Dave, Ray, and Diana, Thank you for your welcome back--although I may not
really be back, since my life is very busy nowheredays, so I am not sure how
often I will be able to visit, and I may unfortunately drop off the rgo
horizon again.

Regarding Ray's advice that I switch to SH to help with my watering as a
chore problem. I did at some point get two SH pots, and I tried one of them,
so far. I chose an orchid (cochleanthes amazonica) that was not doing well
in the hope that SH would help it, but unfortunately the cochleanthes did
not make it despite this attempt. I know that SH was not the cause of its
demise because as mentioned it was not doing well even before, and I guess
all this proves is that SH is not a miracle cure for all that ails. I still
have one used SH pot, and am thinking of trying it. The plant that I am most
interest in trying it with is a Phrag Ecua-Bess because I know that phrags
like this one prefer more water and I have been remiss in watering it often
enough. However, this phrag is now also not doing well, and I fear that if I
put it in SH and it does not make it, I may wind up thinking that SH just
does not work for me, which part of me knows is completely faulty reasoning
because in both cases the orchids attempted in SH will have been ones that
were limping already. However, I am not really sure that I want to try an
orchid that is doing well in its current medium because if I did that, and
then the plant took a turn for the worse after all, I would feel guilty that
I had switched it to a completely new medium when it had been doing so well
in the old medium. See what I mean? So I have a dilemma here, on the one
hand I am much more willing to try experimenting with SH with a plant that
is not doing well already, but on the other hand I know that the results of
such an experiment may well reflect more on the ailing plant than on the
success of SH.

Any thoughts in response?

Joanna

Hi, Joanna.

First, you're right, semi-hydro culture is NOT a miracle, it's just a
different way of growing that has some simplifying aspects.

Trying to use it to save an ailing plant is not really a very good idea, as
putting a stressed plant under more stress (adapting to the entirely new
conditions) is the direct opposite way to go. However, if the phrag is
suffering because of underwatering or insufficient air to the roots, it
still might be worth a try.

Generally, I recommend moving a plant to S/H culture when it is starting to
form new roots. That way, the new roots can grow tailored to the new
environment, and support the plant while the old roots fade away.

If you have plants that have a dormant period, they can be transplanted then
too, but I recommend against watering until you see new growth break out.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"J Fortuna" wrote in message
newsCQ7j.5229$bW.1752@trnddc07...
Dave, Ray, and Diana, Thank you for your welcome back--although I may not
really be back, since my life is very busy nowheredays, so I am not sure
how often I will be able to visit, and I may unfortunately drop off the
rgo horizon again.

Regarding Ray's advice that I switch to SH to help with my watering as a
chore problem. I did at some point get two SH pots, and I tried one of
them, so far. I chose an orchid (cochleanthes amazonica) that was not
doing well in the hope that SH would help it, but unfortunately the
cochleanthes did not make it despite this attempt. I know that SH was not
the cause of its demise because as mentioned it was not doing well even
before, and I guess all this proves is that SH is not a miracle cure for
all that ails. I still have one used SH pot, and am thinking of trying it.
The plant that I am most interest in trying it with is a Phrag Ecua-Bess
because I know that phrags like this one prefer more water and I have been
remiss in watering it often enough. However, this phrag is now also not
doing well, and I fear that if I put it in SH and it does not make it, I
may wind up thinking that SH just does not work for me, which part of me
knows is completely faulty reasoning because in both cases the orchids
attempted in SH will have been ones that were limping already. However, I
am not really sure that I want to try an orchid that is doing well in its
current medium because if I did that, and then the plant took a turn for
the worse after all, I would feel guilty that I had switched it to a
completely new medium when it had been doing so well in the old medium.
See what I mean? So I have a dilemma here, on the one hand I am much more
willing to try experimenting with SH with a plant that is not doing well
already, but on the other hand I know that the results of such an
experiment may well reflect more on the ailing plant than on the success
of SH.

Any thoughts in response?

Joanna

Joanna, my only advice is to take a good, deep breath! How well I remember
being a working mom. And by the time my oldest was 2, he had a baby brother,
LOL!

Diana

"Ray B" wrote in message
news:gOR7j.4633$xd.1366@trndny03...
Hi, Joanna.

First, you're right, semi-hydro culture is NOT a miracle, it's just a
different way of growing that has some simplifying aspects.

Trying to use it to save an ailing plant is not really a very good idea,
as putting a stressed plant under more stress (adapting to the entirely
new conditions) is the direct opposite way to go. However, if the phrag
is suffering because of underwatering or insufficient air to the roots, it
still might be worth a try.

