Monday 14 May 2007

The new greenhouse



Pics of the set-up

Welcome

This will be a Blog for anyone interested in growing orchids using hydroponics systems. Please feel free to comment, ask questions, offer advice etc. I am an amateur orchid grower who has just transferred a smallish collection of orchids into a new greenhouse. Foolishly, probably, I have decided to place all my orchids into flood and drain hydroponic systems as an experiment. They are mostly Phalaenopsis so the conditions are set up to maximise conditions for this species. Other orchids are however in amongst them - I expect these to fail over time.
I am using different media in the pots to see how the orchids flourish or not as the case may be. They have been re-potted and in their new environment for two weeks now. They have been watered but no feed has been introduced during this transition period. I have not yet tested ph values for the water (rainwater). This week I intend to begin feed and then automate the watering system which has up until now been manually undertaken.
I have done some Internet and book searches for information on this subject but not much information is available. Most relates to hydroculture, it will be interesting to discover the differences between the systems and I may obtain some hydroculture pots to try this too.
Here are a couple of pics taken while setting the system up. There are two types of manufactured trays in the greenhouse - later I will show two homemade trays one for seedlings and one for Disa. The Disas will have to be moved to a cooler enviroment when I have erected the second greenhouse.