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Old 06-01-2004, 12:42 PM
Ray
 
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Default Semi-Hydro versus Water Culture?

Joanna,

The two are totally different concepts.

Water culture involves maintaining the plants' root systems totally
submerged in a nutrient solution. According to Rod, the algae is
more-or-less necessary as it consumes the nasty-smelling byproducts that
accumulate in the liquid. He also found that he needed to keep the
containers on a heating mat (at least in colder weather), maintaining the
water at 70°F or rot would occasionally set in.

Semi-Hydroponics involves using an inert growing medium in conjunction with
an individual-plant reservoir of nutrient solution that travels upward in
the medium by capillary action. Algae is an S/H pot is not necessary, but
often occurs, as it will anywhere there's light, moisture, and nutrition.
It's easy to prevent its growth via any number of treatments.

The only time there's the slightest resemblance to water culture is when the
plant sends its roots down into the reservoir...

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
I just re-discovered the Vengers Water Culture site (I had seen it a long
time ago, and I think that's where I got the idea that orchids must grow a
new set of roots to thrive in water?)

http://www.vengers.com/culture/water.htm

Anyway now I am wondering about "water culture" versus semi-hydro. Is
semi-hydro an improved version of water culture? How do they compare /
differ? If I understand correctly the vengers water culture site suggests
growing orchids just in water without any clay pallets or anything like
that. And then the algae growth is considered really beneficial in water
culture, but I don't see it in the semi-hydro basics
(http://www.firstrays.com/hydro.htm) from what I have read so far. But I
would like to know more.

Is anyone still growing in water culture? (The vengers site seems to be

from
the 1990s, and I have not seen people refer to "water culture" recently,

so
I ask.)

Joanna