I haven't read thru all the comments, so don't know if this has been mentioned... but there are a couple of things I observed as to why your water culture experience was not as successful as you had hoped it would be. My observations: 1. The roots are not cleared of all media... in several cases there is bark still clinging to the roots. Roots must be cleared of all media and cleaned with peroxide to avoid mold. 2. Opaque containers were used. Clear glass is a must. The advantage of water culture, I'd that it allows the roots to do what they do in nature.... photosynthetize. In order to maximize this, clear glass is a must. Opaque containers deprive the roots of light, stopping this process, and encouraging mold. If mold does happen, despite clear glass, it means your water is too high. In that case lower water levels, spray roots with peroxide. 3.The chosen containers are too wide. WC containers need to be fairly narrow so that the plant is suspended, with the majority of its roots above water. This provides the humidity they need, and allows them to put out new roots both in the airspace and water inside the vase. I have enjoyed your videos, and learned a great deal from them. As you have pointed out, not all culture methods work for all growers and environments. Cheers and Happy Growing!
Hi, thanks for the tips, I can also add that there were other factors that influenced this, such as low temperatures and high humidity, so my environment was really not helping me at all, but it also means environment is a limiting factor for this technique. However I seem to have an issue, if water culture implies that water levels should be lower, it's really not water culture is it? it is bare root with high humidity and also some water at the bottom, hydroponics without clay pebbles if you will. Also there seems to be conflicting opinions on this procedure as well, some say opaque containers are needed to reduce algae, while others say clear glass is needed, when in medium it doesn't really matter all that much as leaves take care of photosynthesis just fine. I find too many flaws and excuses personally for some fails with this procedure to actually credit it, I also believe it is misrepresented (I think most people realized that orchids don't really grow in water, so they aim for lower levels of water letting the roots breath, however this actually transforms in bare root growing, which we all know works). Just my opinion as an outsider with a critical eye :) a little too much fuss for my taste to be honest :)
I agree, the other environmental factors you cited may be a factor. My thoughts are that this technique works best in warm, higher light environments. I'm interested in seeing how my orchids fare this winter. As for the name of the technique, "water culture" it's called that bc there is no media whatsoever, the media if you will is water. Calling it "orchids suspended half in and out of water" doesnt exactly roll off the tongue! The water is at the bottom of the container is in varying levels bc of the different water needs of various orchids. The humidity created by this water keeps the upper 2/3s of the roots that are outside the water, but enclosed in the vase, hydrated. I've found a correlation between the thickness of individual species velamen and how much water they do well in, if they need a dry out period. I've found phals do exceptionally well with 2/3s of their roots above water. Both sets of roots grow. I've also got a rescue cattleya, previously rootless, suspended in one of my fishtanks. Its roots are totally submerged, but then that water is oxygenated, moving and warm. When I first heard of water culture orchids, like you, I thought: "How ridiculous and unnatural!" But when it comes down to it, there's nothing natural about growing orchids with their roots buried from the light in either Seramis or bark, either. So I'm glad I kept an open mind, did my research, adjusted the parameters as dictated by the health of the orchid... and tried it. Keep up the great videos... they always get my day off to a good start!
hahaha true that really takes time to say :P but I still feel it's not describing the process properly, maybe it doesn't have to :P I agree that how we grow orchids is very unnatural, even mounted. It's still not the forest isn't it? however there's one thing that these unnatural alternatives provide: air and moisture, other than that it doesn't matter what you grow orchids in, it can be bottle caps for all they're concerned :P my problem with true water culture is the idea that they can adapt to water simply by looking at it and saying: hey, that didn't die :))) I don't like explanations like that that come without a logical chain process, I guess for some people is enough, seeing is believing isn't it? but I have to say I am slightly relieved at the way things are going now, I see more and more people choosing to leave roots in air as well and this is better. I was concerned about this for reasons a bit more dangerous than what some people do with their orchids, you know how companies are, when there's a trend they need to fill a demand ;) hopefully it won't happen now that things seem to settle to a more reasonable agreement, but who knows? I expressed this in a video at some point. When fads take over true science well.. that's a battle we will never win, when one fad goes, another takes its place and logic dies because it's boring and not dramatic enough. I blabbed too much ahaha sorry, I just have a problem with the romance of lies :P
I think its great that you were able to try something new and run an experiment. How do we get better? We research and try new things. I only have about 50 orchids but some are really struggling. I've moved them into FWC or SWC in hopes that they recuperate. Im in the desert and there are a number of challenges as you can imagine. Hopefully my struggling orchids will have more of a fighting chance with these new methods!
You should have placed your Orchids in a clear glass container...They do not require much water in the container and place them in filtered light....Mine are growing very well...I have not had to change the water it has stayed clear for pass 4 months now...This water culture method maybe for some people while others should use the bark method....The clear glass containers gets Photosynthesis to my orchids roots.. I have so many roots on my Orchids that are very healthy....Sorry to see that many of your roots died on your Orchids when you tried this water culture...Hope they survive when you place them back in your bark....
It may not be right for you but that doesn't mean it is not right. I lost many a orchids to bark, insects, leca etc until I came across water culture - and my phal and oncidiums thrived in it. It may be Chicago weather or just the fact that Nature can adapt and grow. I mean Orchids grow on trees with spread out root systems yet they do just fine constricted in a pot, in fact dendrobiums love being squished in tiny pots while in Nature they grow in all directions. There are some things we won't know unless we conduct scientific studies to explain it. Until then, I have multiple growths, strong fat roots growing like crazy in my full water culture system for Phals and Oncidiums and I know they love it. I am going to experiment for dendrobiums once I fully understand how to deal with the dry period. I have been growing Orchids for 5 years now and never seen them look this healthy in bark, moss or leca.
+Nikky Hi, it's not about working for me or not. Many things don't work for me, like mounts, but I have nothing against them and I am the first to admit it's the closest to a natural way of growth as possible. With water culture it's about forcing something to adapt instantly to something they never met before. As epyphitic orchids don't grow in lakes, it's the equivalent of teaching a cat to be vegetarian in a way :)) just joking. Yes orchids are adaptable, but evolution and true adaptation takes hundreds of thousands of years, not 1 year. What might look beneficial now can turn out to be very damaging on the long run. And I think this is what happens, they adapt apparently, but with time fail to thrive as they are not truly adapted to low air and full water. For this reason I cannot recommend something that goes against something's nature to whomever is interested in my opinion. But at the end of the day it is just an opinion, no one makes the rules and certainly not me. Everyone can do and experiment whatever they like, as long as they assume the risks. But some of my viewers do not assume the risks and don't like it when things go wrong (I don;t like it one bit), so explaining and showing what can go wrong is what is important for me, not joining the trend. If someone takes the risks and knows what can go wrong, they can better control it if they want to try something. About pots, true orchids don't grow in pots, however the pot is more similar to natural growth. The roots attach to the sides of the pot more than the bark we use, similar to how they would attach to a tree. It's not the confinement at work here, it is the length of material they attach to. The medium is only an excuse for us not to water every day. Also potted orchids, if potted correctly, offer the proper air/moisture ratio the orchids need. Orchids don't know they are potted, they just feel the air / moisture ratio so as far as I am concerned, they can be potted in wine corks if it provides the correct ratio. Water doesn't provide this ratio, so things have a greater chance of going bad very fast. It's a question of: do you assume these risks? yes/no :)
I live down south, and here wild orchids do grow on edges of lakes. I have all my phals in water culture. I treat mine every week so they don't get mold or bacteria. I do get algae because I use glass but it works. I wouldn't do it with other orchids necessarily. But all in all I'm very happy with it.
I live in Montana, and it blew my mind to learn that in Northwestern Montana alone there are 30 native orchid species. I have only seen the Lady Slipper. It grows right on the ground in the mountains or on fallen trees.
One thing that hasn't been addressed here is whether or not the water treatment was done in a clear container. It looks like the containers in which you've attempted water culture were opaque? This means that no sunlight was able to get to the orchid's roots, preventing them from photosynthesizing. Roots exposed to sunlight under water will actually evolve 02 into the water, oxygenating it and preventing stagnation. This could be a major reason for some of your challenges, and could explain the varied results reported by others. It seems to me that full sun exposure for the underwater roots would be the only way to prevent anoxia and root decay. This will likely grow some algae, but those algae are also photosynthesizers and often have symbiotic relationships with plants in nature, so they will help with the oxygenation and might actually produce beneficial compounds that could fertilize the plant as long as they don't get too out of control.
+Tursiocola Hello, I discuss about algae formation at minute 7:50 of the video and show the algae residue inside the pot, even after cleaning. This means there was light in the pot, as the pot was white and not fully opaque :)
+MissOrchidGirl Totally! I mentioned algae in my comment because you had also talked about it. Nevertheless, not fully opaque is quite a bit different for light penetration than a clear container would be, particularly for root photosynthesis. As a scientist who studies plants, I'm just trying to make sense of the extremely variable results people are reporting. Also curious to explore how growth conditions/pot transparency play a role in success, as I transfered a Phal I've had for over ten years to water culture a few days ago. Sample size of 1 doesn't make for a very good experimental setup, but I'm interested to see how it goes and am trying to gather as much information as I can in the meantime.
+Tursiocola I think if you could document this on a span of a few years it would be fantastic, but Phals are not the greatest subjects. Many of the problems I experienced cannot apply to phals as they don't have some structures, like growth eyes or rhizome sheaths. And also as many are complex hybrids obtained by humans to be very vigorous, so that doesn't help either. They can bloom even on the verge of death. Now the variant experinces might be attributed to transparent containers (though I have 2 in a separate room with glass containers.. same results). However that are other things at play that I find more important. For one it depends on the species or variety of orchid, some have certain quirks, some are just not hybridized enough to be that adaptable, some are simply not adaptable species and their natural habitat differs. Even if still epiphytes, habitats dictate the degree of adaptability. Then comes environment, some homes are so dry that even water seeping inside sheats evaporates in a second. Some environments are more humid and the downfall is rapid. My environment was cooler and a bit more humid, so the downfall was fast for me. It's statistics as far as I am concerned, the more the external factors contribute to a hazard happening, the more it will happen. So take these into consideration when experimenting and try to look for the signs. There is also another more personal aspect here :) what my eyes see as sufferance and downfall, others might see as normal. I don't see flowering and survival as success, I see evolution (bigger leaves, bigger psb and structures, more extensive root system) as success and sustainability :)
I only dared to try it with two phals I had. They are now my best performing orchids, have been healthy and flowering for 2 year now. I would not move a phal that was mature and had a lot of roots into water culture, my phals were still young. For me I will always use this method or semi hydro for my phals now.
Thanks always Ms.D, since i found one orchid in a trash, start having an Orchids it is indeed all your video help me a lot.Thanks anlot & God bless alway
I've been an orchidist for just over a year now, and I'd like to share a tidbit with you all. I've been using water culture for "hospitalization" for sick orchids suffering from severe dehydration due to root rot. It's proving to be a good short term method, and I only do this for about 5 days. I've no plans to do water culture as a long term but in short duration, it does help with this particular situation I've come up against. The reason I've been doing this short term water culture is because I recently noticed a rash of severe dehydration in what were usually seemingly healthy orchids. But then I noticed particular similarities. All the orchids affected by this onset of dehydration were all purchased at roughly the same time (within a few weeks of each other), and all had something very specific in common- they were originally in sphagnum moss. After I purchase any orchid in shpagnum moss, it's repotted as soon as it's brought home, regardless of having blooms. I'd been washing the roots off as best as I could, but sometimes the moss became embedded in the roots from being impacted. I'd gently rub away as much of the moss as I could with my thumb, but it's proven to not be enough. All of the orchids affected were suffering from root rot from the residual moss embedded on the roots. It absolutely broke my heart. I had to cut almost 90% of the roots off in many cases. It's a lesson learned though. The remaining roots on each were gently scrubbed with a soft toothbrush...I then set the orchids in water culture containers for about a week to help rehydrate the leaves. When they perked up, I then patted the roots dry and repotted them in new medium with clay balls added for extra aeration. So far, this method has worked to give the orchid that shot of hydration they needed, and from now on if I purchase an orchid that's in sphagnum moss I'll be using the toothbrush to clean the roots off for extra measure before repotting. I hope this proves useful to someone out there. Here's to happy, healthy orchids!
Thank you so much for this info as I have 2 orchids that were not doing well and I just decided to try WC as you said a hospitalization method. Glad you told about a week max. And another person mentioned water level. I need to ho drain some off. I did the debrieing of the roots and sprayed with peroxide. One of the orchids that was not doing well was a gift and had floppy leaves when given to me. Despite the blooms I took out of the pot, removed the plug and put in new medium thinking it would help but I think it just helped it survive. The person that gifted the orchid didn't know floppy leaves was not a good sign. Wish me luck and thanks to everyone for the WC info.
I wish I had watched this before almost killing my vanda in a water culture. It was a new acquisition that came bare rooted. In a week the roots got coated in slime, turned brown and mushy, and at the end lost half of its roots. I managed to save it but I’m never doing that again.
