Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Anyone grow orchids in AP? I'm a long-time carnivorous plant dude and am just getting in to orchids; since my setup will be indoors with HID lighting I thought some of the beauties might dig on some aquaponics. Since the Nepenthes and other CPs really can't work in an AP system, anyone give some orchid AP pointers?

Not growing them in AP but grew phals in corrugated drain pipe using hydroponics (no media just allowing them to cling to the sides of the drain pipe). I used a spray nozzle at the top of each column and a timer to spray once or twice a day (this varies depending on if they are outdoors or indoors and what season it is). They take a bit of time to adjust but grow great after the initial stages. As you know orchids have a coating of velamin on their roots which holds water. This can lead to root rot if you don't allow them to gradually adjust to how you are growing them. I don't see any reason you couldn't grow them in AP but they cling to media like hydroton or anything else for that matter so I wouldn't let them stay in any one place for too long.

I've also grown orchids in pots filled with Hydroton (timed flood and drain). Grown this way they were flooded once or twice a week. The normal non hydro method of growing would call for a bark mix and watering once per week in Summer and once every two weeks in Winter (growing indoors). What I guess I'm saying is that you might have to filter the water (depending on growing method) but it shouldn't be a problem to grow them, you just need to figure the timing for watering. I also suspect that you could do AP without any timer as long as plenty of oxygen was in the water - I didn't try this so I can't be certain and the Velamin might cause problems with root rot.

Even if they loose all their roots just leave them and there is a good chance they'll recover (but it will take a long time (years sometimes)).

Hope this makes sense.

It does, thanks! Yeah I figured they'd want something less irrigated than the media grow, and also wondered how they fare with higher nutrient levels? I feed mine mainly foliarly and am not a nuke-em fertilizer guy... usually about a quarter recommended strength.

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