I've been using self watering with a bottom layer of bark, then filled with loose sphagnum moss. When the reservoir empties, I leave it dry for a day or two, then refill. The Loft where i have my home office / plant grow area is very hot and dry, and this setup has been working very well for me for two years now. Prior to this I was always struggling with keeping things hydrated. I also Included a low dose of time release fertilizer pellets, and I've gotten an unbelievable explosion of growth, especially on the phal -- without exaggeration, triple the vegetative output compared to the previous years. Using this setup for phal, cat, and paph plants. It's well worth consideration for hot/dry environments.
Hi Danny. Another way to handle the microfiber wick is to bring it closer to the surface of the media. I have a recently repotted oncidium where I brought six pieces of microfiber close to the root. Almost looks like a mop when I lift to inspect the reservoir 🙈. Oh I noticed you lift the inner pot using the water level indicator. You can use an empty orchid tag and staple to inner core to lift also. You using microfiber in the inner pot was that ah hah moment for me and set off my imagination of how varied a set up can be made. Thanks Danny
Thomas M I create a loop with one microfiber and allow leca to fill the void before placing orchid in around that ... works ... and I think that’s similar to what you are doing 🤔
Hi Thom, I get extremely stuck roots on microfiber, trying to reduce the contact of it with roots at the moment or I will destroy the entire root system when I'll need to remove it ;)
@@MissOrchidGirl perhaps use surgical tweezers when removing and use black fibers so it won't be so noticeable. Does it have to be totally removed ? Is it inert over time or has it ever shown to harm roots over time. Hmmmm.
Well considering roots would form a carpet on the bottom and sides, when up potting a knot of microfiber would just hinder aeration even more. I cannot find an appealing reason to commit to use more microfiber, but if it works out for others that's great :) I'm a sort of mommy for using this medium so I'm happy to have made it popular... Buuuut I feel I can do better hehe :p
@@MissOrchidGirl I won't be surprised if one day you'll find an old used garbage bag and get it to do something. Perhaps a new way to fertilizzzze. 😂 But!!! If you find a replacement for the microfiber -I'm gamed.
Hi Danni. I am struggling with my Doritaenopsis Purple Martin var. blue and Sedirea Japonica Minmaru Shima. Purple Martin started a new growth (pointy, upwards, with a small nub at it's base that looks more like a normal root tip) a few weeks ago but stopped suddenly when the weather got colder. Shima has had black-ish root tips since I received it and has done nothing. I received them in September. Both have been repotted from moss to bark and are under a grow light near a humidifier. I have toned down on the fertilizer as not to burn the roots off. Keep on with the great videos! 👍
I am curious to try this orchiata bark, sounds great. Shame it's hard to come by. Also really looking forward to your Oncidium twinkle and leca video! Mine isn't doing very well in leca so I'm keen to hear how you fixed yours. Thanks for the informative video :)
Lorna Blackmore All of the varieties of Orchiata are available on Amazon for $20 US shipped. The Besgrow Sphagnum moss is also on Amazon, I want to say that I got a pretty good sized brick of it for around $20 also.
Danni, I have a Dendrobium store bought orchid that I'm having difficulty keeping up with watering. It was looking droopy and the branches wrinkled & shrunken. Luckily I had some rain recently collected. So, I soaked it for an hour and it perked up beautifully even the flowers improved. Now it's 3 days later and and is starting to droop and show signs of dehydration. I'm watering again same way. You have mentioned Dendrobies like water I want to wick it similar to my African violets to meet its needs. Oh I reported it in Repotme Imperial mix not much sphagnum may 5 strands though. What are you're thoughts and advice? Beth in central Texas, USA
Hi Danni. I have a mini phal, that I picked up at the market. It is quite small, good roots and has held its flowers a long time. But, along the edge of the leaves it is turning yellow. It’s uniform. I have thought maybe it’s variegate and just now coming on? Maybe too much light? Lacking a nutrient? What do you think? What should I do? I have it in moss. Thank you so much, Lisa
Hi Lisa, I think I know what you are talking about, a thin yellowish edge that doesn't advance? In my experience it's nothing serious and it's not a rule that all leaves will have it. I stressed about it too years ago and everyone had a different opinion on what I should 'treat' it with. I proceeded to just put the orchid on my full care routine and never had issues further. So I cannot tell you if it was a deficiency, pest, stress of sorts for sure, but everyone thinks it's something else :))) whatever it is, proper culture seems to have solved it ;) good luck!
MissOrchidGirl Thank you so much for answering. I will go forward treating it normally and hope it’s just something pretty!! Lol. I watch all your posts and admire your knowledge. I have learned a lot from you. Thanks again and I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.