Generally, I recommend moving a plant to S/H culture when it is starting
to form new roots. That way, the new roots can grow tailored to the new
environment, and support the plant while the old roots fade away.

If you have plants that have a dormant period, they can be transplanted
then too, but I recommend against watering until you see new growth break
out.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"J Fortuna" wrote in message
newsCQ7j.5229$bW.1752@trnddc07...
Dave, Ray, and Diana, Thank you for your welcome back--although I may not
really be back, since my life is very busy nowheredays, so I am not sure
how often I will be able to visit, and I may unfortunately drop off the
rgo horizon again.

Regarding Ray's advice that I switch to SH to help with my watering as a
chore problem. I did at some point get two SH pots, and I tried one of
them, so far. I chose an orchid (cochleanthes amazonica) that was not
doing well in the hope that SH would help it, but unfortunately the
cochleanthes did not make it despite this attempt. I know that SH was not
the cause of its demise because as mentioned it was not doing well even
before, and I guess all this proves is that SH is not a miracle cure for
all that ails. I still have one used SH pot, and am thinking of trying
it. The plant that I am most interest in trying it with is a Phrag
Ecua-Bess because I know that phrags like this one prefer more water and
I have been remiss in watering it often enough. However, this phrag is
now also not doing well, and I fear that if I put it in SH and it does
not make it, I may wind up thinking that SH just does not work for me,
which part of me knows is completely faulty reasoning because in both
cases the orchids attempted in SH will have been ones that were limping
already. However, I am not really sure that I want to try an orchid that
is doing well in its current medium because if I did that, and then the
plant took a turn for the worse after all, I would feel guilty that I had
switched it to a completely new medium when it had been doing so well in
the old medium. See what I mean? So I have a dilemma here, on the one
hand I am much more willing to try experimenting with SH with a plant
that is not doing well already, but on the other hand I know that the
results of such an experiment may well reflect more on the ailing plant
than on the success of SH.

Any thoughts in response?

Joanna

"Ray B" wrote in message
news:gOR7j.4633$xd.1366@trndny03...
snip
Generally, I recommend moving a plant to S/H culture when it is starting
to form new roots. That way, the new roots can grow tailored to the new
environment, and support the plant while the old roots fade away.
snip

Ray,

LOL!

It may come as a shock to rgo-regulars, but I have not exactly been paying
attention to when my orchids start to form new roots. My general approach on
the subject of roots is as follows: If the plant is in a transparent pot and
I can see oodles of roots, then I have warm thoughts about them. If there
are aerial roots, I enjoy them and try to get them wet as well when I water
the plant. If the orchid is in a non-transparent pot, I kind of assume that
there are enough roots in there, unless/until the plant is unstable and
wobbly or doing very poorly and thus I start to suspect that there may be
problems with the roots. In the very occasional once-in-a-blue-moon occasion
when I repot an orchid, I trim away dead roots. If I see the beginnings of a
root on a Phal around the time when it is time for it to spike, I look at it
to check whether it is a spike after all and not a root. If the orchid falls
onto the carpet and all the medium gets out of the pot, I stick the orchid
and the medium back into the pot as best as I can, and I might glance at the
roots then.

Other than that, I don't give the roots a second thought I am afraid. So you
see I don't have a clue when orchids start to form new roots. And somehow I
suspect that I am very unlikely to start paying more attention to the roots
now. Sorry! Do I now get points off for being such a terrible orchid
caretaker? Is this equivalent to being a parent and not noticing when one's
child has a growth-spurt? I don't think so.

I hope that I won't shock too many of you when I admit that orchids are way
lower on my priority list than my child, and that I have always found it
very disturbing when anyone compares their orchids to being kind of like
their kids ('chids as it were). In my book, they are just plants after all,
even if they are gorgeous plants that bring us lots of enjoyment, but if
there is very little time and something's got to give, there is no second
thought in my mind that if the orchid care suffers, it is while unfortunate
not the end of the world. And if I have very little time to take care of
them, those orchids that survive best under benign neglect are now my
absolute favorites.

