Terrific video. Answered many of my ques. I wish I found you earlier in my orchid growing but your vids will live on for me to view and other newbies as well, hopefully forever. Hope you are doing as well as possible. Hugs to your wife too.
Good looking Den. Better than the one I just got off of eBay for sure. Love the wire stakes. Can't wait to see the progress on those roots, mine have some growing to do to.😳
Rick, I'm a gardener, bonsaist and a novice orchid grower. I hear you speak of Cal Mag often in your videos. I just purchased some online. It should arrive in a couple of days. Can you give me some guidance as to how go about using this with my orchids? I grow dendrobiums, cattleyas, encyclias, vandas and a few others. I just need some basics as to how often, whether to use small doses frequently, whether to add it to fertilizer or use alone, etc. Thanks for your assistance.
I'm doing a rick Marathon! I needed a refresher course on how to make that wire stand you put in the middle of your pots!! I can tell you're an engineer cuz you have all these things figured out in your head at a time. a great-great teacher mr. Rick
If in your lifetime you have only accomplished one thing that was good that people can use and and make themselves it will be these wire clips that you do. now if we could all learn how you make your plants grow so well I know you're teaching us but thank you.
Thank Rick for this video. I love how you showed on making the anchor.What a wonderful idea and saves lot$$. Watch all your video thank you very much. You are so awesome 👏👏👏👏
Rick L., This hands-on lesson has me shaking my head...again. I got it, Rick! My confidence potting will now be solid. You have set me on the right track now! Thank you for this! When this school year ends, I can spend my free time out on my potting porch potting and tending to bag babies. Date: April 15, 2018
I have found a small crochet hook, sometimes helped by tweezers works wonders. I worry about breaking roots off with something sharper, and crochet hooks ate now available with thick handles, which makes them very easy for larger or arthritic fingers to hang on to. Love the new type pot mounts, much easier to customize for all shape pots! Blessed be....
Rick L., again "common sense is not a common thing." Thanks for this tutorial on making a metal stabilizer. I needed this video and have everything I need on hand to make as many as I need. I'll be using the grooves around the metal tops of Mason jars for mine. Thank you very much! Date: May 8, 2018
Rick L., thank you for the warning about the glass of a Mason Jar. Cutting myself is not on my bucket list. No one told me I might get this besotted with growing orchids. I finally have found something I never tire of studying. Thank you for always sharing with everyone and for answering questions from clueless enthusiasts like me. God bless you. Date: May 9, 2018
praying for your progress my friend......we have to make concessions, but never stop reaching for those goals........your trying to regain.....and Im trying not to loose....
Thank you so much for your information that you do for us we’re good lovers. I have my orchids and bark I am really considering going to the gravel changing it over. I never knew how to make the anchor until you showed us as ladies don’t know how to use all that stuff
you make it look so easy, they are all nicely potted. have you ever had issues with losing roots after transferring an orchid into a new pot?thank you Rick.
.....thank you my friend.....I did loose roots before.......after making sure they have calcium all the time....that has stopped, now they just grow...
hi Rick! Thanks a lot for another great video! Im very new at this, and I have some of my Phals in N Zealand sphag and some in inert media and a few on mounts as per your good example. We all got through the winter and now things seem to be growing well! I'm still a little insecure about watering the ones in stone and how often, only because I can't see the roots in the clay pots and I started out being too heavy handed. I have a couple of small (6 inch) fans running on low mostly in an 8x8 room with a lot of other citrus and potted terrestrials that my hubby and I have been growing. My real estate is high rising, lol! I started to put some moss on top of some of the ones in stone, because they seemed to get dry on top so quickly. It seems that I've been soaking about 20 min. every 2 or 3 days on the ones in inert media. I don't get roots climbing out of my pots, like you, but I am getting new leaves and keeping my blooms and some are throwing out new spikes and the leaves seem nice and plump and I think everyone is happy so far. The mounts also have some moss on top because they were getting wrinkly leaves...I think i fixed that with the moss on top and a daily soak or spray. Do you need to soak your mounts every day? The heat stays about 73-78.F. Im also feeding the cal/mag in rain water (10ppm) raising it to 25 ppm. every time. Then I do a quick fix mix like yours every fourth feed. Do you think I should feed more often, as we enter the growing season? OMG. I'm sorry for asking so much in my first question post! Anyway THANKS so much! P.S. I am Nanette. I used to be Lonnie (my husband's name) before, because I didn;t have my own account!
