Orchid Aquarium Planter

[TioTeo]

A while back I started a topic on orchids in or around aquariums, and it did not seem anyone had a solution so I decided to give it a shot to find and option myself.

Background: If you are not familiar with orchids it is commonly described that they do not like "wet feet," meaning that as epiphytes you do not want to let their root structures sit in water. This can be one of the many reasons why novice orchid keepers experience good growth for a few months and then see die off due to over watering. However, I did mention in the previous post, a long time orchid keeper that had shown some success with orchids grown directly in aquarium water, like most aquarists will keep pathos. 

As a compromise, I decided to see if I could come up with some sort of hanger to allow the bottom of an orchid pot to wick up water, while also allowing for efficient oxygen exchange. This is my solution.

The initial design was created to sit on the edge of my rice fish planter/indoor pond. It is made out of hardwood (walnut) and uses a Vigoro wall mounted ring (purchased from your local hardware store) to hold the orchid pot. The fabrication requires the use of a router to create a notch in the bottom of the wood upright, as well as a socket for the wall mount to be secured within the mount. 

Depending on your water level it is designed to be partially submerged (when the tank is full) while allowing for wicking of water and air flow through the potting medium. Note: potting medium will vary with your climate and water absorption needs. This was preliminarily potted with decorative moss and some lava rock to prevent compaction. [Also, note I did not readily have an orchid pot on hand, so I created one by drilling holes in a 4-5" plastic container to allow for air flow.] In the case of my setup, the water level will drop over several days due to evaporation, and I will often partially refill the tank by filling the pot and allowing the water to drain out into the tank. However, given your potting medium water wicking from base of the pot should be sufficient for sustaining proper humidity of the orchid. 

This is the second holder I have created, with the first (sitting in another tank) having shown good health for ~ 2 months with the same setup. Note: the plant is still flowering and will not exhibit the classic markers of healthy growth until the it completes this cycle and begins it growth phase. But I have monitored the root structures and have not observed any significant die-off. Only time will really tell, but I believe this to be a good option to use aquarium water to fertilize orchids while preventing over watering. 

Note: In order to avoid crown rot, orchids should only be watered through the potting medium. Water should not be allowed to flow over and puddle on leaves as this can allow pathogens to grow in the puddled water and attack the crown of the plant.

[Patrick_G]

@TioTeo it looks really nice! I’ve had slightly dedicated Phalaenopsis  growing in water to rehydrate but I’ve never tried this method. I’m intrigued. 

[Odd Duck]

Phals are fairly tolerant of wetter roots than what most orchids will survive.  There are many orchids even more tolerant of wet roots, including some that can be grown as bog plants like some in the Masdevallia group.  Jewel orchids tolerate pretty wet roots, too, and have gorgeous foliage.  Phragmipediums can also often tolerate wet feet.  It can be a bit harder to find info on orchids that tolerate wet feet because not many do.

[Torrey]

I'm going to follow this.

 

I have an orchid that has survived longer than any I have had in the past.

Flowers started dropping off a couple of weeks ago. I have never kept one alive this long before, and would love to know what to do next (this was a gift from a friend in May when my MiL passed away)

[Odd Duck]

On 9/19/2021 at 1:03 AM, Torrey said:

I'm going to follow this.

 

I have an orchid that has survived longer than any I have had in the past.

Flowers started dropping off a couple of weeks ago. I have never kept one alive this long before, and would love to know what to do next (this was a gift from a friend in May when my MiL passed away)

Do you know this is a Phalanopsis (Phal) orchid?  It’s a pretty one, too.  There are many care sheets out there since they’re one of the more common orchids.  They are one of the more tolerant orchids of a wider range of conditions than many other orchids.  Like most orchids, they like moist, but well drained roots.  They will tolerate “almost” soggy soil as long as it’s not too soggy.  They also tolerate drying out between better than many orchids.

They like bright indirect light - a bright north window, east or west window as long as they don’t get too hot, even a south windows if there’s a sheer curtain to diffuse some of the light (and they’re not too hot and dry).  If they’re getting more light, or more heat, they need more water.

They can be potted in orchid bark, mounted on an orchid board, potted in extremely light potting soil, chunks of charcoal, hydroponics substrate, you name it, they will be OK as long as you balance their watering timing with the moisture retention of their substrate.

For instance, on an orchid board indoors, you may need to water them every other day, in coarse orchid bark mixed with charcoal chunks (my favorite) you could water them every 3 - 5 days depending on your house humidity.  In a very loose, light potting soil probably no more than once a week.

The more moisture their media retains, the less often they need watered and the more risk for root rot.  The less moisture the media retains, the more often they need watered and the more risk for drying out.  They also won’t look their best if they’re constantly going back and forth between extremes.  Plants adapt slowly.  Younger plants adapt somewhat quicker, older plants slower.