It seems illogical, but out of the nine Oncidiums I am growing, the one that's doing by far the best is the only one I have in water culture. It was just an experiment, but 14 months later it's three times the size of the others, has zero rot, a dozen beautiful plump pseudobulbs, and seven spikes coming up. I barely do anything to the water, so it's also very easy - no changing of water, just the occasional top up or dribble of fertiliser at the same time as I water my others. Note that for water culture you must support the plant in a stable position with its neck just above the water, using a narrower-neck container, usually a glass jar. Plopping an orchid into a regular opaque pot with some water in the base is not what's meant by 'water culture'. I wish I could attach a picture here of my little super-Oncidium, to show you what can work. Anyway, you've got me thinking about this again. I have some Oncidiums that are struggling, so I think I will transfer more of them to water culture. As zany as the idea seems, it can work really well.
+Finchesca All is well when things don't die :) just out of my own curiosity, what was the reasoning behind trying water culture? your orchids weren't doing well, or media was hard to maintain? or just for experimenting?
+MissOrchidGirl It was an experiment prompted by reading forums, plus finding a cute little fat vase in the cupboard that I had no other use for! I had several Oncidiums quite similar, so was not anxious about failure. It took a while to establish, then went from strength to strength. I support it in the neck of the jar with a shallow net pot thingie and some pumice pebbles, and its roots dangle into the grubby, algae-ridden water. Very happy plant! I suspect that algae (= O2 by day, CO2 at night) might be relevant.
+Finchesca ok I'm asking because I want to see what people have issues with so I can address it in videos :) yes algae produce oxygen.. however they eat a lot of fert ;)
I know it’s 5 years down the track since you posted the comment, are you still growing your Oncidium in water culture. I have a few Sharry Baby plants that I was considering experimenting with. What is your opinion now, I’d love to know.
I agree with you on not every orchid can be grown in water culture. I grow my Vanda denisionia in vase culture, which is similar to water culture except the soaking time is less than 12 hours. The soaking process would take place again in a day or two after the roots are dry. This is the only Vanda in my collection that is constantly growing new roots everywhere. Another benefit is that the vase, even without water, keeps the humidity high around the roots. I think monopodial orchids may be better suited for this type of culture.
+Jack Li yep vandas can do ok in this :) it's not water culture though, vandas have been sold and grown like this for quite a while, as long as ventilation is provided it should work ok.. but careful with stem rot though, this method increases the risk a tiny bit.
It is impotant to note that viability of water culturing an orchid may heavy depend on if the orchid is an epiphyte, terrestrial, or semi-terrestrial. Epiphytes (orchids or not) grow anchored in tree bark on trees and so evolved to not require much water. Terrestrial and Semi-terrestrial orchids grow in mulch and leaf litter on forest floor (not soil), and so need more water to replicate the same root environment.
Orchids do not sit in water in nature. Only Phrags have roots that stay wet as they grow by running water ( streams, waterfalls) which is oxygenated. Orchids grow mostly on treetops where its breezy, some rocks, and Paphs in loose soil, thus their fuzzy roots. THEY ARE NOT POND PLANTS!! They need air, which is why people growing in water culture see roots growing upwards. Air being very important is the reason they are mounted or in loose bark or medium ( Orchiata bark is the best bark, it doesn't break down quickly) Many orchid species need their roots to dry off fast or they die. Hybrids will survive this abuse longer, but "wet feet" is not good unless your a Phrag, and then the water has to be changed often. My educated guess with water culture is the plant at first puts out tons of roots trying to deal with sitting in water instead of its natural situation, ( which is roots exposed to air) as its looking for oxygen. If you under water orchids, your orchid might look better at first ( but your better off with growing high water orchids in spagnum moss, that said, overwatering is the #1 killer of orchids!) Growing in water culture might seem good for awhile, but your asking for an eventual fungal infection. As orchids are tough, this slow death could take a while. I'm happy this video was put out! As far as my experience in this matter, I have worked in the past with at least 3 major growers/lecturers experts in their fields, in greenhouses, and doing sales and displays at Santa Barbara Int. Orchid Show. I'm no begginner, ( I have studied orchids many years as a hobby and it was my side job). I consider it orchid abuse no expert would recommend. I would not dare to even try this "method" as you don't try putting a Polar bear in the desert!
+MaryG Orchids Thanks Mary :) sadly it's not convenient to be on the opposition when so many growers are so excited about this thing and I am sure we will soon see companies taking advantage of this and making all sorts of new products.. however I can't be untrue just to be like the others :)
+MissOrchidGirl They (the orchid supply industry) can try all they want to make it look inviting, but until someone shows me how this process worked for them over a period of a few/several years, I will not be easilly convinced.. :) I've seen a few videos showing Cattleyas being introduced to the culture, though can't recall ever seeing any follow-up videos of progress such as big, bushy plants exhibiting super-flowering results borne 5 or 7 blooms to the spike... :) or whatever with any other orchids. I will mention this, though; I did leave a few remarks such as this at a forum a few years ago and was promptly emailed some vintage artwork depicting the process of what appeqred to be orchids unknown to me submerged in vaso containers along with small, round stones that appeared to be from somewhere in Asia... so, perhaps the culture just might be older than we think it is. I don't know... :)
+John Benedict ORCHIDS I just want to make it perfectly clear that my opinions here are in no way discrediting anyone who enjoys and follows this method of maintaining their orchids... as I very well know what it's like to receive emails and response posts stating that my method of growing bare root in pots and baskets sucks, big time... :)
+John Benedict ORCHIDS well that is my problem as well, I cannot seem to find any updates and results after several years, all I find is beginnings and 1 year updates at most if any and mostly on Phals.. so I cannot be convinced. About the method itself, I simply just need to be opposite and not indifferent. It's one thing to mount orchids, keep them bare root and other methods, even if I am not using them due to various environmental and life style factors, that give both humidity and air at the same time. However by definition, water leaves less room for air and that in my book is just a no no. Like with any trend, the more people try to explain why it's wrong, the more the 'fanbase' will defend it and it is normal. But like any trend, when it will start to fail people will forget it ever existed. It might come back every now and then (forum posts date as far back as 2006, the trend died and now somehow it got revived) but shortly it will die again due to failure or other more comfortable or better resulting methods. Just my 2 cents, I am just a bit sad because I know what the market will do now for the fan base.. and that is take advantage in every way they can and I refuse to feed that, that's all :) let us remember just add ice.. let us imagine all the products marked as bio which are far from even beginning to be bio.. what is bio at the end of the day? how can you sell me a mass produced bio product that containes growth hormones from the mass produced bio fertilizer you used? now let's imagine chemicals that avoid root rot in water :) see where I am hinting at? lost money over a trend and for what? how does it improve our experience really? ow well, as I always say, time resolves everything ;)
+John Benedict ORCHIDS how can someone ever send you a email or otherwise criticizing your methods...anyone using bark or whatever other medium has to be envious that you obtain such great results while keeping it very low maintenance ...At least that is my opinion
I believe the succes of water culture depends a lot of the climate, and in particular of temperature. I noticed one thing. Last summer, some orchid roots came out through the holes in the bottom of the pots. I use decorative pots especially designed for orchids, so I didn't bother to throw out the small amount of water that remained on the bottom after watering. And, to my surprise, the roots that escaped the clear plastic pot and reached the water started growing vigorously. They seemed so fat and healthy and the root tips grew and grew, not like the other ones that stopped every time the media becane dry. They even got me thinking about trying hidrophonic method. But, fortunately, I waited to see what happens in a longer period of time. As winter came, all those roots that were exposed to water all the time rotted, even if I had above 20 degrees celsius inside. I suppose, because they were staying on the windowsill, the water in the decorative pot got cold, thus encouraging rotting. This is just an observation I have made, I do not say some other factors do not contribute to the succes/failure of this method.
+Roxana Pioaru Hi, yes I believe it has to do with environment as well.. but not with adapting to water. In summer time the roots that reached the water just had more humidity for a longer period of time, but air as well as the water evaporated even from the bottom of the pot. As winter came they just got a taste of water all the time, combined with the lower temperatures.. I don't think they really enjoy it as much as some think ;)
Water culture is a method that couldn't be farther away from my relatively dry and airy culture. I think it can work and some orchids (mostly Phals but apparently some others, too) will adapt to it somehow. But I have the feeling that it's much riskier than other media and that you will just loose or at least damage more orchids than necessary. You mentioned slime that I experience sometimes when roots grow to the bottom of a decorative pot (those orchid pots with a stair inside so that the plastic pot stays above the ground a few centimeters). Those roots don't rot immediately, they will survive for a while, but they'll rot eventually. While a dry root is not a place where bacteria or fungi thrive, standing water without oxygen and with some organic material in it is. This slime seems to be some kind of bacterial biofilm. And I have similar grey/brownish deposits in those decorative pots like you showed and need to clean the pots extremely thoroughly to get rid of them completely. Another disadvantage is that the orchid and the roots are placed in a slightly different angle every time you change the water and I experienced that orchids grow best when they are firmly attached to whatever medium they grow in.
+Bumblebee I honestly couldn't have said it better, I experienced the same things and I do believe their nature is to grow stronger if they feel attached and stabilized. Sometimes I just think truth is in the eye of the beholder, what orchids might look sad to me, might look happy to others. I think it's getting to a personal level that cannot be explained with logic anymore and I will just have to leave it at that :) as a personal note, my orchids never looked sadder and I sometimes feel like crying because all of this time and effort just feels like it went to waste.. spider mites, crown rots due to neem oil treatments, root loss due to water culture.. it's like they were never this trialed and I am literally losing sleep in anxiety of finally leaving :( ps: I will use pesticides and get this nightmare over with.. I give up the bio fight :( ps2: not ashamed to share my failures, at least this is the honest truth, I messed up, I'll fix it and all on camera :))
+MissOrchidGirl I think I know exactly what you mean. I do agree that your orchids do look pretty sad at the moment. But these are survivors, these are the strong plants that stood by you, they want to live and are just waiting patiently until the storm is over. And when you finally are in Cyprus, when all the mushy roots are cut off and the they are potted up in fresh medium and maybe are treated with pesticides they will grow through the roof in gratitude for their new environment. I have experienced that reverse osmosis water (which you plan to use, if I remember correctly) can literally be a relief to orchid roots. You are always making the best of everything. I know, that doesn't revive your orchids, but sharing failures is not only brave. A mistake that you share and that prevents somebody else from doing the same mistake is also balanced out. And as soon as it prevents two people from doing the same mistake, it has suddenly become something good. :)
+Bumblebee :) thank you for the positivism, I am trying to see the silver lining. The fact that they will start off with fewer roots means those roots will live longer, so.. maybe I will need to repot them much later than I thought :D so that can be a good thing hehe :P by the way, did the mites come back for you after pesticides?
+MissOrchidGirl I hope it didn't just sound like empty blabla without understanding, that's what positivism sometimes sounds to me now that I think about it. ;) I hope you are moving soon (I don't know if you mentioned the exact date) so that you don't loose more sleep. :/ I keep examining the Vanda, the infested Phal and die others around it with my magnifying glass, but I've not found a single mite since the last treatment (mineral oil based spray) about three months ago. The first treatment a week before was with a spray containing Methiocarb and Thiacloprid. I've not cleaned the plants ever since then, so there's still a bit of oil (and dust) on them. But I still didn't dare to introduce this Vanda to my other Vandas. P.S.: I hate using pesticides, but reacting as quick as possible means having to use less of them in the end, because other plants won’t be infested. :/
+Bumblebee well I think positivism sounds bad when you don't need it and good when you need it really.. if a person is in a low mood and could use some inspirational words, a positive message will help :) if you are having the time of your life already, positivism sounds like bla bla cos you don't need it. I needed a bit of positivism so thank you :) ok thanks for the update.. yes I have to give it that with such a massive infestation on so many plants, simple regular spraying will not win the war. I will try to focus more on prevention for now on that's for sure, it's my fault I didn't quarantine new orchids :)
there's actually an orchid nursery in Singapore experimenting with semi water culture method using diluted liquid fertiliser containing lactobacillus. I acquired a Dendrobium hibiki from them a few months ago, and its suspended at the top of the pot with some of it's lower roots constantly submerged in the solution. so far its been growing really well and the roots are still viable with growing root tips. they also said that using the same product as liquid fertiliser for watering normal potted orchids and mounted orchids had also improve the health. out of curiosity, I bought some to try. So far i haven't had any rotting issues. so i believe that it might be possible that the absence of "good microflora"is one of the contributing factor that cause root rotting. imagine in the wild during the rainy season, am sure some of the roots are submerged for a period of time but since its in it's natural habitat that contains a healthy micro biotope, the "bad microbes" could not multiply and cause problem. just a thought. this is the link to the product if you are interested to read about. www.pngedenfertilizers.com/products Disclaimer: I am not in anyway related to the nursery nor the product company. Nor do i advice trying out water culture without knowing the risk. Whether it really worked or not is still up for debate but its a rather cool concept.
