything takes a turn for the worse and never recovers. he agrees that pure water would be the only fix for this and he was not set up for that.

i got a rain water catch system in larger part as prep for my "reverse s/h" that im gathering the parts for. for me that seems like the best option.
your thoughts?

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by Rivka

are you concerned with build up of the dissolved solids from the tap water?
i had been reading here and elsewhere that they would just pug up the pores of the pot at some point not to mention burn the roots. since there is really no way to soak them off or replace the media like you would do with repotting a more traditional S/H, it seems one of the big concerns. a member of my orchid club has done similar growing and he doesn't any more because he says after about 2 years for him, nearly everything takes a turn for the worse and never recovers. he agrees that pure water would be the only fix for this and he was not set up for that.

i got a rain water catch system in larger part as prep for my "reverse s/h" that im gathering the parts for. for me that seems like the best option.
your thoughts?

Thanks for letting me know about your friends experience. I may run into the same problem. Right now I'm just experimenting and I'll see what the results are. I grow outdoors in South Florida so when it rains the pot gets soaked with rainwater. When it doesn't rain I just fill it with the hose as I water my other orchids. I'll keep your friends experience in mind if I start to see any problems. I plan to post results on this thread as I go along.

[nlm2951]

Tucker85: There is place on Krome Ave that they sell all kind of pottery, I'm going to call and ask will let you know. norma

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by nlm2951

Tucker85: There is place on Krome Ave that they sell all kind of pottery, I'm going to call and ask will let you know. norma

Yeah, I think you're talking about Bangjong nursery. It's on Krome and 218th. That's my favorite place to by orchid pots.

[AnonYMouse]

Update: I slapped on a stelis that I can't keep humid enough. I don't think my olla "sweats" enough. It is certainly cold but I wouldn't call it damp. I'm only getting a few drops in the saucer not puddles. I'm spraying it and will continue to do so, treating it like any other mounted orchid.

[tucker85]

The results of my experiments with mounting phals on ollas has not been entirely successful. First of all the roots will not attach to the pot when the clay stays continuously moist. This wasn’t a big problem, I kept the water low in the pot to provide humidity but let the top of the pot dry and I misted the roots once or twice a day. When I did this, the roots attached very nicely and the plants grew well and one flowered. Once I had several large roots attached to the clay, I filled the pots all the way up with water to provide moisture. Within a few days all the orchid roots released from the pots. For some reason the roots will stay attached if I water the plants from the outside but they will not stay attached when the water comes through from the inside. The only way it will work is to keep the pot about half full of water. That provides nice humidity around the plant but the top of the pot dries out so the roots attach. The only way to water, without releasing the roots, is to water from the outside, once a day, like any other mounted orchid. My four orchids on ollas have been growing fine that way. So the only advantage of using an olla over a conventional mount is the visual effect of the orchid mounted on a jug and the added humidity around the plant. Other than that, it’s no different than any mounted orchid. I’ll continue to give updates on my four orchids and I’ll share photos when they bloom.

[Rivka]

Yeah I keep going back to phals not liking their roots cold and despite me having plenty of them I would feel much better experimenting with than some of my more uncommon plants, I just don't think they are the right plant for this mount.

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by Rivka

Yeah I keep going back to phals not liking their roots cold and despite me having plenty of them I would feel much better experimenting with than some of my more uncommon plants, I just don't think they are the right plant for this mount.

I'm not convinced that mounting on an olla is a good idea at all. I started mounting orchids on cork and on tree fern fiber last year and they have all done very well. My four olla mounts are all growing but not as well as my other mounts. I'm going to give them at least a year before I throw in towel. I may learn some new trick that makes it possible.

[Rivka]

im thinking that picking cool growing orchids that like to stay moist is the biggest trick, thats my gut anyhow