My number one favorite orchid these days is a Phal Baldan's Kaleidoscope
'Golden Treasure' AM/AOS. I bought it at a Safeway grocery store a bit over
two years ago. It grows in moss in a transparent pot with oodles of roots.
It needs watering once a month--just does not dry out any faster. It lives
in a north-facing window. It is in bloom for 10 to 12 months, and before it
looses the last flower it starts a new spike again. It tends to have lots of
pretty flowers when in bloom. It is currently in bud yet again both on an
old spike and a new one. My only complaint is that the flower color fades
over time, other than that it is the perfect orchid for me. Now if only my
other 45 orchids were like that only in different colors, shapes, and sizes,
that would be awesome. :-)

Joanna

P.S.: Despite the very cynical approach evidenced in the email I just wrote,
I still feel like crying whenever I break a spike, and it still makes my day
whenever I discover a new one. But I no longer fret when an orchid does not
make it--some of you old-timers may remember a time when it was a matter of
pride to me that not a single orchid had died in my care, and the first time
that one did I was not a happy camper. Those times are over, nowadays I fear
that when an orchid bites the dust, I tend to shrug it off, not that it
happens frequently (it does not), but if it does then I figure that orchid
and I were not meant for each other, and since usually it was not doing well
for a while before it died, it was not my favorite anyway by then. On the
other hand, every one of my orchids has a nickname (including "Smelly Baby,"
"Big Mama", "Charles Monroe" (nicknamed after a very flamboyant male
prostitute character in a mystery book), "Sir Weed" and its kiekie "Page",
and 40 others. So I guess my relationship with my orchids is a bit more
complex, and not entirely as emotion-less as my previous post may have
suggested.

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
news328j.9078$581.8664@trnddc04...
"Ray B" wrote in message
news:gOR7j.4633$xd.1366@trndny03...
snip
Generally, I recommend moving a plant to S/H culture when it is starting
to form new roots. That way, the new roots can grow tailored to the new
environment, and support the plant while the old roots fade away.
snip

Ray,

LOL!

It may come as a shock to rgo-regulars, but I have not exactly been paying
attention to when my orchids start to form new roots. My general approach
on the subject of roots is as follows: If the plant is in a transparent
pot and I can see oodles of roots, then I have warm thoughts about them.
If there are aerial roots, I enjoy them and try to get them wet as well
when I water the plant. If the orchid is in a non-transparent pot, I kind
of assume that there are enough roots in there, unless/until the plant is
unstable and wobbly or doing very poorly and thus I start to suspect that
there may be problems with the roots. In the very occasional
once-in-a-blue-moon occasion when I repot an orchid, I trim away dead
roots. If I see the beginnings of a root on a Phal around the time when it
is time for it to spike, I look at it to check whether it is a spike after
all and not a root. If the orchid falls onto the carpet and all the medium
gets out of the pot, I stick the orchid and the medium back into the pot
as best as I can, and I might glance at the roots then.

Other than that, I don't give the roots a second thought I am afraid. So
you see I don't have a clue when orchids start to form new roots. And
somehow I suspect that I am very unlikely to start paying more attention
to the roots now. Sorry! Do I now get points off for being such a terrible
orchid caretaker? Is this equivalent to being a parent and not noticing
when one's child has a growth-spurt? I don't think so.

I hope that I won't shock too many of you when I admit that orchids are
way lower on my priority list than my child, and that I have always found
it very disturbing when anyone compares their orchids to being kind of
like their kids ('chids as it were). In my book, they are just plants
after all, even if they are gorgeous plants that bring us lots of
enjoyment, but if there is very little time and something's got to give,
there is no second thought in my mind that if the orchid care suffers, it
is while unfortunate not the end of the world. And if I have very little
time to take care of them, those orchids that survive best under benign
neglect are now my absolute favorites.

My number one favorite orchid these days is a Phal Baldan's Kaleidoscope
'Golden Treasure' AM/AOS. I bought it at a Safeway grocery store a bit
over two years ago. It grows in moss in a transparent pot with oodles of
roots. It needs watering once a month--just does not dry out any faster.
It lives in a north-facing window. It is in bloom for 10 to 12 months, and
before it looses the last flower it starts a new spike again. It tends to
have lots of pretty flowers when in bloom. It is currently in bud yet
again both on an old spike and a new one. My only complaint is that the
flower color fades over time, other than that it is the perfect orchid for
me. Now if only my other 45 orchids were like that only in different
colors, shapes, and sizes, that would be awesome. :-)

Joanna

J Fortuna wrote:

.................................................. ................ So you
see I don't have a clue when orchids start to form new roots. And somehow I
suspect that I am very unlikely to start paying more attention to the roots
now. Sorry! Do I now get points off for being such a terrible orchid
caretaker? Is this equivalent to being a parent and not noticing when one's
child has a growth-spurt? ............................................


No, this is just your personal way of thinning the herd. We all have
limited space and limited time to take care of plants. The plants that
can't survive on the time you have to care for them will die off and
make room for another plant.

Steve