+Angelin Lim ow dear gawd I just had a chill down my spine when I read water culture nursery.. well I shall brace myself for more of the nightmare :) kidding but I'm just too skeptic to be thrilled about the idea. Ok the product is interesting, I however have some doubts about these claims of no root rot.. it's a loooong loooong way from being true :) ok so in nature, running water is oxygenated water, unless you actually place a bubbler in the water you won't get the same effect in a jar. Also, when water runs down a tree it might not necessarily transform into a heavy stream of water. About the microbes.. well I wish it were that simple, but I suspect it's not. Decomposition is the most spread process in the wild, whenever decomposition bacteria and micro organisms get a chance, they'll take it no matter where you are, Malaysia natural habitat or busy European capital. Keep an orchid always moist and ventilated at the same time and it will not rot, keep it in compacted moss and water it once a month, it will rot.. but only after it died due to suffocation, not prior to it.. microbes have nothing to do with it while it is alive and nothing damaging it.. just like humans, we don't rot unless we're... dead.. sorry for the morbid comparison but it's true :) anyway yes lactobacilus might help with fungi prevention.. but let me ask you this: a dead creature in formaldehyde doesn't decompose.. but that doesn't change the fact that it's dead does it? it's one thing to prevent bacterial or fungal infections and another to prevent suffocation.. something can be dead even if not rotting (under artificial intervention).. just my 2 cents :)
erm... ok, maybe i didn't specify. it's a normal nursery, experimenting with water culture in a small section of their nursery. hahaha. but yes, that's why its still up for debate, and also there are probably thousands of orchid hybrids and just even one that works does not means it's gonna work for everything. so its something interesting to try just to satisfy curiosity but not something to do for all orchids. imagine many years ago who would had thought that we could grow veg in aquaponics and aeroponics? maybe some smart person could come out with some amazing technology that could grow orchids in novel manner.
+Angelin Lim well that's something I can agree with :) if this will lead to some amazing discoveries then I'm all up for it.. however at the stage it is used at this point by hobbisists it just a bit too risky. Not that there is anything wrong with experimenting, it's how you present what you are doing or how others respond to it. Judging by some comments I get it appears to be the next best thing and that's slightly wrong to assume. But yeah, experimenting is good, we just need to be careful where we draw the line between making informed videos, articles or forum threads and just.. bragging ;) that's all.
+Angelin Lim plus there is another reason to avoid being too hyped about something that is not what it seems.. whenever a community gets a new fancy trend, companies will hunt that trend down and invent miraculous products for that trend, no matter if it's a good trend or not. Having the voice of opposition balances things out with arguments. I'm afraid we'll get to see all sorts of products (including fertilizers or so called products that prevent root rot). That is why I reacted like that at the thought of a product that will prevent root rot. Misinformation and hype over a product that will simply not work, as root rot is a result of many processes that cannot be solved with a miracle product so.. hope you understand my reaction now. I just read my message and I know I sounded like a prick :p but this is why :P sorry about that.
All you need to do is add clear glass pebbles to the container and place the orchid on top to keep the base above water to prevent rotten eyes. In the end it's all a matter of what works best for you.
The more specialized a species, the less likely it is able to acclimate/adjust to a change in habitat or environment for which it is not genetically adapted. The more generalized the species, the better the individuals of that species are able to adjust/acclimate in order to cope with a change in its surroundings( habitat). Mosses are a fairly generalized group of plants. You can find a typical species of moss living in a wide variety of places/habitats. You can find a given species growing in lawns, on trees or even on shaded concrete.You will also find them growing in swampy places and river banks. However, epiphytes are specialized and therefore are limited to fewer sorts of habitats because they have evolved adaptations to cope with a certain set of specific conditions in which other plants find it difficult to compete for survival. Once those specific environmental conditions change, epiphytes are less likely to do well especially if there are non-epiphytes with which it must compete. Each species has its own optimal environment for which it is best suited based on its evolutionary adaptations.To remove an epiphyte from its optimal setting is going against nature.Water culturing of epiphytes is unnatural for them. Duplicate the optimal natural habitat and you optimize the health, reproductive capacity and longevity of any organism
+DrinkingStar that is true :) sadly I think it is human nature to change things. We are attracted to things that we think need improving (painted orchids for example).. water culture is the same I think.. we want to improve their lives but.. I just think we go about it the wrong way, some things don't need improvements :)
I'm sure they will all recover quickly after you move and put them back to pots. So, the big day is coming, huh? You must be very excited. I hope you film the whole process.
One orchid that I like, Aganisia cyanea, according to the orchid species website "are often found semi-submerged by flooding rivers in the Amazon area with only the flowers above the water line." I find that very interesting and I'm going to get one one day. I won't be putting it in water though.
+ramonypony well there are some terestrials that adapted to watery conditions :) but still, they are not epiphytes. but that orchid sure sounds interesting :D
I agree with environment. I started switching my struggling orchids into water culture slowly as an experiment & sure enough they started doing much better. I have tried this on my den phal, a brassia, my phals & a den & they're doing much better - even giving new growth/roots. Think this works depending on what your conditions are - for me it's still an experiment but it's been luckily a positive experience :)
+ScrapAngie88's Life All is well when things don't die :) just out of my own curiosity, what was the reasoning behind trying water culture? your orchids weren't doing well, or media was hard to maintain? or just for experimenting?
+MissOrchidGirl I switched due to all of those reasons really! I found it was hard to maintain due to a hectic schedule, the plants weren't thriving as they should've & I thought maybe it would be easier & wanted to experiment. I gave it a lot of thought before trying it out & the shape of glass really does make the difference. Watching water levels helps for sure & while my house isn't exceptionally dry it did increase the humidity surprisingly that much more that I thought my plants really needed. I doubt I'll switch all my orchids to water culture because I don't think it would work on some of them in my environment. So far so good though with the ones I've tried it on!
Your roots still looks to have some bark on them...from what I have gleaned the roots need to be pristine to put them into a water culture otherwise you will encounter problems. If you cannot remove everything...then don't endeavour to do this and go back to just replacing moss or bark or both.
One thing i also noticed was that you put the plant too deep into the vase. Even when you kept low water. The base of the plant should be above the vase mouth or almost above it. And the roots should not be in a clump like with your first plant in the video. They should made long and airy. But keep them how is best for you. Your methid is great too. Just the information from your test is not completely right. Just wanted to get it out there. All the best.
First I want to acknowledge that the media we grow epiphytic orchids in is quite different than how they grow in the wild, but I cannot wrap my mind around full water culture! Yes, I grow plants in semi-hydro, but the plant dries out. All the FWC success stories I searched for only bring up people new to the hobby who've kept their plants like that for less than two years--and the plants always look limp and they are mostly Phals. But maybe I'm wrong and someone can point me to a massive plant grown in FWC for 5+ years? I joined a FWC Facebook group just to look for an example of old timers who'd been doing it a long time with healthy plants, but everyone there seemed new to it.
+theonlyrin you have made an excellent point that I noticed as well, there is no long term update over the course of a few years, just people starting to do this. But the idea isn't new, forum threads go back to 2006, surely there must be an update but there isn't :) so something must have happened in the meantime or the grower just stopped posting or growing orchids.
Hi Danni, I think your right about water culture. Plants weren't designed to sit in water. I am curious about experimenting with different medias to see what makes care taking easier. I have been wondering about those water marbles. I see store selling them with little bamboo plants. For orchids, I am sure you would need to mix them with something else. But it might make it easier to water orchids just because of how much water the marbles contains.
+craig McWright well some plants do ok in water, like some vegetables :P but the idea is the ratio of air and water, epiphyte orchids just need a higher air ratio that's all. About the water marbles, I never tried them but I think the water depletes at some point so it might need changing.
You might want to try my simi-water culture with gravel method. Use aquarium gravel, add 1 1/2" - 2" inches of gravel to bottom of vase, fill water to top of gravel level. This method allow root tip to touch wet gravel but doesn't submerge root in water therefore preventing root rot. This method allow constant humidity due to evaporation, but you still need to mist the root every few days. I think you should test out this method for yourself and see how it is.....try it!
I could not agree more with you ... I find it time consuming as well ... This method is definitely not for me either ... Thank you for supporting my thoughts & experience ...
+Miche I'm glad this helped, it's just what I experienced by observing multiple species and varieties with this. Some survived better, some died, some are not doing well.. so it's not a pretty ratio compared to conventional growing methods.
When I returned to orchid growing and saw all the semi hydroponic and water culture attempts I thought it was the worst thing that anyone could do to an orchid! I hope your plants can survive the move and some day return to health.
It's so interest that I have completely results that yours. My variegated phal sogo vivien and potinara are doing well in water culture. I wonder why there is a difference in our experiences.
+Trac McNguyen there is no difference :) my phalaenopsis type orchids survived ok as well, minute 09:50 of the video. if you read the description you'll see why some other orchids were affected by stuff that could not affect phalaenopsis.
I understood that. But my potinara isn't a phalaenopsis or related orchid. I also had good results with a cattleya amethystoglossa. But I had to potted that one up in bark media because the roots gotten too big for the glass container that I had it in and I didn't have any bigger container available at the time. I haven't made any firm conclusions about water culture yet. Because, as someone said below, no one (that we know) has grown them for >2 years. I've only started this last August, out of desperation, so I need more time to make up my mind. But so far, so good.
+Trac McNguyen well then it's a good idea to video document the process over a period of a few years, that would help others to draw their own conclusions :)
Thank you. I have done the same thing. Phalaenopsis seems to survive in anything. In Thailand orchid does well with light, air, and medium for the root to cling on to. Even in the forest. The root hardly and consistently dip in water. The one that blooms beautifully and frequently, its root seems to be tangled up tightly and looks real crowded. In other words, pot bound like. I have a lot of mine in FWC. Do not like the look of the leaves, all twisted and does not look healthy and happy. Currently I am experimenting in Leca and spaghnum. Perked up right away. I do believe FWC or semi wc can be done and some will be lost due to culture change. The real proof is how often it will generate the blooms. I do not believe it will be as often as with medium. Thank you for confirming my observation.
Hi Usa, thanks for the feedback. Yes indeed I believe Phalaenopsis are very forgiving and robust hybrids, but the other orchids were really affected by this change. I am noticing that the trend is now to lower the water level, keeping them rather bare root, so that is better, but indeed their nature is to cling and attach to things, I am wondering if this affects their development and I think it does. Feeling secure makes them redirect root energy into leaves and flowers, rather than allocating energy to find surfaces. But I think I will experiment again at some point, at least for demonstration purposes :)
Im about a week in to trying water culture because all my orchids I've had in the past die on me. But from what I've read its just the tips go into the water. I'm doing mine two days in water five days dry. Wish me luck
Has your final thoughts changed from 6 yrs ago? I believe water culture is a temporary stage to promote roots then transfer to proper medium. Your thoughts? Do you concur???
Hi Danny! Sorry getting back so late. Just wanted to say enjoyed our conversation and MAYBE... if the urge ever hits...if you to do a Full Water Culture experiment again, perhaps keep in mind some of the things suggested in my first comment. Try it with a Phal, since they seem to do best with this growing technique, and try it in the warm seasons, (not in the dead of Winter) to get it off to a good start. Happy Growing!
Hi, I am definitely considering it actually, just for the sake of experiment :) I have to say Phals do best like this, since they can tolerate a wide range of abuse, not saying this is abuse, but they tolerate a lot of things :P in my video I did say Phals and related species did the best.
The Phals are also more moisture loving in general. I noticed your siderea japonica did the best with water culture... that's a phal. It's container wasn't quite transparent but it did let in some light as I recall. Best is clear glass. I really love to see the roots, too. Especially since most of the year is just leaves with orchids... the roots are a visually interesting point. Happy growing... it's fun to experiment!
Ok well it probably isn’t working for you bc you have to remove all of the media. And you have to rinse ALL of the dirt from roots. Then put it in distilled water and put only enough water for ends of roots to touch the water. I’ve had better luck with water culture so far. My roots always rot in media. I haven’t had any root rot with water culture yet.
Hi Danny, well, I am not a friend of the water-culture too. Usually I pot my orchids in a mix of seramis and bark. But I "inherited" some pretty pretty sick phals... poor girls :( So I was forced to experiment: In one of your former videos you modified the spaghn´bag method and I tried the same thing. I was able to save a sick orchid like this, but it got mouldy far too often (I remember you calling it something like "mould bomb" too). Therefore, this time I exchanged the spaghnum moss with bark and the plastik cups with ceramic pots. I thought the more constant temperature of the pots and a media that doesnt get mouldy that fast would work out better for me. Until now it looks like this assumption might be true :3 But I am observing some weird stuff going on in there: I left all the roots, even the dead ones, because I thought maybe there are some left that look pretty bad but still absorb water and they couldnt do anyhing bad (I can see every case of mould and just cut it away or treat with hydrogenperoxide). Especially one phal has done something very interesting: There is a new green root tip coming out of a really dead root :O I know it was dead because this one only has four roots and all of them where beyond saving (At least I thought so...) Have you ever observed something similar? A strawy, dead root getting fleshy and green again after some weeks of "good care"? Maybe the eye of the root produced a new one or something like that? The rest of the old root is still behind the point the new one gets visible. Usually I cut all of the dead roots when I repot. In this case they are not really potted they just sit on soggy barkchips ( the surface dries from time to time, so the roots do not rot, but the air around them is constantly more humid than inside the normal room). Currently I see a similar developement on the mother plant, so it is maybe related to the genetics of the plant? But I dont know. Orchids suprise me again and again :)
+Alicia Hi, well Phalaenopsis do have the capability to.. save.. their roots in a way (unlike the lady cattleya haha). If you look closely at the root that seems dead you might notice portions where the velamen died and portions in which it is not dead completely. For Phals the string inside is not that dependent on the velamen and can have sections that are functional which will branch sometimes. However there is a thin line between damaged and really dead. Sections might die but an entire dead root is beyond savable and I am not sure how to explain the difference, but if I see one I'll make a video :) usually a root that has sections of really dead tissue and small sections of alive tissue, can branch out and survive :) but that's the joy of discovering orchids and your own experience will form your eye and you'll spot these things much faster in time ;) anyway it sounds like your orchids are recovering so that is great news :D
That explanation seems pretty logical to me :) Phals are unbelievable sometimes ^^ Maybe I would have seen living parts under the mikroskope... however as far as I can see your description fits very well. Thanks for your videos and your answers on questions like this one :) I started the orchid hobby 2 years ago and your videos were/ are very helpfull, far more helpfull than some forums I read because you explain and have nice examples to show :)
NOT FOR ME I TRIED WITH A COUPLE OF NON ROOT PHALS AS SOON AS I GOT A NEW ROOT I PUT IN A AIRY MIX WITH LECA THEY ARE STILL ALIVE MY ENVIORMENT IS NOT GOOD FOR THIS METHOD...N YES WATER SMELL HARD TO FEED THIS WAY FOR ME....AIR N HUMIDITY..I WILL STICK WITH MEDIA...GREAT VIDEO DANI....STILL LOVE YOUR WAY N YOUR VIDEOS...HAPPY GROWING....YES CALIF IS IN A DROUGHT...