I lost my more than 15 orchids due to theft😕 even I have CCTV footage and complaint to the police even though the police acts very slowly before that my orchids will die due to that thief mf dont know how to care orchids😭 Danny now I can feel your past battles with fusarium, spider mites and snails. Today now only I can feel how we feel when we lost more orchids or lost a big part of your collection at a same time it hurts badly emotionally. Guys please care you orchids there are thieves who can steal y0ur orchids and those dumb thief peoples think that it is a normal plant and kill it even though u have CCTV cameras be additional cautious for orchids which are in outdoor or windows ide orchids.😕😔😓😣😢😤😟😭
I am so sorry for what happened 😔... mine grow outside, no CCTV ... and sometimes I wonder if I will wake up to them missing ... truly sorry to hear of your situation xx
OMG! That is very sad. Theft in Chennai is a tad bit rare, and an orchid thief??? That is the rarest thing i've heard of. The person might be an orchid enthusiast to have stolen orchids only
JAGADISH KUMAR I'm sorry that happened to you; and sadly you're right, they won't know how to care for them. I'm guessing that they're going to try to sell them. Good luck!
So very sorry for your loss!!! 😢. Seriously, that really sucks! Can you look on a local “craigslist” type web site or look at local flea markets? Don’t know if that’s a possibility for you but best of luck to you. Greetings and Happy New Year from an orchid grower in Florida. 🙂
Why dont u use coco chunks in place of coco peat,coco chunk dont degrade fast, its very wicking,and cheap to,and my Paphs are doing fabulous in it...i use it as sole medium..
@@MissOrchidGirl hmm,some sort of,because in this i see lot of finer material too,here we dont find it in brick,here orchid suppliers sell this in 3 to 5 litre pack,in which they are like bark,they are 10 to 15mm in size,and they are hard,these chips dont degrade easily, and also works as great wicking medium, plus it will provide ton of air to roots,because it never compacted,it retain its shape......and the definition for husk for me is,something which is finer like sand,or may be granular soil......
I've been using self watering with a bottom layer of bark, then filled with loose sphagnum moss. When the reservoir empties, I leave it dry for a day or two, then refill. The Loft where i have my home office / plant grow area is very hot and dry, and this setup has been working very well for me for two years now. Prior to this I was always struggling with keeping things hydrated. I also Included a low dose of time release fertilizer pellets, and I've gotten an unbelievable explosion of growth, especially on the phal -- without exaggeration, triple the vegetative output compared to the previous years. Using this setup for phal, cat, and paph plants. It's well worth consideration for hot/dry environments.
Hi Danny. Another way to handle the microfiber wick is to bring it closer to the surface of the media. I have a recently repotted oncidium where I brought six pieces of microfiber close to the root. Almost looks like a mop when I lift to inspect the reservoir 🙈. Oh I noticed you lift the inner pot using the water level indicator. You can use an empty orchid tag and staple to inner core to lift also. You using microfiber in the inner pot was that ah hah moment for me and set off my imagination of how varied a set up can be made. Thanks Danny
Thomas M I create a loop with one microfiber and allow leca to fill the void before placing orchid in around that ... works ... and I think that’s similar to what you are doing 🤔
Hi Thom, I get extremely stuck roots on microfiber, trying to reduce the contact of it with roots at the moment or I will destroy the entire root system when I'll need to remove it ;)
@@MissOrchidGirl perhaps use surgical tweezers when removing and use black fibers so it won't be so noticeable. Does it have to be totally removed ? Is it inert over time or has it ever shown to harm roots over time. Hmmmm.
Well considering roots would form a carpet on the bottom and sides, when up potting a knot of microfiber would just hinder aeration even more. I cannot find an appealing reason to commit to use more microfiber, but if it works out for others that's great :) I'm a sort of mommy for using this medium so I'm happy to have made it popular... Buuuut I feel I can do better hehe :p
@@MissOrchidGirl I won't be surprised if one day you'll find an old used garbage bag and get it to do something. Perhaps a new way to fertilizzzze. 😂 But!!! If you find a replacement for the microfiber -I'm gamed.
wow thank you so much!! this video was super helpful, I feel a lot more confident about repotting my paph I just got!
Hi Danni. I am struggling with my Doritaenopsis Purple Martin var. blue and Sedirea Japonica Minmaru Shima. Purple Martin started a new growth (pointy, upwards, with a small nub at it's base that looks more like a normal root tip) a few weeks ago but stopped suddenly when the weather got colder. Shima has had black-ish root tips since I received it and has done nothing. I received them in September. Both have been repotted from moss to bark and are under a grow light near a humidifier. I have toned down on the fertilizer as not to burn the roots off. Keep on with the great videos! 👍
I am curious to try this orchiata bark, sounds great. Shame it's hard to come by. Also really looking forward to your Oncidium twinkle and leca video! Mine isn't doing very well in leca so I'm keen to hear how you fixed yours. Thanks for the informative video :)
Lorna Blackmore All of the varieties of Orchiata are available on Amazon for $20 US shipped. The Besgrow Sphagnum moss is also on Amazon, I want to say that I got a pretty good sized brick of it for around $20 also.
congrats for your day!