no worries Nanette.....it sounds like your doing fine......up the calmag to 40ppm and see how they do....the roots will start when the nutrients are just right, you will notice the difference.....the secret to inert medias is how you water......I dont spray or mist my plants at all.......they get soaked in the nutrient mix for 20-30 minutes or maybe 1hr...temps in my grow room are 80-82 most days....I water most of them 1x week......smaller ones a bit more....but not every day..........watch the roots for signs of needing water....not the leaves......it takes a little time, but you will get the routine down.....feed based on how the plant is growing, as the weather gets warmer and days get longer they may need a little bit more feed.............
Rick--I've relatively recently gotten into the hobby of Orchid growing and have this list: 1. Masdevallia coccinea 'Gigi' 2. Neof. falcata 'Purple Fantasy' x 'Hot Pink' 3. Mtssa. Royal Robe 4. Pleurothallis alenii 5. Dendrobium hibiki 'Tiny Bubbles' 6. Aeridea odorata var. alba x sib First, I love your cool and relaxed style of presentation. The length of videos are appropriate. The variety of videos is fantastic. Second, thank you so much for putting this information out there to the public. I am moving to a different part of my state for work and will be setting up a new living space. I'm interested if you have any thoughts about setting up grow space in a northern climate with large southern exposure sliders, but no outdoor growing space aside from a deck. As I settle in to my new location and job, I hope to utilize your videos more often. Eric
some great orchids there.....wonderful start........A grow space with southern sliders would be great.......low angle of sun in winter will give you tons of good light, and as it rises during summer, it will shade more......light, humidity, air flow, and temp control.......is what a indoor grow space needs......congrats on your new job and home........keep me updated....
Huh wasn’t as much moss as I thought. They will perk right up for you. You will feed them and they will take right off. Awesome find. My Lowe’s has not got any more bag babies yet. They got bunch of regular Phals and mini Phals. Our Walmart though threw their Phals out in the fence part (wide open) and several got burnt by the cold the other night, it got down 23 degrees and then yesterday it was 82 and they were in direct sunlight! I told the girl she said they didn’t care that they told them those all would burn up. She said they let ruin over $400 in plants! But I found a gorgeous pink Phal she marked down to $3.00 so I pray it makes it.
Big Box Store Nurseries: I KNOW that the chains take their plants on consignment so there is no loss to them = they just don't care. And too often, not long after a delivery the plants look like hell. There are exceptions if the store is smart enough to hire someone for the nursery dept. that knows what they're doing &/or care what they are doing. It's a very sad tale. BUT, for this known neglect I watch for deliveries (buy fresh, before they kill them, they get bugs), and discounted plants for a song ($) that I know I have a good shot at saving.
Thanks rick for a great video and tips for stakes etc. I just lost my lovely husband twelve months ago so I’m trying to learn how to do things without rubber bands and blue talk. Question for another video I watched recently on your orchids in the rain. I know Phil’s would potentially get crown rot if left extensively with water in the crown. Are there any other orchids that you know of that we have to be mindful of with this? Rick you are so giving. Thanks so much
…..your very kind Kath, ...truly sorry for your loss, …...orchids love rain, and phals are no exception......the crown rot issue is due to calcium deficiency.....in the wild, phals are exposed to calcium always, and they get rained on all the time with no issues...….in our confined environment's, we need to supplement with calcium or they suffer from crown rot...…...Calcium is a immobile nutrient and deficiencies shown in the newest growths...lack of calcium causes new growths to die back, ….new canes, bulbs, leaves, etc die back from lack of calcium...…..if you think about it.....where does a Phalaenopsis grow from?......they grow from their crowns.... Give your orchids plenty of calcium and they will not only grow like jungle plants, but they will bloom better, bloom bigger, grow fast, and they don't have pest issues, …….calcium is key to growing healthy orchids.