Is it alright to change to water culture or maybe hydroponic without Leca when you're going to be away for maybe a month? Or is it better to just not water it for a month but leave it in bark medium
What two plants first to surface after a volcanic episode? Ferns & Orchids, they require fresh nutrients in the air no pet dander need apply..lol. Hawaii & Florida clearly show why the thrive so well in their states.
+diana thompson oh I bet they are just a heaven of orchids :D and yes as it would appear orchids are some, if not the oldest flowering plants on earth :)
Good advice. Im sure these questions have common knowledge answers I'm oblivious to. Could one use a shallower vase for better ventilation? And do you think that younger specimans would be more adaptable?
Water culture is also not for me. I had one orchid (phalaenopsis hybrid) I kept like that for a couple of weeks because I was keeping it unpotted due to mealybugs. I think keeping it like that helped killing it :( It was either soaking wet or bone dry, I hated it. At least it was a valuable lesson.
when one considers that the majority of orchids are epiphytes watch culture really doesn't make sense. Their roots are more like "air roots" than terrestrial roots. Frankly I was shocked when I started hearing about this method of growing orchids, and I would have serious questions about its efficacy over time.
+Susan Anderegg yes that is my worry as well, I don't seem to find any documentation on long term results (a few good years). So leaving aside the paradox that it's creating, I just don't have enough documentation to get excited about it :) and also my experience was very poor with this, given I might have not have enough time on my hands to commit to changing the water at a certain amount of days, or keeping them dry for x amount of days but still.. just shows it is not an easy method for some people to cope with.
hi danny, maybe you should add LECA as media for the water cuture,and use transparent plastic container drill few hole on it for the air flow, it should work..just like I do to my phal. orchid
Arya Landax Hi, that is called semi hydroponics, created by First Ray's orchids :) it is a well thought setup and my current setup is inspired by it and adapted to my climate and preferences. It's nit water culture ;)
OMG so I decided I wanted to start to do water culture with my orchids because it’s just so much prettier I love to look at the roots I’m obsessed with orchid roots that’s my problem lol it’s a serious problem but anyways I started to the water culture they were thriving amazingly for the first two weeks now all of a sudden they’re separating from the base of the roof and I’m constantly having to remove that dead stuff off of the route the tissue so I watch your video I’m going to put the orchid back in the moss but then I have some Orchids that are thriving amazing in the water why is that? And why are my flower stems on one of my orchid from the base after cutting it down is growing completely twisted it’s not infected it’s very healthy has a ton of roots a ton of leaves but the stem is a growing crazy not the leaves the stems are growing twisted? Can you answer that for me? And also you’re amazing I love watching your videos I hope I become as smart as you very soon lol
Ewww slimy roots!I really wish I hadn't been drinking a protein shake while 👀 this🤢🤗.I've heard of people doing this & I was always afraid of this method even for my easy-going phalaenopsis hybrids so I've never planned on trying this method.I feel like I just 👀 a horror movie for plants.It's like the plant version of when they try to torture spies in movies...We have ways of making you talk Mr.Bond🤭.I'm so glad I've never attempted this😌.🙂Thanks for putting your orchids on the line to show everyone the potential results...Nobody wants to lose their beloved plants.I honestly wonder how many of those orchids would even be alive if this experiment had lasted a entire year😬.
I was wondering how a dendrobium would do in water culture. You really have to water a dendrobium nobile soooo so much in its growing season, and it is EXTREMELY forgiving. It may have the same chance as a phalaenopsis and do somewhat well. I have a victoria reginae with no roots that I am trying to bring back to health right now, and i might do some sort of water culture with it till it grows some roots :)
+Gloriana Yeagley hello, I didn't use lava rock too much, however the hydroponic system can work to some extent. I prefer not to use the reservoir method, but just the clay medium with the proper set up (which you will see soon on my channel as I move). The benefit is that it will not break down like bark, you won;t need to repot as often and you can reuse the medium after you sterilize it. Con is, you need to be extra careful with watering :)
well you will see there are a lot of communities that prefer this method and... well they like it :) I just happen to see things differently and what looks good to other people might not look good or healthy to me. If you ever want to try it just try with one orchid and better with a Phalaenopsis, they can handle abuse better than other orchids :) and see if you like it or not, or see the difference in growth etc.
Im sorry MissOrchidGirl but youre doing water culture completely wrong. I highly recommend toy to watch Orchid Whisperers videos and just from first view you will notice that the plants arent and shouldnt be at the base at the vase. In fact the base of the plant wont touch water ever. Only the lowest roots or their tips are actually in water. All else is im the air litterally. All the best.
It's too bad you didn't know how to do water culture, which is very apparent from your comments in this video, but there is no reason to be so condescending about it.
+KeiraR Hi, that's perfectly ok, I personally believe that this experiment gave me enough of a glimpse of how this method works with my life style and my variety of orchids, to draw the conclusion it's not viable, for me or for epiphytic orchids in general. It's ok everyone can have this hobby how they want and how they like it and if they want my side of the story they can watch this video, if not then not, I'm not the rule maker :)
oblong never said I am aiming for perfectly natural conditions, there is a difference between natural and orchid nature. No matter what I won't achieve 'natural' since I don't have the climate for growing them on trees in my garden. I am replicating something a bit more important than that, since orchids are not sustained by the tree, as parasites are. But what I am replicating is overly stated in my videos, no point in repeating, water culture cannot replicate what I am trying to obtain and that has consequences long term, that's all there is to it ;)
oblong That's my concern, I don't see the results I aim for in water culture particularly long term, the results I have as my 'goal' belong to people having similar setups to traditional methods. There are certain details offered in these setups that are closer to 'natural' conditions and I happen to believe they make the difference, so I stay within these details with my setups in the hopes they yield the same effect. They cannot be replicated in water culture. In a recent video I shared OME's channel, she did some really good step by step tutorials on wc that I think will answer some of your questions. It just so happens that we agree on one point, water culture is more air than water :) as for replicating natural conditions, I solely try to replicate effects, like replicating summer in your home in the middle of winter, we replicate what we need, not everything. Translated into my setups, I replicate ratios and water/nutrient/air distribution, not the tree as it doesn't matter, not the constant pool of water, which doesn't matter either and it's not even present in their habitat. The materials I use don't matter either, microfiber, seramis, wine corks, a pool of water in the vase.. They all don't matter, the only thing that matters is their effect.
Hi, I'm not the best person to help with that as I consider water culture a ticking bomb :) but here's a channel that deals a lot with this growing method, I'm sure you'll find a lot of advice here ua-cam.com/users/samanthasom81
Dani, I'm using full water culture, but I'm confused as to the water level! My husband and travel and they go with me along with my carnivorous plants. Ive seen videos with the water level to just below the base of the plant to maybe just covering the bottom of the pot. Thanks Marian Hill
Hi Danny..yeah I'm not the person for Water Culture either...for a certain period of time for really new rootless divisions I got from places or friends,that need li'l high moisture level for promoting root growth I could give that a shot but once they're stretching their legs I just give them home in a proper potted media!! I just can't stand with all these hassles of changing water cleaning dishes dealing with rots,algae,slime....ewwwww naannahhh!! Love, Puja
Maybe I had way too much water and that’s the problem OMG I was filling like half of the vase up with water right down under the routing system because another video said to have it submerged right to the end of the routing system so that’s what I did no wonder why my orchids are going crazy I can’t stand people that make videos when they’re uneducated and now I have to try to save three orchids I’m so upset
Hi, I would not recommend anyone to grow orchids in water, just stick to any potting mix that gives water and air at the same time. That's my best and honest advice for healthy, lushes orchids long term 👍
Wow! E bine de stiut. Da, sunt anumite specii care adora cultura asta in apa. Am un puiut de Vanda Pachara Delight care am initial am plantat-o in Seramis... Absolut dezastru! Bine ca mi-am dat seama la timp si am schimbat in water culture ca daca nu ramaneam fara radacini! Acum o las in vaza cateva ore pe zi in apa si fata mea o inceput sa creasca. Cat o crescut in water culture intr-o luna nu o crescut de cand o am! Ms de sfat-partea cu curatatul tre sa o retin; oare daca o spreiez des cu apa oxigenata 3% se va ajunge la radacini moi?
+Anca Goka buna ana :) well.. asta nu e water culture :P este doar daily watering si este ok pentru vande :) ce nu a mers in seramis? prea multa umezeala nu?
+Anca Goka dap, seramis trebuie folosit mai cu grija :)) o sa fac un tutorial complet in legatura cu el.. mai ales la vande nu e recomandat. dar daca e folosit cu grija e o binecuvantare lol :P ok.. sfatul meu: decat sa spreiezi cu apa oxigenata la saptamana o planta pe care o fortezi sa creasca in apa.. mai bine fara apa si fara apa oxigenata ;) in principiu nu va afecta radacinile dar, de fiecare data cand aplici apa oxigenata, arzi ceva.. daca arzi prea mult risti sa arzi de tot o radacina sau mai multe.. deci, tot ce e bun devine rau in exces ;) eu nu as complica si forta lucrurile astea, s-ar putea sa se termine nasol.
No offense but you should really remove this video, it is very inaccurate as to what water culture is and how to start a plant in it. Everything you did was wrong. People will be easily swayed by your opinion.
Hi, I never delete any of my videos, except in extraordinary conditions. This video is part of my journey and is up for everyone to express their opinion, or correct me, or learn to do better. To this day I still don't consider this setup to be fully adequate and I don't recommend it in my videos since I don't use it, even if since this moment people have improved it a lot and it maintains some orchids alive. But that doesn't matter, I don't pretend to be an expert and this is part of my channel and learning process. My content is not paid information, it's just my experience and research as an average orchid grower and my viewers have a mind of their own to decide what is good, what is not.
I haven't read thru all the comments, so don't know if this has been mentioned... but there are a couple of things I observed as to why your water culture experience was not as successful as you had hoped it would be.
My observations:
1. The roots are not cleared of all media... in several cases there is bark still clinging to the roots. Roots must be cleared of all media and cleaned with peroxide to avoid mold.
2. Opaque containers were used. Clear glass is a must. The advantage of water culture, I'd that it allows the roots to do what they do in nature.... photosynthetize. In order to maximize this, clear glass is a must. Opaque containers deprive the roots of light, stopping this process, and encouraging mold. If mold does happen, despite clear glass, it means your water is too high. In that case lower water levels, spray roots with peroxide.
3.The chosen containers are too wide. WC containers need to be fairly narrow so that the plant is suspended, with the majority of its roots above water. This provides the humidity they need, and allows them to put out new roots both in the airspace and water inside the vase.
I have enjoyed your videos, and learned a great deal from them. As you have pointed out, not all culture methods work for all growers and environments.
Cheers and Happy Growing!
Hi, thanks for the tips, I can also add that there were other factors that influenced this, such as low temperatures and high humidity, so my environment was really not helping me at all, but it also means environment is a limiting factor for this technique. However I seem to have an issue, if water culture implies that water levels should be lower, it's really not water culture is it? it is bare root with high humidity and also some water at the bottom, hydroponics without clay pebbles if you will. Also there seems to be conflicting opinions on this procedure as well, some say opaque containers are needed to reduce algae, while others say clear glass is needed, when in medium it doesn't really matter all that much as leaves take care of photosynthesis just fine. I find too many flaws and excuses personally for some fails with this procedure to actually credit it, I also believe it is misrepresented (I think most people realized that orchids don't really grow in water, so they aim for lower levels of water letting the roots breath, however this actually transforms in bare root growing, which we all know works). Just my opinion as an outsider with a critical eye :) a little too much fuss for my taste to be honest :)
I agree, the other environmental factors you cited may be a factor. My thoughts are that this technique works best in warm, higher light environments. I'm interested in seeing how my orchids fare this winter.
