RPM1 wrote:

"Dewitt"


In general, we want orchids to have excellant drainage and gels like
this that hold moisture would be bad idea. You might be able to use
it with a few terrestrials like Ludisa discolor but I wouldn't
recommend it.



I'm thinking of it more to augment planting mixture rather
than =be= the planting mix exclusively. Maybe a layer
or two of it in the pot with the regular mix.

Ruth CM


I just mixed it in, Ruth. Make sure you hydrate it before you pot,
otherwise your mix will explode out of the pot the first time you
water. I think the recipe I used was something along the lines of
4 bark
1 sponge rock
1 charcoal
0.5 hydrated "goo pellets" - the larger the grade the better.

Plus or minus a few parts. A friend of mine called the gel "horse
boogers". Close enough. I probably still have some in the basement
somewhere. It worked OK for paphs and phrags, but (like everything else
I use for paphs) it needs to be changed at least every 18 months. Two
years is death. One year is probably best. I'd say the water holding
function was nice, but the main problem was that the gel contracts when
it is dry (to a very small size) and expands when wet. That makes for
some interesting media shifts, especially if you let the mix dry out
well between waterings - which we usually do. Eventually the stuff just
dissolves, and it probably was all gone after the first year.

Anyway, I tried it for long enough to figure out I didn't really
like it. I don't repot that often, so I probably had a few plants in it
for a couple years. I think I can get the same water holding function
from coconut husk, or by adding milled sphagnum or chunky peat to the
mix. I understand them better, and in my hands those 'natural'
components are easier to work with. I'm particularly fond of the
coconut, because it doesn't change shape or size when wet, and it holds
onto water forever. Squeeze a piece a week after you water, and you can
still coax some liquid out.

Now, if you were growing in a totally hydroponic system, the water
gel might make an interesting substrate. Of course it wouldn't be
totally hydroponic anymore... But it might give some support to the
plant. I think it would still break down too quickly to be worth it,
but it might be an interesting experiment.

Just my $0.02.

Rob

--
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2a. See rule 1
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