Very good video Rick...I am always fascinated on the gravel rock video...The metal wire ring was also educational and very functional....when stores up here get there spring rock I'll be using some! Still in winter up here for me!
Hi Rick When you repot from a smaller pot with lava rock and or river rock to go into a larger pot, do you wash or cleanse previous rock from smaller pot or reuse if plant is healthy and just needs bigger pot? Thinking about trying a couple of plants to start. Thanks JoAnn
Must of just watched another of your great gravel media had a question...but lost that exact video, could not locate it again...you talked about cooing effect....my concern is the heating effect....when in sun rocks retain the heat...I am assuming the hot gravel does not burn or dry out the plants to fast...you are far warmer then I am up here but I have gravel base for my greenhouse and on a sunny hot day the heat radiates from the warmed stone. Just a curious question on that issue? By the way whichever one I watched was one of your best on the gravel media issue! You covered several of my questions...repotting, coolomg and determining which gravel medi to plant in!
After you transplant an orchid like this one, one that has a poor root system, do you give them any special nutrients? I would assume you give them extra calcium for awhile? If so, how much and how often? I love how you made the pot ring from the metal pipe....so simple... I never walk away from one of your videos without learning something! :) :)
thank you Caroline,......I will give these poor orchids some calmag and very lite nutrients......with poor roots they cant take a lot.....those stakes make a huge difference in keeping them tidy and anchoring them....
I need to send you a picture of my Dendrobium that's been on life support since last fall. It now has a spike, a Keiki, the beginnings of several new canes and may a tiny root or two. You could use it as an example for a "Can This Orchid Be Saved" video. LOL!
Rick If the Orchid stomatax are open at night, why do we not spray Ca Mg at night re If the stomatax are closed at day, how do the leaves absorb Ca Mg Spray thanks
Hi there Rick, i have taken your advice and potted a couple of my orchids in lava /river rock, i summer them all outside but am curious about what will happen as far as drying out or not once i return them to the greenhouse in late fall i live in southeast Louisiana 50 miles north of new orleans any winter advice would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance !!!☺
.....I bring mine inside in the fall as well.....inside I water the same.........just not as often.........maybe once a week they get a 15 minute soak........then they dry out over several days and then dry for a few more .....and repeat....
Rick, I've got 2 of the really small bag baby vandas and they are getting some good root growth now. They are sitting loose in clear plastic pots with Spanish moss. Since I already have 2 larger size vandas bare root in baskets, I wanted to do something different with these and am thinking of keeping one or both of them in pots. I know I've seen some people have success with lava rock with vandas, so I might try that. However, I've already got some river gravel, and was wondering if that would work too. Or is river gravel too dense and doesn't "breathe" enough? What do you think?
......vandas like moisture and sun.....but they also have to have that dry between watering....the moss will over time cause issues, they grow roots well at first then slowly decline......my Renanthera is in a pot with lava rock and is doing well, but they like a bit more moisture......lava would be my choice, and I have a small Vanda I just put in lava rock....lava will stay moist longer, but dry as well......river rock is less porous, and wont retain as much moisture as lava.........you need to pick the media that will work best in your environment and growing style...
Ok great thanks! I'll let you know what I decide to do. One of the vandas I got was really cheap on discount and I'm not quite as crazy about as the other, so maybe I'll experiment with the river gravel with that one.
.......the wire I use is 16ga ......its for hanging ceiling grid......from Lowes, Home depot...as long as you can bend it any wire is fine.....stay away from copper
Terrific video. Answered many of my ques.
I wish I found you earlier in my orchid growing but your vids will live on for me to view and other newbies as well, hopefully forever. Hope you are doing as well as possible. Hugs to your wife too.
Wow! I even play with wire and this is fantastic!
And i call myself inventive... >_>
Noice!!