As for the name of the technique, "water culture" it's called that bc there is no media whatsoever, the media if you will is water. Calling it "orchids suspended half in and out of water" doesnt exactly roll off the tongue!
The water is at the bottom of the container is in varying levels bc of the different water needs of various orchids. The humidity created by this water keeps the upper 2/3s of the roots that are outside the water, but enclosed in the vase, hydrated. I've found a correlation between the thickness of individual species velamen and how much water they do well in, if they need a dry out period. I've found phals do exceptionally well with 2/3s of their roots above water. Both sets of roots grow.
I've also got a rescue cattleya, previously rootless, suspended in one of my fishtanks. Its roots are totally submerged, but then that water is oxygenated, moving and warm.
When I first heard of water culture orchids, like you, I thought: "How ridiculous and unnatural!"
But when it comes down to it, there's nothing natural about growing orchids with their roots buried from the light in either Seramis or bark, either. So I'm glad I kept an open mind, did my research, adjusted the parameters as dictated by the health of the orchid... and tried it.
Keep up the great videos... they always get my day off to a good start!
hahaha true that really takes time to say :P but I still feel it's not describing the process properly, maybe it doesn't have to :P I agree that how we grow orchids is very unnatural, even mounted. It's still not the forest isn't it? however there's one thing that these unnatural alternatives provide: air and moisture, other than that it doesn't matter what you grow orchids in, it can be bottle caps for all they're concerned :P my problem with true water culture is the idea that they can adapt to water simply by looking at it and saying: hey, that didn't die :))) I don't like explanations like that that come without a logical chain process, I guess for some people is enough, seeing is believing isn't it? but I have to say I am slightly relieved at the way things are going now, I see more and more people choosing to leave roots in air as well and this is better. I was concerned about this for reasons a bit more dangerous than what some people do with their orchids, you know how companies are, when there's a trend they need to fill a demand ;) hopefully it won't happen now that things seem to settle to a more reasonable agreement, but who knows? I expressed this in a video at some point. When fads take over true science well.. that's a battle we will never win, when one fad goes, another takes its place and logic dies because it's boring and not dramatic enough. I blabbed too much ahaha sorry, I just have a problem with the romance of lies :P
I think its great that you were able to try something new and run an experiment. How do we get better? We research and try new things. I only have about 50 orchids but some are really struggling. I've moved them into FWC or SWC in hopes that they recuperate. Im in the desert and there are a number of challenges as you can imagine. Hopefully my struggling orchids will have more of a fighting chance with these new methods!
I agree with you, the pots are too deep & wide
You should have placed your Orchids in a clear glass container...They do not require much water in the container and place them in filtered light....Mine are growing very well...I have not had to change the water it has stayed clear for pass 4 months now...This water culture method maybe for some people while others should use the bark method....The clear glass containers gets Photosynthesis to my orchids roots.. I have so many roots on my Orchids that are very healthy....Sorry to see that many of your roots died on your Orchids when you tried this water culture...Hope they survive when you place them back in your bark....
It may not be right for you but that doesn't mean it is not right. I lost many a orchids to bark, insects, leca etc until I came across water culture - and my phal and oncidiums thrived in it. It may be Chicago weather or just the fact that Nature can adapt and grow. I mean Orchids grow on trees with spread out root systems yet they do just fine constricted in a pot, in fact dendrobiums love being squished in tiny pots while in Nature they grow in all directions. There are some things we won't know unless we conduct scientific studies to explain it. Until then, I have multiple growths, strong fat roots growing like crazy in my full water culture system for Phals and Oncidiums and I know they love it. I am going to experiment for dendrobiums once I fully understand how to deal with the dry period. I have been growing Orchids for 5 years now and never seen them look this healthy in bark, moss or leca.
+Nikky Hi, it's not about working for me or not. Many things don't work for me, like mounts, but I have nothing against them and I am the first to admit it's the closest to a natural way of growth as possible. With water culture it's about forcing something to adapt instantly to something they never met before. As epyphitic orchids don't grow in lakes, it's the equivalent of teaching a cat to be vegetarian in a way :)) just joking. Yes orchids are adaptable, but evolution and true adaptation takes hundreds of thousands of years, not 1 year. What might look beneficial now can turn out to be very damaging on the long run. And I think this is what happens, they adapt apparently, but with time fail to thrive as they are not truly adapted to low air and full water. For this reason I cannot recommend something that goes against something's nature to whomever is interested in my opinion. But at the end of the day it is just an opinion, no one makes the rules and certainly not me. Everyone can do and experiment whatever they like, as long as they assume the risks. But some of my viewers do not assume the risks and don't like it when things go wrong (I don;t like it one bit), so explaining and showing what can go wrong is what is important for me, not joining the trend. If someone takes the risks and knows what can go wrong, they can better control it if they want to try something. About pots, true orchids don't grow in pots, however the pot is more similar to natural growth. The roots attach to the sides of the pot more than the bark we use, similar to how they would attach to a tree. It's not the confinement at work here, it is the length of material they attach to. The medium is only an excuse for us not to water every day. Also potted orchids, if potted correctly, offer the proper air/moisture ratio the orchids need. Orchids don't know they are potted, they just feel the air / moisture ratio so as far as I am concerned, they can be potted in wine corks if it provides the correct ratio. Water doesn't provide this ratio, so things have a greater chance of going bad very fast. It's a question of: do you assume these risks? yes/no :)
I live down south, and here wild orchids do grow on edges of lakes. I have all my phals in water culture. I treat mine every week so they don't get mold or bacteria. I do get algae because I use glass but it works. I wouldn't do it with other orchids necessarily. But all in all I'm very happy with it.
I live in Montana, and it blew my mind to learn that in Northwestern Montana alone there are 30 native orchid species. I have only seen the Lady Slipper. It grows right on the ground in the mountains or on fallen trees.
One thing that hasn't been addressed here is whether or not the water treatment was done in a clear container. It looks like the containers in which you've attempted water culture were opaque? This means that no sunlight was able to get to the orchid's roots, preventing them from photosynthesizing. Roots exposed to sunlight under water will actually evolve 02 into the water, oxygenating it and preventing stagnation. This could be a major reason for some of your challenges, and could explain the varied results reported by others. It seems to me that full sun exposure for the underwater roots would be the only way to prevent anoxia and root decay. This will likely grow some algae, but those algae are also photosynthesizers and often have symbiotic relationships with plants in nature, so they will help with the oxygenation and might actually produce beneficial compounds that could fertilize the plant as long as they don't get too out of control.
+Tursiocola Hello, I discuss about algae formation at minute 7:50 of the video and show the algae residue inside the pot, even after cleaning. This means there was light in the pot, as the pot was white and not fully opaque :)
+MissOrchidGirl Totally! I mentioned algae in my comment because you had also talked about it. Nevertheless, not fully opaque is quite a bit different for light penetration than a clear container would be, particularly for root photosynthesis. As a scientist who studies plants, I'm just trying to make sense of the extremely variable results people are reporting. Also curious to explore how growth conditions/pot transparency play a role in success, as I transfered a Phal I've had for over ten years to water culture a few days ago. Sample size of 1 doesn't make for a very good experimental setup, but I'm interested to see how it goes and am trying to gather as much information as I can in the meantime.
+Tursiocola I think if you could document this on a span of a few years it would be fantastic, but Phals are not the greatest subjects. Many of the problems I experienced cannot apply to phals as they don't have some structures, like growth eyes or rhizome sheaths. And also as many are complex hybrids obtained by humans to be very vigorous, so that doesn't help either. They can bloom even on the verge of death. Now the variant experinces might be attributed to transparent containers (though I have 2 in a separate room with glass containers.. same results). However that are other things at play that I find more important. For one it depends on the species or variety of orchid, some have certain quirks, some are just not hybridized enough to be that adaptable, some are simply not adaptable species and their natural habitat differs. Even if still epiphytes, habitats dictate the degree of adaptability. Then comes environment, some homes are so dry that even water seeping inside sheats evaporates in a second. Some environments are more humid and the downfall is rapid. My environment was cooler and a bit more humid, so the downfall was fast for me. It's statistics as far as I am concerned, the more the external factors contribute to a hazard happening, the more it will happen. So take these into consideration when experimenting and try to look for the signs. There is also another more personal aspect here :) what my eyes see as sufferance and downfall, others might see as normal. I don't see flowering and survival as success, I see evolution (bigger leaves, bigger psb and structures, more extensive root system) as success and sustainability :)
+Tursiocola ps: sorry for the spelling mistakes, the editing tool seems to not work today lol
I only dared to try it with two phals I had. They are now my best performing orchids, have been healthy and flowering for 2 year now. I would not move a phal that was mature and had a lot of roots into water culture, my phals were still young. For me I will always use this method or semi hydro for my phals now.
That's great news if it works for you :D
Thanks always Ms.D, since i found one orchid in a trash, start having an Orchids it is indeed all your video help me a lot.Thanks anlot & God bless alway
I've been an orchidist for just over a year now, and I'd like to share a tidbit with you all. I've been using water culture for "hospitalization" for sick orchids suffering from severe dehydration due to root rot. It's proving to be a good short term method, and I only do this for about 5 days. I've no plans to do water culture as a long term but in short duration, it does help with this particular situation I've come up against. The reason I've been doing this short term water culture is because I recently noticed a rash of severe dehydration in what were usually seemingly healthy orchids. But then I noticed particular similarities. All the orchids affected by this onset of dehydration were all purchased at roughly the same time (within a few weeks of each other), and all had something very specific in common- they were originally in sphagnum moss. After I purchase any orchid in shpagnum moss, it's repotted as soon as it's brought home, regardless of having blooms. I'd been washing the roots off as best as I could, but sometimes the moss became embedded in the roots from being impacted. I'd gently rub away as much of the moss as I could with my thumb, but it's proven to not be enough. All of the orchids affected were suffering from root rot from the residual moss embedded on the roots. It absolutely broke my heart. I had to cut almost 90% of the roots off in many cases. It's a lesson learned though. The remaining roots on each were gently scrubbed with a soft toothbrush...I then set the orchids in water culture containers for about a week to help rehydrate the leaves. When they perked up, I then patted the roots dry and repotted them in new medium with clay balls added for extra aeration. So far, this method has worked to give the orchid that shot of hydration they needed, and from now on if I purchase an orchid that's in sphagnum moss I'll be using the toothbrush to clean the roots off for extra measure before repotting. I hope this proves useful to someone out there. Here's to happy, healthy orchids!
Thank you so much for this info as I have 2 orchids that were not doing well and I just decided to try WC as you said a hospitalization method. Glad you told about a week max. And another person mentioned water level. I need to ho drain some off. I did the debrieing of the roots and sprayed with peroxide. One of the orchids that was not doing well was a gift and had floppy leaves when given to me. Despite the blooms I took out of the pot, removed the plug and put in new medium thinking it would help but I think it just helped it survive. The person that gifted the orchid didn't know floppy leaves was not a good sign. Wish me luck and thanks to everyone for the WC info.
you are only supposed to put the tips of the roots in water
I wish I had watched this before almost killing my vanda in a water culture. It was a new acquisition that came bare rooted. In a week the roots got coated in slime, turned brown and mushy, and at the end lost half of its roots. I managed to save it but I’m never doing that again.
It seems illogical, but out of the nine Oncidiums I am growing, the one that's doing by far the best is the only one I have in water culture. It was just an experiment, but 14 months later it's three times the size of the others, has zero rot, a dozen beautiful plump pseudobulbs, and seven spikes coming up. I barely do anything to the water, so it's also very easy - no changing of water, just the occasional top up or dribble of fertiliser at the same time as I water my others.
Note that for water culture you must support the plant in a stable position with its neck just above the water, using a narrower-neck container, usually a glass jar. Plopping an orchid into a regular opaque pot with some water in the base is not what's meant by 'water culture'. I wish I could attach a picture here of my little super-Oncidium, to show you what can work.
Anyway, you've got me thinking about this again. I have some Oncidiums that are struggling, so I think I will transfer more of them to water culture. As zany as the idea seems, it can work really well.
+Finchesca All is well when things don't die :) just out of my own curiosity, what was the reasoning behind trying water culture? your orchids weren't doing well, or media was hard to maintain? or just for experimenting?
+MissOrchidGirl It was an experiment prompted by reading forums, plus finding a cute little fat vase in the cupboard that I had no other use for! I had several Oncidiums quite similar, so was not anxious about failure. It took a while to establish, then went from strength to strength. I support it in the neck of the jar with a shallow net pot thingie and some pumice pebbles, and its roots dangle into the grubby, algae-ridden water. Very happy plant! I suspect that algae (= O2 by day, CO2 at night) might be relevant.
+Finchesca ok I'm asking because I want to see what people have issues with so I can address it in videos :) yes algae produce oxygen.. however they eat a lot of fert ;)
Finchesca g
I know it’s 5 years down the track since you posted the comment, are you still growing your Oncidium in water culture. I have a few Sharry Baby plants that I was considering experimenting with. What is your opinion now, I’d love to know.
I agree with you on not every orchid can be grown in water culture. I grow my Vanda denisionia in vase culture, which is similar to water culture except the soaking time is less than 12 hours. The soaking process would take place again in a day or two after the roots are dry. This is the only Vanda in my collection that is constantly growing new roots everywhere. Another benefit is that the vase, even without water, keeps the humidity high around the roots. I think monopodial orchids may be better suited for this type of culture.
