My first impression with S/H

[SADE2020]

Why would you abandoned lava rock?

[DavTom]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

Why would you abandoned lava rock?

Well...I first use intuition, then, if the intuition tells me that it is worth a try, I challenge it with technical considerations, and only then I implement it.

I think that leca is better in transferring water and nutrients from the bottom to the top of the pot; The regular sphere shape distributes also the airy space better (i.e., more evenly) than lava rock.

I was very happy with lava rock, but the roots growth that I am getting now with leca seems far superior. OK, only 1 month passed so far, but it is going beyond any expectations. if it will keep going like that, I think that in about 3 or 4 month I will get with leca the same amount of new roots I was getting with lava rock in one year.

I think that leca+reservoir (i.e., S/H) is superior to what I was doing before with lava rock and long "bathing" without the reservoir. I have never tried lava rock with the reservoir, but I suspect that lava rock is not as good as leca with the capillar action to transfer water from the bottom to the top.

I think that lava rock is superior to leca only in the water retention for a given volume of lava rock or leca. But this does not matter if the long bathing is replaced by the reservoir.

I think I remember your website. You have tons of beautiful orchids all over your house and many of them are in lava rock. Well...give it a try with a couple of the with leca/S-H...and you will see... ;-)

Dav

[SADE2020]

Originally Posted by DavTom

Well...I first use intuition, then, if the intuition tells me that it is worth a try, I challenge it with technical considerations, and only then I implement it.

I think I remember your website. You have tons of beautiful orchids all over your house and many of them are in lava rock. Well...give it a try with a couple of the with leca/S-H...and you will see... ;-)

Dav

Hi Dav,

Thanks for the explanation. I was asking you to better understand your decision and experience. Now there are many of us going from lava rock to lecca and back for a change to try.

I have orchids in both materials, what works best for me with lava rock are cattleyas outdoors, however SH is more convenient for indoors. Just like you with SH I'm testing. I am not even raving about joy vs organic medium because it is definitly slower in my environment for the development of some plants but it is much easier to maintain. Many people comment that SH at the beginning goes very well and that after 4-5 months it slows down. We will both see how it works for us.

Cheers

[DavTom]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

Hi Dav,

Thanks for the explanation. I was asking you to better understand your decision and experience. Now there are many of us going from lava rock to lecca and back for a change to try.

I have orchids in both materials, what works best for me with lava rock are cattleyas outdoors, however SH is more convenient for indoors. Just like you with SH I'm testing. I am not even raving about joy vs organic medium because it is definitly slower in my environment for the development of some plants but it is much easier to maintain. Many people comment that SH at the beginning goes very well and that after 4-5 months it slows down. We will both see how it works for us.

Cheers

I see. Ok, thanks for the info.

I really hope it will not slow down!!!

Dav

[Ray]

Originally Posted by SADE2020

Many people comment that SH at the beginning goes very well and that after 4-5 months it slows down.

I’d really like to hear more about that. I’ve been using S/H culture for 25-30 years, and been advising folks about it for almost that long, and I have never experienced, nor heard anyone say that.

I suspect there is something else going on that is being misinterpreted and incorrectly attributed to S/H culture.

For example, we know that the environment of the pot can be cooler than ambient under periods of low humidity, so maybe that is indicative of a plant originally potted in the spring or summer and grown where it’s really warm and humid, than brought indoors for the winter, and grown too cool (that is, no compensation made for the evaporative cooling).

Another example - I have heard of folks only topping up the reservoir instead of giving the pot a good flush at every watering (that is common among people using the mesh pots in a solid one), and their plants decline due to the accumulation of salts and wastes to a level of becoming toxic.

Neither example is due to growing in S/H, they’re due to improper use of the technique.