Prayers in your new home. God bless
I love the simplicity of this wire. Thank you for sharing.
I re potted a tall dendrobium using your method with 2 stakes in a plastic pot. It turned out nice.😊
Also I wanted to encourage you to let you know that many people are still praying for you and your wife may God totally heal you in the name of Jesus
Thanks for the tip on how to make those wire stakes! Pure genius
You have such a handy common sense about about everything! You make things so much better.... You have a plethora of ideas! Thank you my friend
your very sweet.......thank you
Good looking Den. Better than the one I just got off of eBay for sure. Love the wire stakes. Can't wait to see the progress on those roots, mine have some growing to do to.😳
......thanks Suzette.........2 weeks and it should have some roots out.....we will see...
Rick,
I'm a gardener, bonsaist and a novice orchid grower. I hear you speak of Cal Mag often in your videos. I just purchased some online. It should arrive in a couple of days. Can you give me some guidance as to how go about using this with my orchids? I grow dendrobiums, cattleyas, encyclias, vandas and a few others. I just need some basics as to how often, whether to use small doses frequently, whether to add it to fertilizer or use alone, etc. Thanks for your assistance.
coming up Pat.....
I'm doing a rick Marathon! I needed a refresher course on how to make that wire stand you put in the middle of your pots!! I can tell you're an engineer cuz you have all these things figured out in your head at a time. a great-great teacher mr. Rick
Thanks Rick I can watch over and over, I just used lava rock to a new orchid, will share her progress🤗👏😘
If in your lifetime you have only accomplished one thing that was good that people can use and and make themselves it will be these wire clips that you do. now if we could all learn how you make your plants grow so well I know you're teaching us but thank you.
lol......thank you Victoria........those clips are so good with orchids.....
Thank Rick for this video. I love how you showed on making the anchor.What a wonderful idea and saves lot$$. Watch all your video thank you very much. You are so awesome 👏👏👏👏
thanks Mary........you very kind...
Thank you.
Love the repotting vids......you do them so well....you've encouraged me the do some of mine....
Very cool ideas. I’m trying some now. Thanks!
Wow - the way you do it; makes it seem so easy!!! Lol
Rick L., This hands-on lesson has me shaking my head...again. I got it, Rick! My confidence potting will now be solid. You have set me on the right track now! Thank you for this! When this school year ends, I can spend my free time out on my potting porch potting and tending to bag babies. Date: April 15, 2018
Thanks for another interesting video, Rick. Now you have me thinking of metal bowl rims and other things that I can use to shape wire stakes.
perfect....thats what I wanted to get across.......
I have found a small crochet hook, sometimes helped by tweezers works wonders. I worry about breaking roots off with something sharper, and crochet hooks ate now available with thick handles, which makes them very easy for larger or arthritic fingers to hang on to. Love the new type pot mounts, much easier to customize for all shape pots! Blessed be....
great idea,......thanks for sharing that.....
Brilliant videos and even though I have seen many repotting videos, yours are simplicity itself and i am learning from them so thank you 😊
very kind Fiona......thank you
awesome video Thank you . 😃🐥🐦
Rick L., again "common sense is not a common thing." Thanks for this tutorial on making a metal stabilizer. I needed this video and have everything I need on hand to make as many as I need. I'll be using the grooves around the metal tops of Mason jars for mine. Thank you very much! Date: May 8, 2018
.....your welcome........be careful with glass......
Rick L., thank you for the warning about the glass of a Mason Jar. Cutting myself is not on my bucket list. No one told me I might get this besotted with growing orchids. I finally have found something I never tire of studying. Thank you for always sharing with everyone and for answering questions from clueless enthusiasts like me. God bless you. Date: May 9, 2018
That was a great demo Rick. Thank you ☺️
rick the more i watch ur vids the more i keep hope in working with my plants thanks i keep fate that one day i get my other hand back;)
praying for your progress my friend......we have to make concessions, but never stop reaching for those goals........your trying to regain.....and Im trying not to loose....
