My pleasure, Ryan... the link below goes over to the appropriate thread at the Container Gardening Forum, and this is the 8th time this thread was revived and brought to the top. So many people have requested this information that the thread has taken on a life of its own!

I, myself, have become a dedicated "student of Al", and I'm very grateful for his continued generous tutoring in the ways of soils and gardening. He takes boring scientific information and turns it into easy-to-understand articles on how soils, water, and plants interact, and how to grow healthy plants from the roots up!

I've also found that there's a certain amount of correlation between growing bulbs indoors and growing bonsai. The soils and methods of watering and growing are actually more comparable than I would have thought. Studying how the bonsai masters approach their soils, and how they learn/teach watering techniques before anything else, can really help in the growth of healthy, well- rooted bulbs. Here's a good link with excellent soil information.

http://www.bonsai4me.com/Basics.html

I hope this helps... I believe that starting with the proper medium, and learning the proper watering techniques, can really start a grower on their way to healthy, happy plants and bulbs! Healthy roots make healthy plants!

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Soils - Water Movement & Retention VIII

Thank you, Jodi. You're always a wonderful source of information!

My first attempt at mixing my own soil hasn't been working as well as I'd planned. I thought since my climate was so dry, I'd be ok adding more potting soil to the mix, but I think that even with the air conditioning sucking moisture out of the air, its still holding too much moisture in the pot.

I've got a big box of hydroton, and am ready to mix up my soil for all the bulbs I got from Maguires. So I appreciate your giving me the info.

Thanks!
Ryan (Phx)

Hi Jodi *waving*... just wanted to say, I am still a member of Dirt According to Jodi. LOL Love me some drainage! I need to email you... I've had some breakthroughs with my plants. So since this post is about soil I might as well do it here...

I've shared these pics with Ryan, Phoenix variety, and he said I should post these. First, let me say this is not my method-- I discovered it on an orchid forum and do not take any credit for this method.

It is called semi-hydroponic and the idea is to place your plant in hydroton, into a container that has no holes on the bottom-- then drill two holes close together about an 1.5-2 inches from the bottom. Plant the plant so that its current roots will not go below these two holes. Fill in with the remaining hydroton and then water, allowing the entire container to fill with water and then let is drain out the two holes. Over the course of a few weeks your plant (in this case my phalaenopsi) will grow new roots towards the water and these roots will have adapted to the new set up. I have not tested this on any other plants than my orchids, but the new roots adapt to the water having grown into it. The result is a growth explosion and overall increased health of all my phals!! Here are some of my plants...

{{gwi:410193}} this is my white phal, which I feared was bound to die, but instead now has loads of new roots, a new leaf and over 12 blooms with 6 more on the way!

{{gwi:410194}} Not in a semi-hydroponic set up, but this is my african violet that I grew from a single leaf cutting-- I'm so proud of it!!

{{gwi:410195}} One of the phals in semi-hydro-- this one was originally in a bark, hydroton and perlite mix-- so it is having to adjust to the new system.

{{gwi:410196}} My mini phal that has been in semi-hydro for about a month now and is extending her first roots into the water!

{{gwi:410197}} The gang chillin' in the hood

Finally, my diagram of semi-hydro...

{{gwi:410198}}

Ryan

Very cool, Rocky Mt. Ryan! I love those orchids! You've got some beauties, there!

I also really like that African Violet! And I'm proud to announce that the one I recently got is actually growing new buds! I've never been able to get AVs to re-bloom for me once I get them home... they usually finish flowering with what they came with, and then that's it. But this one is really starting to bloom again! I attribute my success to the lights I put up over winter! The extra light is really helping!

I haven't been around too much... I've mostly been busy out in the gardens, and busy going over lists of hardy roses! As a business, we've found our niche in hardy roses and unusual hardy perennials. Too much of what's sold locally isn't really hardy, and I know most died in the wool gardeners want roses and perennials that will actually survive our goofy, frigid winters.

I've also been enjoying the flowers and roses we've got blooming right now... the miniatures are really gorgeous!

No need to thank me... gardening is for sharing! That includes all the little things we learn, such as different approaches with mediums, and growing techniques like Ryan's semi-hydroponic set-up. We each have to conform what we learn to our own climate and environment, but you just never know where that next great idea will come from!

Happy Gardening!

How do I keep an Orchid plant going. I have one in the bed room for my wife or is not well.

I tried in the past and each year I lose them.

Thanks God Bless

p.s. pls email me at = ajaoutdoors@yahoo.com

I'm only a novice orchid grower, so I'm not the best person to ask... my advice would be to ask your orchid question in the Orchid Forum.

Ryan, your orchids are gorgeous. I have some phals like yours but mine aren't quite as pretty. They are planted in bark, and bloom regularly, but it appears that yours are really happy in their growing medium. How often do you fertilize them? It also appears that with your set up over-watering would not be a problem which seems to be a common reason for losing them.

Hi bama gardener--

Yes the hydroton method seems to work very well for my phals. And despite our very dry climate (we see humidity as low as the single digits quite often), they have adapted and are doing well. And yes, the over watering is not an issue. I water when the reservoir is nearly empty and the roots get a good humid environment for a day or so before the hydro dries out but continues to wick water upward. This causes, in turn, any new root growth to reach into the reservoir and because of the root's adaptability, they survive in the water.

As for fertilizer, I give them fert, a weak dose, with every watering. Anywhere from one to two waterings per week (they are growing like mad right now, so they're soaking up the water a lot faster than normal).

Ryan

Hi Ryan. i love orchid too especially phalaenopsis. i grow them in sphagnum moss and feed them organic & liquid fertilizer.

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