+Jack Li yep vandas can do ok in this :) it's not water culture though, vandas have been sold and grown like this for quite a while, as long as ventilation is provided it should work ok.. but careful with stem rot though, this method increases the risk a tiny bit.
It is impotant to note that viability of water culturing an orchid may heavy depend on if the orchid is an epiphyte, terrestrial, or semi-terrestrial. Epiphytes (orchids or not) grow anchored in tree bark on trees and so evolved to not require much water. Terrestrial and Semi-terrestrial orchids grow in mulch and leaf litter on forest floor (not soil), and so need more water to replicate the same root environment.
Thank you 😊 for your prompt reply. Looking forward to your next video on hydroponics.
Orchids do not sit in water in nature. Only Phrags have roots that stay wet as they grow by running water ( streams, waterfalls) which is oxygenated. Orchids grow mostly on treetops where its breezy, some rocks, and Paphs in loose soil, thus their fuzzy roots. THEY ARE NOT POND PLANTS!! They need air, which is why people growing in water culture see roots growing upwards. Air being very important is the reason they are mounted or in loose bark or medium ( Orchiata bark is the best bark, it doesn't break down quickly) Many orchid species need their roots to dry off fast or they die. Hybrids will survive this abuse longer, but "wet feet" is not good unless your a Phrag, and then the water has to be changed often. My educated guess with water culture is the plant at first puts out tons of roots trying to deal with sitting in water instead of its natural situation, ( which is roots exposed to air) as its looking for oxygen. If you under water orchids, your orchid might look better at first ( but your better off with growing high water orchids in spagnum moss, that said, overwatering is the #1 killer of orchids!) Growing in water culture might seem good for awhile, but your asking for an eventual fungal infection. As orchids are tough, this slow death could take a while. I'm happy this video was put out! As far as my experience in this matter, I have worked in the past with at least 3 major growers/lecturers experts in their fields, in greenhouses, and doing sales and displays at Santa Barbara Int. Orchid Show. I'm no begginner, ( I have studied orchids many years as a hobby and it was my side job). I consider it orchid abuse no expert would recommend. I would not dare to even try this "method" as you don't try putting a Polar bear in the desert!
Good discussion! liked your conclusion enspired by nature. Thanks for sharing ur thoughts.
+MaryG Orchids Thanks Mary :) sadly it's not convenient to be on the opposition when so many growers are so excited about this thing and I am sure we will soon see companies taking advantage of this and making all sorts of new products.. however I can't be untrue just to be like the others :)
+MissOrchidGirl They (the orchid supply industry) can try all they want to make it look inviting, but until someone shows me how this process worked for them over a period of a few/several years, I will not be easilly convinced.. :) I've seen a few videos showing Cattleyas being introduced to the culture, though can't recall ever seeing any follow-up videos of progress such as big, bushy plants exhibiting super-flowering results borne 5 or 7 blooms to the spike... :) or whatever with any other orchids. I will mention this, though; I did leave a few remarks such as this at a forum a few years ago and was promptly emailed some vintage artwork depicting the process of what appeqred to be orchids unknown to me submerged in vaso containers along with small, round stones that appeared to be from somewhere in Asia... so, perhaps the culture just might be older than we think it is. I don't know... :)
+John Benedict ORCHIDS I just want to make it perfectly clear that my opinions here are in no way discrediting anyone who enjoys and follows this method of maintaining their orchids... as I very well know what it's like to receive emails and response posts stating that my method of growing bare root in pots and baskets sucks, big time... :)
+John Benedict ORCHIDS well that is my problem as well, I cannot seem to find any updates and results after several years, all I find is beginnings and 1 year updates at most if any and mostly on Phals.. so I cannot be convinced. About the method itself, I simply just need to be opposite and not indifferent. It's one thing to mount orchids, keep them bare root and other methods, even if I am not using them due to various environmental and life style factors, that give both humidity and air at the same time. However by definition, water leaves less room for air and that in my book is just a no no. Like with any trend, the more people try to explain why it's wrong, the more the 'fanbase' will defend it and it is normal. But like any trend, when it will start to fail people will forget it ever existed. It might come back every now and then (forum posts date as far back as 2006, the trend died and now somehow it got revived) but shortly it will die again due to failure or other more comfortable or better resulting methods. Just my 2 cents, I am just a bit sad because I know what the market will do now for the fan base.. and that is take advantage in every way they can and I refuse to feed that, that's all :) let us remember just add ice.. let us imagine all the products marked as bio which are far from even beginning to be bio.. what is bio at the end of the day? how can you sell me a mass produced bio product that containes growth hormones from the mass produced bio fertilizer you used? now let's imagine chemicals that avoid root rot in water :) see where I am hinting at? lost money over a trend and for what? how does it improve our experience really? ow well, as I always say, time resolves everything ;)
+John Benedict ORCHIDS how can someone ever send you a email or otherwise criticizing your methods...anyone using bark or whatever other medium has to be envious that you obtain such great results while keeping it very low maintenance ...At least that is my opinion
I believe the succes of water culture depends a lot of the climate, and in particular of temperature. I noticed one thing. Last summer, some orchid roots came out through the holes in the bottom of the pots. I use decorative pots especially designed for orchids, so I didn't bother to throw out the small amount of water that remained on the bottom after watering. And, to my surprise, the roots that escaped the clear plastic pot and reached the water started growing vigorously. They seemed so fat and healthy and the root tips grew and grew, not like the other ones that stopped every time the media becane dry. They even got me thinking about trying hidrophonic method. But, fortunately, I waited to see what happens in a longer period of time. As winter came, all those roots that were exposed to water all the time rotted, even if I had above 20 degrees celsius inside. I suppose, because they were staying on the windowsill, the water in the decorative pot got cold, thus encouraging rotting. This is just an observation I have made, I do not say some other factors do not contribute to the succes/failure of this method.
+Roxana Pioaru Hi, yes I believe it has to do with environment as well.. but not with adapting to water. In summer time the roots that reached the water just had more humidity for a longer period of time, but air as well as the water evaporated even from the bottom of the pot. As winter came they just got a taste of water all the time, combined with the lower temperatures.. I don't think they really enjoy it as much as some think ;)
Water culture is a method that couldn't be farther away from my relatively dry and airy culture. I think it can work and some orchids (mostly Phals but apparently some others, too) will adapt to it somehow. But I have the feeling that it's much riskier than other media and that you will just loose or at least damage more orchids than necessary. You mentioned slime that I experience sometimes when roots grow to the bottom of a decorative pot (those orchid pots with a stair inside so that the plastic pot stays above the ground a few centimeters). Those roots don't rot immediately, they will survive for a while, but they'll rot eventually. While a dry root is not a place where bacteria or fungi thrive, standing water without oxygen and with some organic material in it is. This slime seems to be some kind of bacterial biofilm. And I have similar grey/brownish deposits in those decorative pots like you showed and need to clean the pots extremely thoroughly to get rid of them completely. Another disadvantage is that the orchid and the roots are placed in a slightly different angle every time you change the water and I experienced that orchids grow best when they are firmly attached to whatever medium they grow in.
+Bumblebee I honestly couldn't have said it better, I experienced the same things and I do believe their nature is to grow stronger if they feel attached and stabilized. Sometimes I just think truth is in the eye of the beholder, what orchids might look sad to me, might look happy to others. I think it's getting to a personal level that cannot be explained with logic anymore and I will just have to leave it at that :) as a personal note, my orchids never looked sadder and I sometimes feel like crying because all of this time and effort just feels like it went to waste.. spider mites, crown rots due to neem oil treatments, root loss due to water culture.. it's like they were never this trialed and I am literally losing sleep in anxiety of finally leaving :( ps: I will use pesticides and get this nightmare over with.. I give up the bio fight :( ps2: not ashamed to share my failures, at least this is the honest truth, I messed up, I'll fix it and all on camera :))
+MissOrchidGirl I think I know exactly what you mean.
I do agree that your orchids do look pretty sad at the moment. But these are survivors, these are the strong plants that stood by you, they want to live and are just waiting patiently until the storm is over. And when you finally are in Cyprus, when all the mushy roots are cut off and the they are potted up in fresh medium and maybe are treated with pesticides they will grow through the roof in gratitude for their new environment. I have experienced that reverse osmosis water (which you plan to use, if I remember correctly) can literally be a relief to orchid roots.
You are always making the best of everything. I know, that doesn't revive your orchids, but sharing failures is not only brave. A mistake that you share and that prevents somebody else from doing the same mistake is also balanced out. And as soon as it prevents two people from doing the same mistake, it has suddenly become something good. :)
+Bumblebee :) thank you for the positivism, I am trying to see the silver lining. The fact that they will start off with fewer roots means those roots will live longer, so.. maybe I will need to repot them much later than I thought :D so that can be a good thing hehe :P by the way, did the mites come back for you after pesticides?
+MissOrchidGirl I hope it didn't just sound like empty blabla without understanding, that's what positivism sometimes sounds to me now that I think about it. ;) I hope you are moving soon (I don't know if you mentioned the exact date) so that you don't loose more sleep. :/
I keep examining the Vanda, the infested Phal and die others around it with my magnifying glass, but I've not found a single mite since the last treatment (mineral oil based spray) about three months ago. The first treatment a week before was with a spray containing Methiocarb and Thiacloprid. I've not cleaned the plants ever since then, so there's still a bit of oil (and dust) on them. But I still didn't dare to introduce this Vanda to my other Vandas. P.S.: I hate using pesticides, but reacting as quick as possible means having to use less of them in the end, because other plants won’t be infested. :/
+Bumblebee well I think positivism sounds bad when you don't need it and good when you need it really.. if a person is in a low mood and could use some inspirational words, a positive message will help :) if you are having the time of your life already, positivism sounds like bla bla cos you don't need it. I needed a bit of positivism so thank you :) ok thanks for the update.. yes I have to give it that with such a massive infestation on so many plants, simple regular spraying will not win the war. I will try to focus more on prevention for now on that's for sure, it's my fault I didn't quarantine new orchids :)
I'm so glad I found this because my orchids are rotting! Now I have to figure out if I can save them! 😪
there's actually an orchid nursery in Singapore experimenting with semi water culture method using diluted liquid fertiliser containing lactobacillus. I acquired a Dendrobium hibiki from them a few months ago, and its suspended at the top of the pot with some of it's lower roots constantly submerged in the solution. so far its been growing really well and the roots are still viable with growing root tips.
they also said that using the same product as liquid fertiliser for watering normal potted orchids and mounted orchids had also improve the health. out of curiosity, I bought some to try. So far i haven't had any rotting issues.
so i believe that it might be possible that the absence of "good microflora"is one of the contributing factor that cause root rotting. imagine in the wild during the rainy season, am sure some of the roots are submerged for a period of time but since its in it's natural habitat that contains a healthy micro biotope, the "bad microbes" could not multiply and cause problem.
just a thought.
this is the link to the product if you are interested to read about. www.pngedenfertilizers.com/products
Disclaimer: I am not in anyway related to the nursery nor the product company. Nor do i advice trying out water culture without knowing the risk. Whether it really worked or not is still up for debate but its a rather cool concept.
+Angelin Lim ow dear gawd I just had a chill down my spine when I read water culture nursery.. well I shall brace myself for more of the nightmare :) kidding but I'm just too skeptic to be thrilled about the idea. Ok the product is interesting, I however have some doubts about these claims of no root rot.. it's a loooong loooong way from being true :) ok so in nature, running water is oxygenated water, unless you actually place a bubbler in the water you won't get the same effect in a jar. Also, when water runs down a tree it might not necessarily transform into a heavy stream of water. About the microbes.. well I wish it were that simple, but I suspect it's not. Decomposition is the most spread process in the wild, whenever decomposition bacteria and micro organisms get a chance, they'll take it no matter where you are, Malaysia natural habitat or busy European capital. Keep an orchid always moist and ventilated at the same time and it will not rot, keep it in compacted moss and water it once a month, it will rot.. but only after it died due to suffocation, not prior to it.. microbes have nothing to do with it while it is alive and nothing damaging it.. just like humans, we don't rot unless we're... dead.. sorry for the morbid comparison but it's true :) anyway yes lactobacilus might help with fungi prevention.. but let me ask you this: a dead creature in formaldehyde doesn't decompose.. but that doesn't change the fact that it's dead does it? it's one thing to prevent bacterial or fungal infections and another to prevent suffocation.. something can be dead even if not rotting (under artificial intervention).. just my 2 cents :)
erm... ok, maybe i didn't specify. it's a normal nursery, experimenting with water culture in a small section of their nursery. hahaha.
but yes, that's why its still up for debate, and also there are probably thousands of orchid hybrids and just even one that works does not means it's gonna work for everything.
so its something interesting to try just to satisfy curiosity but not something to do for all orchids.
imagine many years ago who would had thought that we could grow veg in aquaponics and aeroponics?
maybe some smart person could come out with some amazing technology that could grow orchids in novel manner.
