It’s time to check in on semi-hydro.

Phalaenopsis Legolas has been in SH for about two months now. It has no visible root loss, it’s grown new roots and seems to be perfectly happy and hasn’t had any transition setback whatsoever. Not what I expected with a Phal, but I’ll take all the good news I can.

Dendrobium lawesii continued to lose leaves at first (it’s been shedding leaves before I put it into SH), but it hasn’t lost any recently and it’s got a few new tiny roots. I think the old roots have at least partially rotted. It didn’t have a lot of roots to begin with so I suppose it’s doing okay. Also seems to be growing new pseudobulbs.

The next two I repotted as the medium was quite degraded and I felt I need to repot them anyway. Why not into semi-hydro then? These were Dendrobium Green Elf and Prosthechea Edith Arakawa. Both had been in semi-hydro about month and a half and both had good root system. I didn’t want to disturb them so far, they seem fine though I expect some root rot. So maybe in another month I’ll go back and cut off dead roots.

At the same time I also potted up two keikis, Den Firebird and Den Berry Oda. I think I might have buried them too deeply and some of the roots rotted next to the stem. Since then I propped them up and both are growing new roots.

Another one that I repotted and my biggest regret probably is my Den Polar Fire. It has been doing so well. And I forgot I repotted it recently into fresh bark, which made the transition more difficult for it. When I was cleaning the roots the plant split into two perfect divisions, both with 3 pseudobulbs each and 1 new growth. Sadly shortly after transition to semi-hydro one of the divisions rotted the new growth. I cut it off and the rot doesn’t seem to be spreading. Both lost a leaf or two, but nothing major and I’m hopeful they’ll pull through it.

The third wave of semi hydro transitions was forced on me by one of my shelves giving way and the plants on it ending up on the floor. The damage? A few broken leaves and of course the medium all over the floor. This event kind of makes me worry that if I had plants in semi hydro setup up there the mess and possibly the damage would’ve been far worse with the water on all things beneath the shelf… I’ll trust that the new setup is more secure.

The victims of the accident were Zygopetalum, Oncidium, 2 Pleurothallis keikis and a Cattleya seedling. The 2 keikis seem perfectly happy so far. Cattleya has its only root rotten rotten, but it doesn’t shows signs of dehydration yet. Oncidium and Zygo are the ones with broken leaves. It’s too early to tell how they’re doing. Oncidium is dehydrated so I suspect the roots have died, but it was in active growth so I’m hoping the new pseudobulb will push out new roots soon.

Overall is not as bad as I’m sometimes convinced of. Actually, given my lack of experience and the big transition that SH is for most orchids, I think they’re doing pretty well.

In other news my Aliceara is in bloom.

And some more photos of my Oncidium

And I managed to get some nicer photos of my two work Dens. Both are super happy, still blooming and growing more flower spikes.

I complained recently that my Paphiopedilum wasn’t doing anything. It turns out it was growing a flower spike. Yet to open it, but it’s getting bigger every day!

Another surprise, I didn’t expect buds so soon not to mention the lack of winter rest, this guy doesn’t seem to mind at all.