As far as keeping blooming going, or triggering flowering again, once all the flowers drop, cut the flower stalk back to the second node - there will be a long stalk with no nodes, then a small node (bulge in the stem with a bit of a ring around it a little like bamboo looks), then usually a slightly larger one.  Cut the stem back to about 1/2” (5-6 mm) above this second node.  You may, or may not, get another bloom stalk produced from the first or second node.  If nothing grows after about a month, or the stalk starts to shrivel or turn brown, cut it back to the base.

Growing orchids, the saying on fertilizer is “weekly, weakly”.  Use orchid fertilizer every week, but diluted to about 1/4 strength.  There are certain orchids that need tricky timing on fertilizers, dry spells, light duration or intensity changes, etc, to get them to rebloom.  Most Phals are not that picky.  Consistent moist, but well drained substrate, weekly, dilute ferts for orchids, and the right light with no risk of scorching and you should be good.

There’s lots of local orchid clubs if you’re in or near a good sized city (I learned a lot from local clubs when I was a member).  There is also plenty of good info online as long as you’re careful about the source.

Hope this helps!

[Torrey]

@Odd Duck Thank you! The extent of fertilization was occasional aquarium water mixed with filtered water. Humidity is what the aquariums provide, and we don't get any sunlight via any of our windows but the shoplights for my fishrack seem to be keeping the orchid happy.

 

I'll take pictures of the flowering stem tomorrow. The flowers lasted from May until now... last flower dropped tonight. I have been giving the orchid 1 oz of water at a time, as soon as the orchid bark feels dry. 

 

I suspect that I allowed it to get 2 dry a couple of times, because 2 flowers never fully opened before dropping off. Considering that we live in the desert, I think the orchid and I are doing quite well!

 

Your advice will probably make the orchid much happier and healthier, lol

[Patrick_G]

My wife puts her Phals in a sink of water with some ferts once a week. In our current house they eventually bloom, but it’s sporadic. 

[Odd Duck]

On 9/21/2021 at 1:26 AM, Torrey said:

@Odd Duck Thank you! The extent of fertilization was occasional aquarium water mixed with filtered water. Humidity is what the aquariums provide, and we don't get any sunlight via any of our windows but the shoplights for my fishrack seem to be keeping the orchid happy.

 

I'll take pictures of the flowering stem tomorrow. The flowers lasted from May until now... last flower dropped tonight. I have been giving the orchid 1 oz of water at a time, as soon as the orchid bark feels dry. 

 

I suspect that I allowed it to get 2 dry a couple of times, because 2 flowers never fully opened before dropping off. Considering that we live in the desert, I think the orchid and I are doing quite well!

 

Your advice will probably make the orchid much happier and healthier, lol

Aquarium water is excellent, but I would soak the roots in it for about 5 minutes at least every 5-7 days.  You might need just a little more ferts occasionally depending on how much mulm is in your discard water.

[Patrick_G]

My wife has been poaching the aquarium products for all her Epiphytes! 

[Torrey]

On 9/21/2021 at 1:13 PM, Odd Duck said:

Aquarium water is excellent, but I would soak the roots in it for about 5 minutes at least every 5-7 days.  You might need just a little more ferts occasionally depending on how much mulm is in your discard water.

If I live in the desert, is every 5 - 7 days sufficient?

And do I keep use aquarium water now that all the flowers fell off?

[Odd Duck]

On 9/23/2021 at 11:03 PM, Torrey said:

If I live in the desert, is every 5 - 7 days sufficient?

And do I keep use aquarium water now that all the flowers fell off?

You’ll have to adjust per your temps and humidity.  Orchids have very thick, specialized roots that are evolved to absorb and hold large amounts of water compared to many other plants.  Many (most?) are epiphytes that live on trees and their only source of water is trickles of rain running down the bark or the humidity in the air.

Phals like/tolerate more moisture in the substrate than many other species, which is why they come in pots with more normal looking planting media than many other orchids.  Your goal is to keep those roots from completely drying out but never to be soggy or constantly wet.

Hotter and dryer, soak more often, cooler and/or more humid, soak less often.  If the leaves on your Phal have wrinkles, they are much too dry.  Cut your between soak interval by 2 days.  If they go yellow, especially if an entire leaf yellows in a short time without an edge turning brown first, add a full day or more between soaks.

Bear in mind that if you have root rot the plant can’t get water and will show the same superficial symptoms as being too dry.  So use common sense, too.  If you have wrinkled leaves and wet substrate, root rot may be the issue vs the plant being too dry.