+Angelin Lim well that's something I can agree with :) if this will lead to some amazing discoveries then I'm all up for it.. however at the stage it is used at this point by hobbisists it just a bit too risky. Not that there is anything wrong with experimenting, it's how you present what you are doing or how others respond to it. Judging by some comments I get it appears to be the next best thing and that's slightly wrong to assume. But yeah, experimenting is good, we just need to be careful where we draw the line between making informed videos, articles or forum threads and just.. bragging ;) that's all.
+Angelin Lim plus there is another reason to avoid being too hyped about something that is not what it seems.. whenever a community gets a new fancy trend, companies will hunt that trend down and invent miraculous products for that trend, no matter if it's a good trend or not. Having the voice of opposition balances things out with arguments. I'm afraid we'll get to see all sorts of products (including fertilizers or so called products that prevent root rot). That is why I reacted like that at the thought of a product that will prevent root rot. Misinformation and hype over a product that will simply not work, as root rot is a result of many processes that cannot be solved with a miracle product so.. hope you understand my reaction now. I just read my message and I know I sounded like a prick :p but this is why :P sorry about that.
All you need to do is add clear glass pebbles to the container and place the orchid on top to keep the base above water to prevent rotten eyes. In the end it's all a matter of what works best for you.
The more specialized a species, the less likely it is able to acclimate/adjust to a change in habitat or environment for which it is not genetically adapted. The more generalized the species, the better the individuals of that species are able to adjust/acclimate in order to cope with a change in its surroundings( habitat). Mosses are a fairly generalized group of plants. You can find a typical species of moss living in a wide variety of places/habitats. You can find a given species growing in lawns, on trees or even on shaded concrete.You will also find them growing in swampy places and river banks. However, epiphytes are specialized and therefore are limited to fewer sorts of habitats because they have evolved adaptations to cope with a certain set of specific conditions in which other plants find it difficult to compete for survival. Once those specific environmental conditions change, epiphytes are less likely to do well especially if there are non-epiphytes with which it must compete. Each species has its own optimal environment for which it is best suited based on its evolutionary adaptations.To remove an epiphyte from its optimal setting is going against nature.Water culturing of epiphytes is unnatural for them. Duplicate the optimal natural habitat and you optimize the health, reproductive capacity and longevity of any organism
+DrinkingStar that is true :) sadly I think it is human nature to change things. We are attracted to things that we think need improving (painted orchids for example).. water culture is the same I think.. we want to improve their lives but.. I just think we go about it the wrong way, some things don't need improvements :)
I'm sure they will all recover quickly after you move and put them back to pots.
So, the big day is coming, huh? You must be very excited. I hope you film the whole process.
+John John I am literally losing sleep ahahaha but yes, soon :P it feels like it will take me forever though lol
One orchid that I like, Aganisia cyanea, according to the orchid species website "are often found semi-submerged by flooding rivers in the Amazon area with only the flowers above the water line." I find that very interesting and I'm going to get one one day. I won't be putting it in water though.
+ramonypony well there are some terestrials that adapted to watery conditions :) but still, they are not epiphytes. but that orchid sure sounds interesting :D
I agree with environment. I started switching my struggling orchids into water culture slowly as an experiment & sure enough they started doing much better. I have tried this on my den phal, a brassia, my phals & a den & they're doing much better - even giving new growth/roots. Think this works depending on what your conditions are - for me it's still an experiment but it's been luckily a positive experience :)
+ScrapAngie88's Life All is well when things don't die :) just out of my own curiosity, what was the reasoning behind trying water culture? your orchids weren't doing well, or media was hard to maintain? or just for experimenting?
+MissOrchidGirl I switched due to all of those reasons really! I found it was hard to maintain due to a hectic schedule, the plants weren't thriving as they should've & I thought maybe it would be easier & wanted to experiment. I gave it a lot of thought before trying it out & the shape of glass really does make the difference. Watching water levels helps for sure & while my house isn't exceptionally dry it did increase the humidity surprisingly that much more that I thought my plants really needed. I doubt I'll switch all my orchids to water culture because I don't think it would work on some of them in my environment. So far so good though with the ones I've tried it on!
+ScrapAngie88's Life ok thanks for sharing :) just trying to figure out what people have trouble with more so I can address it in videos :)
Your roots still looks to have some bark on them...from what I have gleaned the roots need to be pristine to put them into a water culture otherwise you will encounter problems. If you cannot remove everything...then don't endeavour to do this and go back to just replacing moss or bark or both.
One thing i also noticed was that you put the plant too deep into the vase. Even when you kept low water. The base of the plant should be above the vase mouth or almost above it. And the roots should not be in a clump like with your first plant in the video. They should made long and airy. But keep them how is best for you. Your methid is great too. Just the information from your test is not completely right. Just wanted to get it out there. All the best.
First I want to acknowledge that the media we grow epiphytic orchids in is quite different than how they grow in the wild, but I cannot wrap my mind around full water culture! Yes, I grow plants in semi-hydro, but the plant dries out. All the FWC success stories I searched for only bring up people new to the hobby who've kept their plants like that for less than two years--and the plants always look limp and they are mostly Phals. But maybe I'm wrong and someone can point me to a massive plant grown in FWC for 5+ years? I joined a FWC Facebook group just to look for an example of old timers who'd been doing it a long time with healthy plants, but everyone there seemed new to it.
+theonlyrin you have made an excellent point that I noticed as well, there is no long term update over the course of a few years, just people starting to do this. But the idea isn't new, forum threads go back to 2006, surely there must be an update but there isn't :) so something must have happened in the meantime or the grower just stopped posting or growing orchids.
Hi Danni, I think your right about water culture. Plants weren't designed to sit in water. I am curious about experimenting with different medias to see what makes care taking easier. I have been wondering about those water marbles. I see store selling them with little bamboo plants. For orchids, I am sure you would need to mix them with something else. But it might make it easier to water orchids just because of how much water the marbles contains.
+craig McWright well some plants do ok in water, like some vegetables :P but the idea is the ratio of air and water, epiphyte orchids just need a higher air ratio that's all. About the water marbles, I never tried them but I think the water depletes at some point so it might need changing.
You might want to try my simi-water culture with gravel method. Use aquarium gravel, add 1 1/2" - 2" inches of gravel to bottom of vase, fill water to top of gravel level. This method allow root tip to touch wet gravel but doesn't submerge root in water therefore preventing root rot. This method allow constant humidity due to evaporation, but you still need to mist the root every few days. I think you should test out this method for yourself and see how it is.....try it!
I could not agree more with you ... I find it time consuming as well ... This method is definitely not for me either ... Thank you for supporting my thoughts & experience ...
+Miche I'm glad this helped, it's just what I experienced by observing multiple species and varieties with this. Some survived better, some died, some are not doing well.. so it's not a pretty ratio compared to conventional growing methods.
When I returned to orchid growing and saw all the semi hydroponic and water culture attempts I thought it was the worst thing that anyone could do to an orchid! I hope your plants can survive the move and some day return to health.
+Wade's Orchids Thanks Wade, they will return slowly, it's another journey so I'm keeping a positive mindset :)
Wade's Orchids
It's so interest that I have completely results that yours. My variegated phal sogo vivien and potinara are doing well in water culture. I wonder why there is a difference in our experiences.
+Trac McNguyen there is no difference :) my phalaenopsis type orchids survived ok as well, minute 09:50 of the video. if you read the description you'll see why some other orchids were affected by stuff that could not affect phalaenopsis.
I understood that. But my potinara isn't a phalaenopsis or related orchid. I also had good results with a cattleya amethystoglossa. But I had to potted that one up in bark media because the roots gotten too big for the glass container that I had it in and I didn't have any bigger container available at the time. I haven't made any firm conclusions about water culture yet. Because, as someone said below, no one (that we know) has grown them for >2 years. I've only started this last August, out of desperation, so I need more time to make up my mind. But so far, so good.
+Trac McNguyen well then it's a good idea to video document the process over a period of a few years, that would help others to draw their own conclusions :)
Thank you. I have done the same thing. Phalaenopsis seems to survive in anything. In Thailand orchid does well with light, air, and medium for the root to cling on to. Even in the forest. The root hardly and consistently dip in water. The one that blooms beautifully and frequently, its root seems to be tangled up tightly and looks real crowded. In other words, pot bound like.
I have a lot of mine in FWC. Do not like the look of the leaves, all twisted and does not look healthy and happy. Currently I am experimenting in Leca and spaghnum. Perked up right away. I do believe FWC or semi wc can be done and some will be lost due to culture change. The real proof is how often it will generate the blooms. I do not believe it will be as often as with medium.
Thank you for confirming my observation.
Hi Usa, thanks for the feedback. Yes indeed I believe Phalaenopsis are very forgiving and robust hybrids, but the other orchids were really affected by this change. I am noticing that the trend is now to lower the water level, keeping them rather bare root, so that is better, but indeed their nature is to cling and attach to things, I am wondering if this affects their development and I think it does. Feeling secure makes them redirect root energy into leaves and flowers, rather than allocating energy to find surfaces. But I think I will experiment again at some point, at least for demonstration purposes :)
Im about a week in to trying water culture because all my orchids I've had in the past die on me. But from what I've read its just the tips go into the water. I'm doing mine two days in water five days dry. Wish me luck
Has your final thoughts changed from 6 yrs ago? I believe water culture is a temporary stage to promote roots then transfer to proper medium. Your thoughts? Do you concur???
Hi, actually I still think it's a horrendous practice 😊
Hi Danny! Sorry getting back so late. Just wanted to say enjoyed our conversation and MAYBE... if the urge ever hits...if you to do a Full Water Culture experiment again, perhaps keep in mind some of the things suggested in my first comment. Try it with a Phal, since they seem to do best with this growing technique, and try it in the warm seasons, (not in the dead of Winter) to get it off to a good start.
Happy Growing!
Hi, I am definitely considering it actually, just for the sake of experiment :) I have to say Phals do best like this, since they can tolerate a wide range of abuse, not saying this is abuse, but they tolerate a lot of things :P in my video I did say Phals and related species did the best.
The Phals are also more moisture loving in general. I noticed your siderea japonica did the best with water culture... that's a phal. It's container wasn't quite transparent but it did let in some light as I recall. Best is clear glass. I really love to see the roots, too. Especially since most of the year is just leaves with orchids... the roots are a visually interesting point. Happy growing... it's fun to experiment!
+Laurie Paris I tagged you on Instagram to show you a couple of photos of the cattleya 😨 I have growing in my betta sorority aquarium.
Thank you Dani
Very good tutorial ! I’m wondering about the water beads can orchids grow in them ? Please let me know , thank you 🙏
yes that's true water culture its really hard to work with. specially in a colder climate.
+maria amaya ow yes I forgot to mention that as well.. definitely not for cool climates :)
Ok well it probably isn’t working for you bc you have to remove all of the media. And you have to rinse ALL of the dirt from roots. Then put it in distilled water and put only enough water for ends of roots to touch the water. I’ve had better luck with water culture so far. My roots always rot in media. I haven’t had any root rot with water culture yet.
Oh and put in a clear container.
Oh and one more thing. You aren’t suppose to fertilize if you are doing water culture.
Normally the roots from media and when you converted to water the roots will rot to adapt to a new environment then new roots will come.
Hi Danny,
well, I am not a friend of the water-culture too. Usually I pot my orchids in a mix of seramis and bark. But I "inherited" some pretty pretty sick phals... poor girls :(
So I was forced to experiment:
In one of your former videos you modified the spaghn´bag method and I tried the same thing. I was able to save a sick orchid like this, but it got mouldy far too often (I remember you calling it something like "mould bomb" too).
Therefore, this time I exchanged the spaghnum moss with bark and the plastik cups with ceramic pots. I thought the more constant temperature of the pots and a media that doesnt get mouldy that fast would work out better for me. Until now it looks like this assumption might be true :3
But I am observing some weird stuff going on in there: I left all the roots, even the dead ones, because I thought maybe there are some left that look pretty bad but still absorb water and they couldnt do anyhing bad (I can see every case of mould and just cut it away or treat with hydrogenperoxide).
Especially one phal has done something very interesting: There is a new green root tip coming out of a really dead root :O
I know it was dead because this one only has four roots and all of them where beyond saving (At least I thought so...)
Have you ever observed something similar? A strawy, dead root getting fleshy and green again after some weeks of "good care"?
Maybe the eye of the root produced a new one or something like that? The rest of the old root is still behind the point the new one gets visible.
Usually I cut all of the dead roots when I repot. In this case they are not really potted they just sit on soggy barkchips ( the surface dries from time to time, so the roots do not rot, but the air around them is constantly more humid than inside the normal room).
Currently I see a similar developement on the mother plant, so it is maybe related to the genetics of the plant? But I dont know. Orchids suprise me again and again :)
+Alicia Hi, well Phalaenopsis do have the capability to.. save.. their roots in a way (unlike the lady cattleya haha). If you look closely at the root that seems dead you might notice portions where the velamen died and portions in which it is not dead completely. For Phals the string inside is not that dependent on the velamen and can have sections that are functional which will branch sometimes. However there is a thin line between damaged and really dead. Sections might die but an entire dead root is beyond savable and I am not sure how to explain the difference, but if I see one I'll make a video :) usually a root that has sections of really dead tissue and small sections of alive tissue, can branch out and survive :) but that's the joy of discovering orchids and your own experience will form your eye and you'll spot these things much faster in time ;) anyway it sounds like your orchids are recovering so that is great news :D
That explanation seems pretty logical to me :) Phals are unbelievable sometimes ^^
Maybe I would have seen living parts under the mikroskope... however as far as I can see your description fits very well.