+Rick L. Orchids rick it is forever sadly this cva
Thank you for this video looking forward to see how well this plants will do 👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼😃
Thanks Yanet.......I do a update when they start growing again.....
Thank you so much for your information that you do for us we’re good lovers. I have my orchids and bark I am really considering going to the gravel changing it over. I never knew how to make the anchor until you showed us as ladies don’t know how to use all that stuff
you make it look so easy, they are all nicely potted. have you ever had issues with losing roots after transferring an orchid into a new pot?thank you Rick.
.....thank you my friend.....I did loose roots before.......after making sure they have calcium all the time....that has stopped, now they just grow...
Great video thank you so very much 👍
Thank you for all you information. Enjoyed your video. New subscriber.
thank you Shirley.......
hi Rick! Thanks a lot for another great video! Im very new at this, and I have some of my Phals in N Zealand sphag and some in inert media and a few on mounts as per your good example. We all got through the winter and now things seem to be growing well! I'm still a little insecure about watering the ones in stone and how often, only because I can't see the roots in the clay pots and I started out being too heavy handed. I have a couple of small (6 inch) fans running on low mostly in an 8x8 room with a lot of other citrus and potted terrestrials that my hubby and I have been growing. My real estate is high rising, lol!
I started to put some moss on top of some of the ones in stone, because they seemed to get dry on top so quickly. It seems that I've been soaking about 20 min. every 2 or 3 days on the ones in inert media. I don't get roots climbing out of my pots, like you, but I am getting new leaves and keeping my blooms and some are throwing out new spikes and the leaves seem nice and plump and I think everyone is happy so far. The mounts also have some moss on top because they were getting wrinkly leaves...I think i fixed that with the moss on top and a daily soak or spray. Do you need to soak your mounts every day? The heat stays about 73-78.F.
Im also feeding the cal/mag in rain water (10ppm) raising it to 25 ppm. every time. Then I do a quick fix mix like yours every fourth feed. Do you think I should feed more often, as we enter the growing season? OMG. I'm sorry for asking so much in my first question post! Anyway THANKS so much! P.S. I am Nanette. I used to be Lonnie (my husband's name) before, because I didn;t have my own account!
no worries Nanette.....it sounds like your doing fine......up the calmag to 40ppm and see how they do....the roots will start when the nutrients are just right, you will notice the difference.....the secret to inert medias is how you water......I dont spray or mist my plants at all.......they get soaked in the nutrient mix for 20-30 minutes or maybe 1hr...temps in my grow room are 80-82 most days....I water most of them 1x week......smaller ones a bit more....but not every day..........watch the roots for signs of needing water....not the leaves......it takes a little time, but you will get the routine down.....feed based on how the plant is growing, as the weather gets warmer and days get longer they may need a little bit more feed.............
Rick--I've relatively recently gotten into the hobby of Orchid growing and have this list:
1. Masdevallia coccinea 'Gigi'
2. Neof. falcata 'Purple Fantasy' x 'Hot Pink'
3. Mtssa. Royal Robe
4. Pleurothallis alenii
5. Dendrobium hibiki 'Tiny Bubbles'
6. Aeridea odorata var. alba x sib
First, I love your cool and relaxed style of presentation. The length of videos are appropriate. The variety of videos is fantastic.
Second, thank you so much for putting this information out there to the public.
I am moving to a different part of my state for work and will be setting up a new living space. I'm interested if you have any thoughts about setting up grow space in a northern climate with large southern exposure sliders, but no outdoor growing space aside from a deck.
As I settle in to my new location and job, I hope to utilize your videos more often.
Eric
some great orchids there.....wonderful start........A grow space with southern sliders would be great.......low angle of sun in winter will give you tons of good light, and as it rises during summer, it will shade more......light, humidity, air flow, and temp control.......is what a indoor grow space needs......congrats on your new job and home........keep me updated....
