Tell Us How You're Doing in S/H

Written by Administrator

Friday, 08 August 2008

Comments

Matt - About my order

|2009-04-30 23:16:01

Hey Jesse,
I just put another order in:) I am so happy with the products I have recieved before. Ive put everything except my dendrobiums in the SH and all are growing and or blooming!
But I have another question... is there a scientific reason you dont have any pots smaller than 4.5 inches? i got a couple of smaller phals (2"pots) and wondered if I could make/use a smaller container with holes just the same? these smaller pots fit nicely in the aquarium.
hope all is well
Matt

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Jesse - Smaller pots

|2009-04-30 23:33:25

Hey Matt,

There is no reason not to use smaller pots, I just don't keep an inventory below 4.5". I had 3" pots at one time, but they didn't sell for some reason. The key to smaller pots or even making your own, is to keep your drain holes at about 1" up from the bottom. Be sure to take into concideration the total pot height. You want to have at least 3" or 4" of root zone above the holes or it will stay too wet.

Take care,
Jesse

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Tony - Check In

|2008-12-20 19:14:33

Hey Jesse…

How are things…

Figured I would check in with the results of the use of your product. Well I bought 5 phals and put them in hydroton for a few months… and they were not happy. I noticed that I put two phal violacea’s in your product at the same time and they were doing real good. So I repotted the 5 phals and put them into your stuff and presto they are on the road to recover. I will try some other phals this spring/summer. And if all goes well in 2010 I will move more. Yeah, sounds like a slow process, but what can I say.

Have a great holiday – I will check in again this spring.

Tony

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Jesse - Why I Grow In Hydro

|2008-08-08 19:47:11

I have been growing orchids for 7 years now…well killing them at first, but really becoming successful within these last 4 to 5 years. My success wasn’t a result of the months of researching their culture, high tech fertilizers, or the eventual investment in a greenhouse. The secret was in a little clay pellet.

Orchids were always a passing interest for me. They flirted with me every time I went to a Lowes or Home Depot, and even at the grocery store; I know you’ve heard this story before…

It wasn’t till I bought my first orchid, a striking yellow Oncidium calling herself ‘Sweet Sugar’. I took her home not having a clue how to care for her, but having inherited my parent’s green thumb, I had a good idea. The flowers lasted for weeks and I was starting to want to try the other types. I brought home a few Phalaenopsis in bloom and put them with ‘Sweet Sugar’. Well to my surprise, within a week, the leaves on the phalaenopsis were shriveling, the flowers were falling off, and it was very obvious I didn’t know what I was doing. Intrigued as to why I could not grow them, I bought book after book on orchid culture, thus beginning my obsession. After about a month of reading online and off, I felt confident I could do this. I had learned that Phalaenopsis do not like a full southern exposure and quickly cook, and I was desperate for redemption.

As the months passed I collected orchid after orchid, some looking scragglier than others, and I acquired quite a collection; one that I couldn’t re-bloom. Darling wife says she wants her living room back…time for a greenhouse you say?

Ok, with greenhouse built and orchids loaded, I started seeing improvements in foliage, no more pleating of the leaves due to low humidity, and better over all growth. And with some education on nutrition, I was beginning to understand what these orchids needed; eventually being rewarded with flowers.

Where do those clay pellets come into play? I’ll tell you. As the months passed I was having varying success. Good with the more common Phalaenopsis, Oncidium, and Dendrobium, but I was drawn to the more exotic; so many wonderful varieties. Why couldn’t I grow them? So I bought bunches of them, I had a greenhouse now mind you, I am an orchid grower now. Well… Struggling with failure I stumbled across a new culture for growing orchids. It was called Semi-hydroponics.

‘Semi’ because the use of pumps and timers and a whole big system wasn’t needed, but the hydroponics benefits were available in a pot full of clay pellets.

So I bought a starter kit containing pots with holes in them that held a specific amount of water, media, a rooting hormone, and a urea free orchid fertilizer. Within a month I was surprised to see a flurry of new roots starting. Within a few more months I was seeing an exponential growth improvement.

Stronger leaves, aggressive roots, and those shriveled pseudobulbs plumped back up. Time to re-pot some more and I had run out of supplies!!!

I bought more and more over the course of a few months until most if not all of my orchids were in this semi-hydroponic culture. And they grew and grew well. I was amazed. This was the type of orchid grower I wanted to be!

Winter came and went and with early spring came flowers. I did it!

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