How is the 50/50 moss/ repotme mix working in self watering? Is it wicking well? I have a Paph delanatii I’m thinking of trying in that setup.
I actually am trying this setup as well with the paph I got from you. Curious about how much different bark brands will influence decomposition :)
Danni, I have a Dendrobium store bought orchid that I'm having difficulty keeping up with watering. It was looking droopy and the branches wrinkled & shrunken. Luckily I had some rain recently collected. So, I soaked it for an hour and it perked up beautifully even the flowers improved. Now it's 3 days later and and is starting to droop and show signs of dehydration. I'm watering again same way. You have mentioned Dendrobies like water I want to wick it similar to my African violets to meet its needs. Oh I reported it in Repotme Imperial mix not much sphagnum may 5 strands though. What are you're thoughts and advice? Beth in central Texas, USA
Are you still using self watering pots? Any updates videos?
hi dany my phalaenopsis orchid has no roots what should i do
Hi Danni.
I have a mini phal, that I picked up at the market. It is quite small, good roots and has held its flowers a long time. But, along the edge of the leaves it is turning yellow. It’s uniform. I have thought maybe it’s variegate and just now coming on? Maybe too much light? Lacking a nutrient? What do you think? What should I do? I have it in moss.
Thank you so much,
Lisa
Lisa Todman go to Facebook group called orchidaholics, post a photo and your question
ETANA FINKLER Thank you!
Hi Lisa, I think I know what you are talking about, a thin yellowish edge that doesn't advance? In my experience it's nothing serious and it's not a rule that all leaves will have it. I stressed about it too years ago and everyone had a different opinion on what I should 'treat' it with. I proceeded to just put the orchid on my full care routine and never had issues further. So I cannot tell you if it was a deficiency, pest, stress of sorts for sure, but everyone thinks it's something else :))) whatever it is, proper culture seems to have solved it ;) good luck!
MissOrchidGirl Thank you so much for answering. I will go forward treating it normally and hope it’s just something pretty!! Lol.
I watch all your posts and admire your knowledge. I have learned a lot from you.
Thanks again and I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.
Danny, what is your other channel?
What type or Orchids do you have in the LECA self watering?
Never mind- found it!
I lost my more than 15 orchids due to theft😕 even I have CCTV footage and complaint to the police even though the police acts very slowly before that my orchids will die due to that thief mf dont know how to care orchids😭 Danny now I can feel your past battles with fusarium, spider mites and snails. Today now only I can feel how we feel when we lost more orchids or lost a big part of your collection at a same time it hurts badly emotionally. Guys please care you orchids there are thieves who can steal y0ur orchids and those dumb thief peoples think that it is a normal plant and kill it even though u have CCTV cameras be additional cautious for orchids which are in outdoor or windows ide orchids.😕😔😓😣😢😤😟😭
🙄🙄😑😒..
I am so sorry for what happened 😔... mine grow outside, no CCTV ... and sometimes I wonder if I will wake up to them missing ... truly sorry to hear of your situation xx
OMG! That is very sad. Theft in Chennai is a tad bit rare, and an orchid thief??? That is the rarest thing i've heard of. The person might be an orchid enthusiast to have stolen orchids only
JAGADISH KUMAR I'm sorry that happened to you; and sadly you're right, they won't know how to care for them. I'm guessing that they're going to try to sell them. Good luck!
So very sorry for your loss!!! 😢. Seriously, that really sucks! Can you look on a local “craigslist” type web site or look at local flea markets? Don’t know if that’s a possibility for you but best of luck to you.
Greetings and Happy New Year from an orchid grower in Florida. 🙂
Sorry, my bad. "It needs to be VIKING" I can not forget the mental image. Vikings with nice orchids and pots. :D I confess: I am a bit tired.
I finally found $5.00 phalaenopsis 😍 probably 50 left. Home Depot in Piqua, Ohio USA.
Why dont u use coco chunks in place of coco peat,coco chunk dont degrade fast, its very wicking,and cheap to,and my Paphs are doing fabulous in it...i use it as sole medium..
Hi, Coco husk has always degraded extremely fast for me, I am not a fan personally ;)
@@MissOrchidGirl not husk,chunks,they are cubes in structure
ua-cam.com/video/CLlOUelBvjM/v-deo.html like this?
@@MissOrchidGirl hmm,some sort of,because in this i see lot of finer material too,here we dont find it in brick,here orchid suppliers sell this in 3 to 5 litre pack,in which they are like bark,they are 10 to 15mm in size,and they are hard,these chips dont degrade easily, and also works as great wicking medium, plus it will provide ton of air to roots,because it never compacted,it retain its shape......and the definition for husk for me is,something which is finer like sand,or may be granular soil......
Hi, here husk is the chunky medium :) It's not for me I prefer other media :)
1st one😕