Thanks for your videos and your answers on questions like this one :) I started the orchid hobby 2 years ago and your videos were/ are very helpfull, far more helpfull than some forums I read because you explain and have nice examples to show :)
+Alicia Thank you I am glad to help anytime :D
NOT FOR ME I TRIED WITH A COUPLE OF NON ROOT PHALS AS SOON AS I GOT A NEW ROOT I PUT IN A AIRY MIX WITH LECA THEY ARE STILL ALIVE MY ENVIORMENT IS NOT GOOD FOR THIS METHOD...N YES WATER SMELL HARD TO FEED THIS WAY FOR ME....AIR N HUMIDITY..I WILL STICK WITH MEDIA...GREAT VIDEO DANI....STILL LOVE YOUR WAY N YOUR VIDEOS...HAPPY GROWING....YES CALIF IS IN A DROUGHT...
Is it alright to change to water culture or maybe hydroponic without Leca when you're going to be away for maybe a month? Or is it better to just not water it for a month but leave it in bark medium
I had 15 Orchid and I lost them all because water culture. I agreed with you 100%.
+Zoraida Perotti I'm sorry to hear :(
What two plants first to surface after a volcanic episode? Ferns & Orchids, they require fresh nutrients in the air no pet dander need apply..lol. Hawaii & Florida clearly show why the thrive so well in their states.
+diana thompson oh I bet they are just a heaven of orchids :D and yes as it would appear orchids are some, if not the oldest flowering plants on earth :)
Good advice. Im sure these questions have common knowledge answers I'm oblivious to. Could one use a shallower vase for better ventilation? And do you think that younger specimans would be more adaptable?
Can I just buy an orchid and change it from bark or sphagnum to a water plant?
Water culture is also not for me. I had one orchid (phalaenopsis hybrid) I kept like that for a couple of weeks because I was keeping it unpotted due to mealybugs. I think keeping it like that helped killing it :( It was either soaking wet or bone dry, I hated it. At least it was a valuable lesson.
+Sandra Laurentino sorry to hear :( yes this method does require quite a bit of attention and time to make it properly safe.
when one considers that the majority of orchids are epiphytes watch culture really doesn't make sense. Their roots are more like "air roots" than terrestrial roots. Frankly I was shocked when I started hearing about this method of growing orchids, and I would have serious questions about its efficacy over time.
+Susan Anderegg yes that is my worry as well, I don't seem to find any documentation on long term results (a few good years). So leaving aside the paradox that it's creating, I just don't have enough documentation to get excited about it :) and also my experience was very poor with this, given I might have not have enough time on my hands to commit to changing the water at a certain amount of days, or keeping them dry for x amount of days but still.. just shows it is not an easy method for some people to cope with.
refer to orchid whisperer,, more successful in water culture
hi danny,
maybe you should add LECA as media for the water cuture,and use transparent plastic container drill few hole on it for the air flow,
it should work..just like I do to my phal. orchid
Arya Landax Hi, that is called semi hydroponics, created by First Ray's orchids :) it is a well thought setup and my current setup is inspired by it and adapted to my climate and preferences. It's nit water culture ;)
OMG so I decided I wanted to start to do water culture with my orchids because it’s just so much prettier I love to look at the roots I’m obsessed with orchid roots that’s my problem lol it’s a serious problem but anyways I started to the water culture they were thriving amazingly for the first two weeks now all of a sudden they’re separating from the base of the roof and I’m constantly having to remove that dead stuff off of the route the tissue so I watch your video I’m going to put the orchid back in the moss but then I have some Orchids that are thriving amazing in the water why is that? And why are my flower stems on one of my orchid from the base after cutting it down is growing completely twisted it’s not infected it’s very healthy has a ton of roots a ton of leaves but the stem is a growing crazy not the leaves the stems are growing twisted? Can you answer that for me? And also you’re amazing I love watching your videos I hope I become as smart as you very soon lol
Ewww slimy roots!I really wish I hadn't been drinking a protein shake while 👀 this🤢🤗.I've heard of people doing this & I was always afraid of this method even for my easy-going phalaenopsis hybrids so I've never planned on trying this method.I feel like I just 👀 a horror movie for plants.It's like the plant version of when they try to torture spies in movies...We have ways of making you talk Mr.Bond🤭.I'm so glad I've never attempted this😌.🙂Thanks for putting your orchids on the line to show everyone the potential results...Nobody wants to lose their beloved plants.I honestly wonder how many of those orchids would even be alive if this experiment had lasted a entire year😬.
I was wondering how a dendrobium would do in water culture. You really have to water a dendrobium nobile soooo so much in its growing season, and it is EXTREMELY forgiving. It may have the same chance as a phalaenopsis and do somewhat well. I have a victoria reginae with no roots that I am trying to bring back to health right now, and i might do some sort of water culture with it till it grows some roots :)
I just only.succes with phalaenopsis because I.grows em in water culture since seedling. But it failed.with cattelya and vanda.
I would like your comments on lava rock media, and hydroponic (hopefully spelled correctly) versus bark . Thank you looking forward to your reply:)
+Gloriana Yeagley hello, I didn't use lava rock too much, however the hydroponic system can work to some extent. I prefer not to use the reservoir method, but just the clay medium with the proper set up (which you will see soon on my channel as I move). The benefit is that it will not break down like bark, you won;t need to repot as often and you can reuse the medium after you sterilize it. Con is, you need to be extra careful with watering :)
Thank goodness you have this video. I always believe plants should be grown as close to possible as in nature. Orchids should not be grown in water.
well you will see there are a lot of communities that prefer this method and... well they like it :) I just happen to see things differently and what looks good to other people might not look good or healthy to me. If you ever want to try it just try with one orchid and better with a Phalaenopsis, they can handle abuse better than other orchids :) and see if you like it or not, or see the difference in growth etc.
And they do not grown IN Bark on a tree....they grow ON the bark of the trees, along with the rain and oxygen from the air....Just FYI....LoL
good video. thanks for the information.
im done with water culture too, i transfer all of my orchids to semi hydro.
Im sorry MissOrchidGirl but youre doing water culture completely wrong. I highly recommend toy to watch Orchid Whisperers videos and just from first view you will notice that the plants arent and shouldnt be at the base at the vase. In fact the base of the plant wont touch water ever. Only the lowest roots or their tips are actually in water. All else is im the air litterally. All the best.
It's too bad you didn't know how to do water culture, which is very apparent from your comments in this video, but there is no reason to be so condescending about it.
+KeiraR Hi, that's perfectly ok, I personally believe that this experiment gave me enough of a glimpse of how this method works with my life style and my variety of orchids, to draw the conclusion it's not viable, for me or for epiphytic orchids in general. It's ok everyone can have this hobby how they want and how they like it and if they want my side of the story they can watch this video, if not then not, I'm not the rule maker :)
Yes, what you believe is the truth, i got it. lol
Arrogance is not confidence, urgh...
oblong never said I am aiming for perfectly natural conditions, there is a difference between natural and orchid nature. No matter what I won't achieve 'natural' since I don't have the climate for growing them on trees in my garden. I am replicating something a bit more important than that, since orchids are not sustained by the tree, as parasites are. But what I am replicating is overly stated in my videos, no point in repeating, water culture cannot replicate what I am trying to obtain and that has consequences long term, that's all there is to it ;)
oblong That's my concern, I don't see the results I aim for in water culture particularly long term, the results I have as my 'goal' belong to people having similar setups to traditional methods. There are certain details offered in these setups that are closer to 'natural' conditions and I happen to believe they make the difference, so I stay within these details with my setups in the hopes they yield the same effect. They cannot be replicated in water culture. In a recent video I shared OME's channel, she did some really good step by step tutorials on wc that I think will answer some of your questions. It just so happens that we agree on one point, water culture is more air than water :) as for replicating natural conditions, I solely try to replicate effects, like replicating summer in your home in the middle of winter, we replicate what we need, not everything. Translated into my setups, I replicate ratios and water/nutrient/air distribution, not the tree as it doesn't matter, not the constant pool of water, which doesn't matter either and it's not even present in their habitat. The materials I use don't matter either, microfiber, seramis, wine corks, a pool of water in the vase.. They all don't matter, the only thing that matters is their effect.
KeiraR she wasn't being condescending at all.
Great vid! BTW are you leaving Jacky behind?
+SunSoulHD yes I cannot take her with me, but she will stay with mom as she looooves mom :P
I would like to try this only with my 2 sick orchids to just get their root system how would I go about doing that.
Hi, I'm not the best person to help with that as I consider water culture a ticking bomb :) but here's a channel that deals a lot with this growing method, I'm sure you'll find a lot of advice here ua-cam.com/users/samanthasom81
ok thanks so much
Dani,
I'm using full water culture, but I'm confused as to the water level! My husband and travel and they go with me along with my carnivorous plants.
Ive seen videos with the water level to just below the base of the plant to maybe just covering the bottom of the pot.
Thanks
Marian Hill
Hi Danny..yeah I'm not the person for Water Culture either...for a certain period of time for really new rootless divisions I got from places or friends,that need li'l high moisture level for promoting root growth I could give that a shot but once they're stretching their legs I just give them home in a proper potted media!! I just can't stand with all these hassles of changing water cleaning dishes dealing with rots,algae,slime....ewwwww naannahhh!!
Love,
Puja
+teetir1981 yep.. just complicates life a little too much :)
Looks like you didn't do it right. It's not for everyone.
Do u think it's possible to attach an orchid to a house plant that has bark?
Hi, it is yes, just make sure the plant is not toxic to orchids and that you won't rot it by wetting its trunk all the time ☺️
@@MissOrchidGirl Do u have any that you have attached and if so what kind of tree did u go with?
You didn't mention your water pH and if it was tap water which is a big no no.
+K J look at the date of the video, lots of things changed since then, including this method :)
perhaps if u put an airpump so there will be ventilation?
Maybe I had way too much water and that’s the problem OMG I was filling like half of the vase up with water right down under the routing system because another video said to have it submerged right to the end of the routing system so that’s what I did no wonder why my orchids are going crazy I can’t stand people that make videos when they’re uneducated and now I have to try to save three orchids I’m so upset
Hi, I would not recommend anyone to grow orchids in water, just stick to any potting mix that gives water and air at the same time. That's my best and honest advice for healthy, lushes orchids long term 👍
@@MissOrchidGirl thank you so much for replying and yes today I did repot them back into mulch
I'm just doing to get my dendrobim to grow roots
Wow! E bine de stiut. Da, sunt anumite specii care adora cultura asta in apa. Am un puiut de Vanda Pachara Delight care am initial am plantat-o in Seramis... Absolut dezastru! Bine ca mi-am dat seama la timp si am schimbat in water culture ca daca nu ramaneam fara radacini! Acum o las in vaza cateva ore pe zi in apa si fata mea o inceput sa creasca. Cat o crescut in water culture intr-o luna nu o crescut de cand o am! Ms de sfat-partea cu curatatul tre sa o retin; oare daca o spreiez des cu apa oxigenata 3% se va ajunge la radacini moi?
+Anca Goka buna ana :) well.. asta nu e water culture :P este doar daily watering si este ok pentru vande :) ce nu a mers in seramis? prea multa umezeala nu?
+Anca Goka si in legatura cu apa oxigenata, de ce vrei sa o spreiezi? sunt probleme?
+MissOrchidGirl se depun alge....:(
+MissOrchidGirl of course!! Si am dat si un car de bani oe minunea aia!!:(
+Anca Goka dap, seramis trebuie folosit mai cu grija :)) o sa fac un tutorial complet in legatura cu el.. mai ales la vande nu e recomandat. dar daca e folosit cu grija e o binecuvantare lol :P ok.. sfatul meu: decat sa spreiezi cu apa oxigenata la saptamana o planta pe care o fortezi sa creasca in apa.. mai bine fara apa si fara apa oxigenata ;) in principiu nu va afecta radacinile dar, de fiecare data cand aplici apa oxigenata, arzi ceva.. daca arzi prea mult risti sa arzi de tot o radacina sau mai multe.. deci, tot ce e bun devine rau in exces ;) eu nu as complica si forta lucrurile astea, s-ar putea sa se termine nasol.
Who is Jacky :)
+Harry Y this is Jacky ua-cam.com/video/vwluGal1oPc/v-deo.html :)
☺️
meant to say water culture...
alrighty
What a disaster :(
No offense but you should really remove this video, it is very inaccurate as to what water culture is and how to start a plant in it. Everything you did was wrong. People will be easily swayed by your opinion.
Hi, I never delete any of my videos, except in extraordinary conditions. This video is part of my journey and is up for everyone to express their opinion, or correct me, or learn to do better. To this day I still don't consider this setup to be fully adequate and I don't recommend it in my videos since I don't use it, even if since this moment people have improved it a lot and it maintains some orchids alive. But that doesn't matter, I don't pretend to be an expert and this is part of my channel and learning process. My content is not paid information, it's just my experience and research as an average orchid grower and my viewers have a mind of their own to decide what is good, what is not.
Alright, i understand. Fair enough. Bless