If I am reading this thread correctly, you are talking about growing Vandas
without media. That's the way I (and most of the folks I know down here)
grow all my Vandas, and some other stuff as well. Frank installed PVC tubing
and sprinkler heads with a timer. They get watered automatically every
morning at 8. Now, with the dryness of March, we give them an extra watering
around noon. They love it. Yes, it can be messy, but for those of us who
grow everything outside, that goes with the territory.

Diana

"Ray" wrote in message
...
One might argue that epiphytes have been growing aeroponically for eons.

--

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


"NOOK" wrote in message
...
A relatively new method? Wow I was ahead of my time.
Back 20 plus years ago when I grew "tomatoes" we set aside an
experiment section and did the heavy mister nozzels thing. We used
chicken wire for suspention and for sea of green method.
I set up a tial with fine mist heads on Vandas and it works but you
get a lot of overspray and a lot of clean up is needed to keep it
neat.
You may also want to look at another very effective way for "tomatoes"
what we called a bucket bubbler.
Five gallon bucket with airstone in the bottom. Cut hole in lid to fit
Vanda basket down in. Fill a third or less with fert. water and crank
on the airstone. This works great for "weeds" but not well for large
orchids.
This will work on small Vanda with short roots for a short time.
You must put the stone on a timer and either lift the lid out to let
the roots dry out or, I used a small box fan and cut a hole in side of
bucket right up at the top and another hole on other side of bucket.
Use a relay circuit so when stone is on the fan is off then when stone
kicks off fan kicks on. I did alot of other mods but in the long run.
It is labor intensive, you must keep track of your fert. level and
concentrate, check the operation allmost every day.
If your going to have to watch it that much it just aint worth it.

Simple pump up sprayer with fert. solution twice a week works wonders!

On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:17:14 -0800, "K Barrett"
wrote:

Some time ago someone wondered about using aeroponics to grow orchids.
It
stuck in my mind as a possible way to grow vandas/ascoscendas etc. While
googling I came across this from the department of justice:
"Aeroponics is another relatively new method used to cultivate cannabis.
Cannabis plants are suspended in the air by attaching the stems to some
type
of structure. Sprayers, similar to those found in the produce departments
of
supermarkets, are used to spray nutrients onto the roots. Timers are used
to
turn the sprayers on and off at set intervals."

In a mixed greenhouse, overspray from the vanda section ruins the
cattleyas
and likewise the dryness the catts need is too dry for the vandaceous
plants. Hence aeroponics? Some sort of a structure, some sort of a tent
just around the roots, spraying to the root zone only? Perhaps the tent
could be made from clear plastic strips that grocery stores used to use
instead of doors in the refrigerated aisles? allowing some air
movement...

Just thinking

K Barrett