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#1
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Volcanic rock as potting material
Hello,
I bought a Dend that is potted in 100% small red porous pebbles, which I think is volcanic rock. This is the most common potting material for plants here (Israel) and special orchid potting material is not easy to find. All my orchids are potted in a mixture of moss, bark and charcoal but after having a look at the new Dend and its roots I am thinking about repotting everything with volcanic rock. The advantages as I see them a Good drainage and good air flow through the roots. I was surprise to see that the rocks do not dry very quickly and I think I will have to water every five to six day. Future more it is easy to have a look at the roots by removing the top layer of the rocks. The disadvantages a The rocks will accumulate slats and fertilizing material and will have to be replaced. Since there is no organic matter I am worried that the plant will get "less value" from the potting material. I would appreciate your comments. Regards Gal |
#2
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Volcanic rock as potting material
Gal,
There are a variety of inorganic, inert media on the market, and each has its own properties in relation to moisture-holding capacity, capillarity, mineral buildup, etc. Lava rock is known for the mineral buildup problem, but that is affected by the purity of your water supply, the chemical source of your fertilizers, it's concentration, how often you flush the pots, etc. Check out the info on "semi-hydroponics" at the URL below. You may find it useful. With any such medium, you're going to have to use a complete nutrient, as the plant gets essentially nothing from the medium. Personally, I think the same is mostly true for organic-based media as well, or at the very least, the nutrition coming from the medium is insufficient. -- Ray Barkalow First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info! "gal" wrote in message om... Hello, I bought a Dend that is potted in 100% small red porous pebbles, which I think is volcanic rock. This is the most common potting material for plants here (Israel) and special orchid potting material is not easy to find. All my orchids are potted in a mixture of moss, bark and charcoal but after having a look at the new Dend and its roots I am thinking about repotting everything with volcanic rock. The advantages as I see them a Good drainage and good air flow through the roots. I was surprise to see that the rocks do not dry very quickly and I think I will have to water every five to six day. Future more it is easy to have a look at the roots by removing the top layer of the rocks. The disadvantages a The rocks will accumulate slats and fertilizing material and will have to be replaced. Since there is no organic matter I am worried that the plant will get "less value" from the potting material. I would appreciate your comments. Regards Gal |
#3
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Volcanic rock as potting material
gal,
I see the volcanic rock mostly from plants that come from Hawaii (imagine that from volcanic islands). It works for them but I find that I have a lot of root loss when I try to grow in pure rock. Remember that each plant is different and requires more organic matter (bark, moss chunks, coco husk) than other plants. The type of pot you grow in also affects the medium you put in the pot. Plastic pots reduce evaporation so a very dense medium will not dry out as quickly in plastic as it would in clay. Try growing your Dendrobium for a while in the rock before you convert the other plants in your collection. You may find that it worked great for the grower you bought it from but with your watering schedule it may prove to be too dry for your culture. Remember that you don't want to be a slave to your plants. My philosophy is that if it won't grow under my culture then I shouldn't grow it! Good growing, Gene |
#5
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Volcanic rock as potting material
Gene Schurg wrote:
gal, I see the volcanic rock mostly from plants that come from Hawaii (imagine that from volcanic islands). Umm... Isn't the local legend that if you take rocks from Hawai'i that Pele gives you a really hard time? There is a curse or something... *grin* No, I don't believe in curses, but if you do, perhaps you should insist that your plants be shipped bare root. Rob (wishing he was in Hawai'i) -- Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren 1) There is always room for one more orchid 2) There is always room for two more orchids 2a. See rule 1 3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase more orchids, obtain more credit |
#6
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Volcanic rock as potting material
Hmm....
Could that explain why plants I get from Hawaii in lava rock die? Maybe it's not my culture. "Rob Halgren" wrote in message ... Gene Schurg wrote: gal, I see the volcanic rock mostly from plants that come from Hawaii (imagine that from volcanic islands). Umm... Isn't the local legend that if you take rocks from Hawai'i that Pele gives you a really hard time? There is a curse or something... *grin* No, I don't believe in curses, but if you do, perhaps you should insist that your plants be shipped bare root. Rob (wishing he was in Hawai'i) -- Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren 1) There is always room for one more orchid 2) There is always room for two more orchids 2a. See rule 1 3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase more orchids, obtain more credit |
#7
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Volcanic rock as potting material
I routinely grow certain genera - mature Catts and Dends - in plain rock,
and they flourish. I also use Aliflor, and sometimes a mix of both. But, for fine rooted plants, or small to miniature Catts or Dends, I prefer a mix based on CHC to avoid root damage. Diana |
#8
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Volcanic rock as potting material
Umm... Isn't the local legend that if you take rocks
from Hawai'i that Pele gives you a really hard time? I *think* it's from the actual volcano, not necessarily the volcanic rocks laying around all over the place. Rob (wishing he was in Hawai'i) Tracey happy that I am |
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