Aww your anchors are like plant halos😇
heh heh......very sweet
Rick L. Orchids I try
Huh wasn’t as much moss as I thought. They will perk right up for you. You will feed them and they will take right off. Awesome find. My Lowe’s has not got any more bag babies yet. They got bunch of regular Phals and mini Phals. Our Walmart though threw their Phals out in the fence part (wide open) and several got burnt by the cold the other night, it got down 23 degrees and then yesterday it was 82 and they were in direct sunlight! I told the girl she said they didn’t care that they told them those all would burn up. She said they let ruin over $400 in plants! But I found a gorgeous pink Phal she marked down to $3.00 so I pray it makes it.
it crushes me to see that as well........nice find on the pink phal.....thanks Paula...
Big Box Store Nurseries: I KNOW that the chains take their plants on consignment so there is no loss to them = they just don't care. And too often, not long after a delivery the plants look like hell.
There are exceptions if the store is smart enough to hire someone for the nursery dept. that knows what they're doing &/or care what they are doing. It's a very sad tale. BUT, for this known neglect I watch for deliveries (buy fresh, before they kill them, they get bugs), and discounted plants for a song ($) that I know I have a good shot at saving.
Hi Rick love watching your videos question where can I buy the stones you use to pot your orchids
Repotme.com has the lava rock.
Great job...tfs.
Good evening Rick , please have a face book account where you can share more of these. Hope you and Mrs are well, thank you.
Thanks rick for a great video and tips for stakes etc. I just lost my lovely husband twelve months ago so I’m trying to learn how to do things without rubber bands and blue talk. Question for another video I watched recently on your orchids in the rain. I know Phil’s would potentially get crown rot if left extensively with water in the crown. Are there any other orchids that you know of that we have to be mindful of with this? Rick you are so giving. Thanks so much
…..your very kind Kath, ...truly sorry for your loss, …...orchids love rain, and phals are no exception......the crown rot issue is due to calcium deficiency.....in the wild, phals are exposed to calcium always, and they get rained on all the time with no issues...….in our confined environment's, we need to supplement with calcium or they suffer from crown rot...…...Calcium is a immobile nutrient and deficiencies shown in the newest growths...lack of calcium causes new growths to die back, ….new canes, bulbs, leaves, etc die back from lack of calcium...…..if you think about it.....where does a Phalaenopsis grow from?......they grow from their crowns.... Give your orchids plenty of calcium and they will not only grow like jungle plants, but they will bloom better, bloom bigger, grow fast, and they don't have pest issues, …….calcium is key to growing healthy orchids.
Sorry to read of the loss of your husband.
Very good video Rick...I am always fascinated on the gravel rock video...The metal wire ring was also educational and very functional....when stores up here get there spring rock I'll be using some! Still in winter up here for me!
Hi Rick, I love to see your videos where do you live that your orchids do so well in that media?
Teresa.......Im in mid Alabama......95* today ....
Hi Rick
When you repot from a smaller pot with lava rock and or river rock to go into a larger pot, do you wash or cleanse previous rock from smaller pot or reuse if plant is healthy and just needs bigger pot? Thinking about trying a couple of plants to start. Thanks JoAnn
reuse……..and other than a quick rinse...…..rock is fine out of the bag....
Thanks for the reuse of rock in repotting. Have a great day. JoAnn
Must of just watched another of your great gravel media had a question...but lost that exact video, could not locate it again...you talked about cooing effect....my concern is the heating effect....when in sun rocks retain the heat...I am assuming the hot gravel does not burn or dry out the plants to fast...you are far warmer then I am up here but I have gravel base for my greenhouse and on a sunny hot day the heat radiates from the warmed stone. Just a curious question on that issue? By the way whichever one I watched was one of your best on the gravel media issue! You covered several of my questions...repotting, coolomg and determining which gravel medi to plant in!
Thanks Rick!
Is that wire made of stainless steel or aluminum... does it matter? Clever idea!
…...its cheap galvanized steel wire...…...it will rust over time......but no side effects.