[Torrey]

On 9/23/2021 at 10:47 PM, Odd Duck said:

Hotter and dryer, soak more often, cooler and/or more humid, soak less often.  If the leaves on your Phal have wrinkles, they are much too dry.  Cut your between soak interval by 2 days.  If they go yellow, especially if an entire leaf yellows in a short time without an edge turning brown first, add a full day or more between soaks.

I must be doing it right, then, because all the leaves are a gorgeous green with no wrinkles. 

I can see 3 of the "tubers" that are fat, healthy looking roots. There are springtails in the planting medium, and there are 2 dried, dead looking roots that appear to have been broken off the plant (or cut when they transplanted to ship to market?)

I watch the exposed tubers/roots. They are a whitish green color, and as soon as they look like the plant is drawing nutrients/water from them I add an ounce (technically, an ounce sized scoops' worth) to the plant.

So far, so good, except I don't see nodes on the [flower] stalk, to identify where to cut?

[ARMYVET]

I never had any luck with Phalanopsis.  No matter how much I misted them and fert them they would dye off in a few months.  Cattleyas on the other hand.  I had one so large it would put out a dozen flowers at a time.  I had it for 10 plus years until someone broke into my patio and stole it. 

Dendrobiums did well too.  

[TioTeo]

I am glad to see this has sparked a lot of discussion.

I will re-iterate what @Odd Duck has said, like with any good relationship you have to learn to listen to what you orchids are saying. No single water schedule will work for all, the best thing to do is try and keep a regular schedule and then monitor the water retention of the media, the look of the foliage and leaves, and check the roots. From there you can adjust to meet the needs of the plant and the changes in the season. EVERYONE should always be lifting their pots from the decorative containers and looking at the roots regularly. If you do not have a clear pot you should be looking at transplanting into a new container as soon as you get the chance. Often orchids you buy from local stores will be root bound (with too compacted roots in a small pot) and the media may start to degrade causing the mildew and damage to the roots. But overall, by seeing how the roots are responding to the watering/feeding schedule you can learn to identify early if there is a problem. I also prefer to soak my roots (~weekly) with fertilizer (skipping fertilizer every 4th week to dilute/remove any salt residue build up). But the important part is to then let the extra water drain off so the media is not sopping. 

I also live in the dry southwest (Flagstaff, so high desert with colder nights), so I plan to water more regularly than say in the humid south. That is part of the caveat here, I have designed this planter to allow for soaking of the bottom of the container and wicking of water into the media whenever I refill my tanks (also ~ 1/week), but know this is an experiment. The extra relative humidity of the water will slow the rate of drying for the pots. This is also an unfiltered pond for rice fish. Currently I am changing water every week during fry grow out, but slowly mulm will build up and I will want to make sure that there is no significant salt/fertilizer build up in the containers as this concentrated chemical residue can eventually "burn" the roots. 

The pot shown above is the second iteration of this project, with a newly purchased orchid planted in it. I will un-pot the first test subject this weekend, that has been growing for ~ 2 month, in order to give a good feel for how the roots are handling the setup. I would normally not want to disturb roots so soon after re-potting, but it should be long enough to begin to see some root decay, and help us understand if this setup is harmful to the roots. I will keep you updated. 

Thanks for the interest,

@Torrey The nodes on your flower stalk are where the stalk is zig-zagging back and forth. Think of it as where your flowers were sprouting from. So where the brown papery triangles are sticking out on the image you uploaded. 

Odd Duck is recommending to trim the stalk back to ~1/2" above the second node. Be sure to use clean scissors/shears. I have never had much luck on getting good re-blooming in my phals, but I have had keiki (baby plants) grow on plants (when I was new to the hobby) that were root bound and unhappy. This can happen naturally, but often is a sign that your plant is trying to invest in a new offshoot due to unfavorable soil conditions. 

[Odd Duck]

On 9/24/2021 at 1:39 AM, Torrey said:

I must be doing it right, then, because all the leaves are a gorgeous green with no wrinkles. 

I can see 3 of the "tubers" that are fat, healthy looking roots. There are springtails in the planting medium, and there are 2 dried, dead looking roots that appear to have been broken off the plant (or cut when they transplanted to ship to market?)

I watch the exposed tubers/roots. They are a whitish green color, and as soon as they look like the plant is drawing nutrients/water from them I add an ounce (technically, an ounce sized scoops' worth) to the plant.

So far, so good, except I don't see nodes on the [flower] stalk, to identify where to cut?

Each spot where the stem changes angle is a node.  So clip it with very clean scissors or knife just after the second node, leaving at least 1/8” to 1/4” (3-4 mm).  Can do up to 1/2”.  Give it time, make certain to soak those fleshy roots at least once a week, and you’ll likely have better luck with rebloomimg.

