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Orchid Pics and Got some Expanded Clay Pellets

elgecko

I've got a magic window!
Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA).

I've been wanting to try this for a planting material for CP's for a long time. I never knew where to get any.
Well on Friday I was doing some errands and stopped in a local nursery because I wanted to get a few pots, which they no longer carry the kind I like. :-(
I noticed the parking lot was a lot fuller then usual. I walked inside and thought man there's a lot of people in here, and since when did they carry so many orchids.
They where having an orchid show this weekend. I was looking all around at the different vendors and a gentleman their had bags and boxes of the Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate.
I went back today (Saturday) with the wife, she likes orchids, and ended up buying a box to try out with the CP's. Also took some pics of some of the plants.
The main thing I will use the clay for is filler on the bottom of my mini-bogs. I will also try some plants completely in the media and see how they do.

clayballs.jpg


A very small sampling of orchids:

orchids-018.jpg


orchids-027.jpg


orchids-032.jpg


orchids-034.jpg


orchids-037.jpg


orchids-044.jpg


orchids-061.jpg


orchids-111.jpg


orchids-114.jpg


If I had room to grow them, I would have left with several.... I got rid of all but one of the orchids I used to grow.
 
Cool. What are your first plants in clay gonna be? probably would be a good rooting material.
 
I use the stuff as a base in most of my vivariums, topped off by the lighting plastic egg crate stuff to give me a level ground.

If you happen to have any U. graminifolia around, fill an undrained pot/jar with the pellets and then fill the pot/jar all the way to the top with water then add teh UG. It grows pretty well in there :-D. Silly plant. The color contrast of the clay and the UG is nice.

You can also get the stuff at hydroponics stores, the usual place I buy mine at. I also grow some African violets in semi-hydro. I've done some odd things with the stuff.

I have also used it in my Nep mixes. Once you have it, it really does have so many uses.

You do have room to grow all the orchids you would every want to grow...your just looking at the wrong orchids. All of these you can easily keep around 3" in size. There are hundreds that I know of and I'm just a novice :0o:.

http://www.orchidspecies.com/pleurgrobyi.htm

http://www.orchidspecies.com/bulbalagense.htm

http://www.orchidspecies.com/scaphrapax.htm

http://www.orchidspecies.com/lepanthoastro.htm

http://www.orchidspecies.com/scaphosovulare.htm
 
Man, I sure love that Bulbophyllum (or was it a Cirrhopetallum?) they're so "insectoid" looking!

I've never seen the LECA stuff in person or in use but I'll bet it would be good for vandas, phals and other thick rooted species. Looks rather large for fine rooted species.


Offtopic "just for ElGecko", but anyone else can listen up too... don't use any NAPA Floor Dry (expanded diatomaceous earth grit) on your CPs. I wiped out a trio of dews with it in about 3-4 days. One wasn't even potted in peat/NAPA, it just shared the same water filled tray. Only use the NAPA on succulents who seem to love it and grow like mad in it.
 
Fantastic orchid pics. I love the blue one.
 
Great looking orchid flowers!
 
really great orchids.
I have been thinking about thrying to grow Neps semi hydroponically in pellets, just like they grow orchids. The bottom 1/4- 1" of pellets sits in water and the capillary action allows the media to hold water without decreasing the amout of air that can get to the roots.

http://www.firstrays.com/hydro.htm
 
I'm growing a deroose alata in a "deep water" hydroponic system. The media is hydroton, a denser clay pellet. Good so far!

really great orchids.
I have been thinking about thrying to grow Neps semi hydroponically in pellets, just like they grow orchids. The bottom 1/4- 1" of pellets sits in water and the capillary action allows the media to hold water without decreasing the amout of air that can get to the roots.

http://www.firstrays.com/hydro.htm
 
  • #10
Nice - I've been thinking about this for a while too, elgecko. Hydroton seems to be cheaper and more readily available around here than ceramic chips.

I'm growing a deroose alata in a "deep water" hydroponic system. The media is hydroton, a denser clay pellet. Good so far!

I thought I remembered someone talking about that a while ago. You should start a thread about it, cp-connection. I'd be really interested in seeing your setup.
~Joe
 
  • #11
Wow. They're really beauteous, especially the blue one and the one under it.
 
  • #12
cool, CP! I think if it worked long term, it would have the same advantage as it does for orchids- less watering, but lots of air to the root system!
 
  • #13
Great looking orchid plants here.Those pictures are nice but do not say the real story.It do not define which way they are grown hydroponically or in the clay. I think they are grown in the same old traditional style.
 
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