Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Brilliant.... I have been pondering orchids in AP for a while....right climate and all.

BUT they are so expensive...So my question is how do you start an orchid off the cheapest and most reliable way???

Hi Jessy. Try to get a community pot of young plants from a horticulturist. That's about the cheapest way to go but you will have to wait long and work hard for the plants to flower.

As for AP, well that's what I still have to figure out. Maybe a plant tied to a capillary in a gravel filled pot. I really don't know but I want to use the rich AP water to nurture the plants.

Jes, if you choose orchids suitable for your climate, they are not that expensive.

Have tried quite a few of different, but ultimately kept only some tough ones (for Melbourne).
Burrageara, Cymbidiums, some native Dendrobiums, Epidendrum prismatocarpum and Paphiopedium insigne.
If happy enough they do grow and I did give away or composted heaps over the years.
The Epidendrum prismatocarpum may not be as popular as the Cymbs, does have smaller brownish flowers but very scented and flowers reliably.

Any of those could be tried in AP but only after being repotted in spring into the same or AP compatible GB media
and the pots buried in the GB. In Flood and Drain.
They will need a separate GB or satellite pots that could be turned off for winter.
Or could be put onto a separate dripper line with return to the sump.

One big unknown would be their AP nuts compatibility.

Awah.. come on Steve... they should be able to get on with most of us...

Seems like planted in pots first and then into the growbed seems to be the way to go. I had better take my trial plant out of the growbed and put it into a pot before putting it back. Would a plastic pot do or does it need to be terracotta type for the roots to grab on?? Does terracotta affect the water quality?? pH??

sorry, "Nutrients" should be understood

Valid point Steve... they're not supposed to like too much fertilisation are they?

Google the auto pot site and then go to orchids and see the photos there

I don't know how much nuts orchids need besides myself but my wife sprays foliar fertilizer on her orchids every week or two and waters everyday to maintain good flowering. I need to do something for her orchids so that she will give me more space in her garden for my AP .


I will try anything once. If it fails, I will try again another way.