The Official Semi-Hydroponics Forum

[Ed Cramer]

After reading about others having paph growing problems, using s/h over long periods of time and having problems with root rot, I feel that we are all missing something about paphs grown by this method. It seems that if the plants do well for a year or two and then decline that there must be something that we are all overlooking and need to change!! Are there any s/h growers that are presently growing the same paphs using s/h that are not having this problem? Perhaps they can share with the rest of us how to do this. If anyone has any good ideas about overcoming this problem ,please share it . Good Growing , Ed Cramer
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I grow indoors under fluorescent lights and an east facing window. I also grow a few rex begonias, a few succulents, ferns and gesneriads.

[raybark]

Assuming such a decline is not due to neglect by the grower, I pin it on mineral buildup in the medium.

All types of orchid-growing media will build up minerals over time. Just because the medium doesn't decompose - the driving force for replacing organic media - does not mean it is "permanent".

How rapidly that happens is going to be affected by a number of parameters:

•Water quality
•Fertilizer formula
•Fertilizer concentration
•Watering / fertilizing frequency
•Thoroughness of flushing when watering
•The specific LECA used, specifically the absorption/release hysteresis
•Ambient humidity, as that helps control evaporation rate

I have some paphs that have been in the same medium for 8 or 9 years, and they're doing fine, but I have seen others display reduced vigor earlier than that, so I simply repot them into fresh medium, and away they go!
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Ray Barkalow
Orchid Iconoclast

[Ed Cramer]

Thanks Ray, I have read that paphs are particularly sensitive to water quality and fetilizer. I use water straight out of the tap(Lake Michigan) and fertilze with diluted Dyna -Gro every other watering. The only thing that I have not done is to re-pot as often as perhaps I should. Should I repot every year?
Thanks for getting back to me so soon. It is appreciated. Be well and good growing Ed Cramer
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I grow indoors under fluorescent lights and an east facing window. I also grow a few rex begonias, a few succulents, ferns and gesneriads.