Finally hit my stride with semi-hydro in self-watering

[Bamanana]

It’s flushing Sunday morning and I finally hit my stride with semi-hydro in self-watering pots. I figured out an assembly line that lets me flush the pot, shower and inspect leaves, check for pests, clean reservoirs and replenish nutrients….to every single one of my nearly 80 orchids. I do this every other Sunday morning and enjoy my little visit with each orchid.

Behind the right sink, I set up a container of water with a dab of Dawn, splash of bleach and a soft bristled glass brush. I put down towels on the counter to the left of the left sink because I’m messy. I put a strainer in the left sink with the garbage disposal to prevent escapees from going down. Because I’m messy. (See set up in attached picture.)

Shelf by shelf, I line up my orchids on the towels to the left and one by one place the mask in the right sink for a quick clean (I brush this out first so the bleach can sit and remove stains from Quantum and KelpMax.) I place the plant in the strainer in the left sink and shower and inspect each structure, removing anything that needs removing and dropping it in the sink for later disposal. I flush the pot. Sometimes I am grabbing more orchids, or putting some back on the shelf while the water is running through the pot. I then move sprayer to right sink to rinse the mask while the orchid drains in the left. Drop orchid into mask, fill with fresh nutrients according to gauge and return to shelf. Sometimes I’m doing several steps at once.

Obviously, the orchids in conventional semi-hydro just get a really thorough flush and I avoid thinking about what the reservoirs may look like. (Yes, I am kinda OCD.) I’ll get them cleaned on repots.

[estación seca]

Congratulations!

I'm lucky... mine are in a converted covered patio-to-sunroom with a concrete floor. I splash around with abandon. Because we've had so much rain this summer I've watered by putting an electric sump pump in a collector, output to a garden hose with water wand. The plants love it.

[Shadeflower]

You are welcome to come and clean my pots.

Within a few months I get algae growth so thick I couldn't even get a good picture - it just comes out black but it's a see through cup, you should be able to see right through it.

MY orchids are shouting out we want a spa day at bamanana

[Bamanana]

You just come on over and we will set up that assembly line.

Fortunately/unfortunately I just discovered weird green rings on my den. To my kids ‘smile’ that weren’t there two weeks ago.

Heading to the disease board now….

[Shadeflower]

I've got that one too bama.
Hopefully nothing serious. Post a pic in the illness section if you want an opinion on the rings.

I watched the Ring and The Ring 2 so am familiar with Rings but rings on our orchids are just as scary

[camille1585]

It's always nice to have a good system, isn't it? Makes watering seem like much less of a chore and it's far more efficient.

There's one thing I didn't understand though in your description - what's a mask? Is that the outer pot?

[Bamanana]

Yes.