 

Edit to add that I should have read all the posts because I see that @TioTeo has already answered this question.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Odd Duck

[Odd Duck]

On 9/24/2021 at 8:20 AM, ARMYVET said:

I never had any luck with Phalanopsis.  No matter how much I misted them and fert them they would dye off in a few months.  Cattleyas on the other hand.  I had one so large it would put out a dozen flowers at a time.  I had it for 10 plus years until someone broke into my patio and stole it. 

Dendrobiums did well too.  

Phals don’t like being misted.  They appreciate humidity, but no water on the leaves.  Were you fertilizing full strength or diluted?  Watering with old fish water or using orchid specific fertilizer?  Were you soaking every 5-7 days then letting them drain well?

I envy your success with the Cattleyas and Dendrobiums.  Were you in Florida then, too?  I’m too lazy with my houseplants and only occasionally got those to bloom back.  I’ve had much better luck with Phals.

I used to have dozens of orchids from medium to tiny with mixed success on reblooming.  I’m ridiculously fascinated by the tiny one and had a 70 gallon tank that was converted to a terrarium with many mini orchids at one point, a misting system made from an ultrasonic humidifier, and a waterfall.  I’ve only got a few orchids left because I just quit buying them for myself when I cut back on getting houseplants in general.

[TioTeo]

Ok, so after the follow up, this project may need a little improvement.

I unpotted the first phal I planted about 2 months ago, and while it was looking fairly good from the outside, it is showing early signs of crown rot (black-ish discoloration at the base of the plant.) 

The roots are looking healthy (you may notice some of the original pot shape from the severe root binding that occurred previously), but they are probably getting too much water allowing bacterial growth that is turning to rot. 

Because of this I also unpotted the other phal (~3 weeks in a second aquarium) and it does not show any root rot, but is exhibiting significant root die off. The potting media here is showing much more fungal growth (white strands in media) as well, which is concerning. 

What this likely means is that just any old potting media is not going to work in this set up. I may see if I can recover these outside of the aquarium, and try again with another set of potting medium with healthier plants.

[Odd Duck]

Yep, those look way too wet.  You likely need something that wicks less.  You can sometimes find orchid potting mix that is big chunks of charcoal mixed with bark chunks with out any sphagnum moss (the moss will wick too much).  By big chunks, I mean in the 1/2”-1” range.  I usually found it at local orchid club meetings when I was more actively involved with orchids.

Orchid clubs may at least provide a source to get the mix even if you’re not a club kind of person.  I’m not really a joiner being a pretty hardcore introvert, but I did learn a lot from the meetings I attended for a couple years.

You could probably use a “natural charcoal chunks” for barbecuing as long as no chemicals have been applied and get “orchid bark” and mix your own about half and half.  You might have to break up some of the bigger charcoal pieces.  That’s a very messy business which is why purchasing it already sorted to the right size is good.  The charcoal and bark mix drains very well but the charcoal holds onto nutrients well for the plant.

I would also cut off, or at least open up, the roots that are in a ring.  That’s not helping the plant and is just risking strangulating other roots.  Also cut off any compromised roots.  Once they’re bad, they only bring more rot.  Cut them off with a disinfected sharp knife or scissors.  Rinse away all substrate and repot in the better draining media.

Soak the plant once weekly in old fish water or weak fertilizer solution and let it drain completely before putting it back inside another pot if you have a double up pot.  Leaving it out and open to drain into a saucer filled with pebbles would be better for now.  They should come back OK since you caught it early and the leaves still look healthy.

Still very interested if you can find that perfect balance for orchids set so the roots are barely in the water.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Odd Duck
For typos, must have been really tired when I typed this.

[Torrey]

On 9/24/2021 at 11:11 PM, Odd Duck said:

Each spot where the stem changes angle is a node.  So clip it with very clean scissors or knife just after the second node, leaving at least 1/8” to 1/4” (3-4 mm).  Can do up to 1/2”.  Give it time, make certain to soak those fleshy roots at least once a week, and you’ll likely have better luck with rebloomimg.

 

Edit to add that I should have read all the posts because I see that @TioTeo has already answered this question.

Thanks to @Odd Duck and @TioTeo I have a record!

While I didn't get new flowers, it is 7 months later and I am getting NEW LEAVES.

Which means this is a record length of time for keeping an orchid alive, while living in the desert🥰

So, should I be concerned about this:

I had a really difficult time getting the camera phone to focus on the end of the tuber coming out from between some older leaf growth.

I have no idea what the little brown nub is? Very definitely attached to the end of the tuber. Looks almost like a cross between a snail shell (like MTS?) and an artistic drawing of the Alice in Wonderland mushrooms... but definitely not either.

Here's a picture of the orchid doing it's weekly soak on the kitchen cabinet, while I clean up Christmas ornaments 😅

Thank you both, so much for all your guidance!

 

 

😅 I forgot to include the picture of roots in media😅