After you transplant an orchid like this one, one that has a poor root system, do you give them any special nutrients? I would assume you give them extra calcium for awhile? If so, how much and how often? I love how you made the pot ring from the metal pipe....so simple... I never walk away from one of your videos without learning something! :) :)
thank you Caroline,......I will give these poor orchids some calmag and very lite nutrients......with poor roots they cant take a lot.....those stakes make a huge difference in keeping them tidy and anchoring them....
I need to send you a picture of my Dendrobium that's been on life support since last fall. It now has a spike, a Keiki, the beginnings of several new canes and may a tiny root or two. You could use it as an example for a "Can This Orchid Be Saved" video. LOL!
Hi Rick, where can I find this wire? and what guage is it? Thank you!
I believe its 16ga...….I find it in the acoustical ceiling section at Home depot or Lowes...…..its for hanging ceiling grid framing with...….
Rick If the Orchid stomatax are open at night, why do we not spray Ca Mg at night re If the stomatax are closed at day, how do the leaves absorb Ca Mg Spray thanks
that's a great one rick can do this with one hand and leg;) thanks a lot brother
lol.........thank you my friend..
What size wire do you use for those hangers like the repotting one?
.......16ga.......they sell it at Home depot or Lowes in the acoustical ceiling department...
Hi there Rick, i have taken your advice and potted a couple of my orchids in lava /river rock, i summer them all outside but am curious about what will happen as far as drying out or not once i return them to the greenhouse in late fall i live in southeast Louisiana 50 miles north of new orleans any winter advice would be greatly appreciated thanks in advance !!!☺
.....I bring mine inside in the fall as well.....inside I water the same.........just not as often.........maybe once a week they get a 15 minute soak........then they dry out over several days and then dry for a few more .....and repeat....
Rick L. Orchids thank you for your reply and have a great day !!!☺
Rick, I've got 2 of the really small bag baby vandas and they are getting some good root growth now. They are sitting loose in clear plastic pots with Spanish moss. Since I already have 2 larger size vandas bare root in baskets, I wanted to do something different with these and am thinking of keeping one or both of them in pots. I know I've seen some people have success with lava rock with vandas, so I might try that. However, I've already got some river gravel, and was wondering if that would work too. Or is river gravel too dense and doesn't "breathe" enough? What do you think?
......vandas like moisture and sun.....but they also have to have that dry between watering....the moss will over time cause issues, they grow roots well at first then slowly decline......my Renanthera is in a pot with lava rock and is doing well, but they like a bit more moisture......lava would be my choice, and I have a small Vanda I just put in lava rock....lava will stay moist longer, but dry as well......river rock is less porous, and wont retain as much moisture as lava.........you need to pick the media that will work best in your environment and growing style...
Ok great thanks! I'll let you know what I decide to do. One of the vandas I got was really cheap on discount and I'm not quite as crazy about as the other, so maybe I'll experiment with the river gravel with that one.
Good job! Nicely potted up. Do you water these pots every day in summer? Thanks for sharing.
thanks Mary........no, not every day.........no more than bark or moss..
rick any 2020 updates mate hope your wife is doing well and yourself david
What gauge wire are you using for this? (sorry if it's been asked already)
no worries.........16ga ...Home depot or Lowes......acoustical ceiling grid hanging wire..
I’ve been searching all the videos for this question! Thank you both for the question and the answer
do you buy those pots with holes already in them? or do you drill them yourself? i can't find them anywhere.
drill myself.........cant find them anywhere........thank you.
That would make an interesting video!
Hi Rick! I love your ideas and want to try the wire, but what kind is it? Would plastic coated garden wire work?
.......the wire I use is 16ga ......its for hanging ceiling grid......from Lowes, Home depot...as long as you can bend it any wire is fine.....stay away from copper
Rick L. Orchids - Thank you so much! 😘 Is copper too soft, or toxic?
....great question.....copper is toxic to some dendrobiums .....most plants dont do well with high copper concentrates....around them...
Crap..I want more plants now..lol I've been doing good these last few weeks
Never thought about using pebbles with the mix, but it may work. I've had the best luck with larger bark, perlite, and charcoal mix. Good luck!
........thanks.......alll mine are planted in stone of some type or size.....