I am always on the lookout on ways and means to further improve my orchid growing skills. As newbie as I am, it has been an exciting learning curve knowing what type of orchids can safely grow in my area, trying to make them survive our local conditions and adjusting my watering regimen as the seasons change.
Recently I came across this product called Hygrolon, a fabric mesh that is porous enough to allow good air circulation and wicks water, so it can retain some moisture without rotting the roots. Most of the users I have seen posts their set-up in conjunction with terrariums or vivariums. I intend to use this for my orchid media, as a replacement for sphagnum moss.
Last Spring, I have made an experiment using stockings with styro peanut fillers and some sphagnum moss for one of my temperamental noid Phalaenopsis. This plant always dries out way too fast in bark mix, so I had to find another way of providing moisture on its root zone. Our area being so dry and drier as summer season goes on makes a toll on some of the orchids. After all they are tropical plants, and they need a good level of humidity to thrive. So knowing that hygrolon is a fabric mesh, and acts like my stocking baggie, I think it will also work!
This is how Hygrolon looks like: it can be cut into any shape or size as needed.
And this is the noid Phalaenopsis I will experiment on. In this photo, it shows how the roots have eagerly penetrated the stocking baggie I made which had a small amount of sphag moss and some styro peanuts inside. This one I did in early Spring 2013, when I transitioned the plant from bark mix to stocking baggie media. So obviously the roots of this plant is one eager moisture seeking one. But I really want to do away with sphagnum moss..it always stay way too wet for my liking at times and it decomposes too. I want something that will stay on for long so I will not have to repot often.
I had to wet the roots and the stocking baggie a bit to remove the roots safely without breaking them..love those thick healthy roots!
Just some trimming of some older roots from before, and it sure looks like one happy Phal prospect for my new potting experiment.
So back to Hygrolon, made some baggies similar to previous experiment, but this time, using styro peanuts and some leftover leca rocks as fillers. To be honest, I am not sure if I should have included leca rocks or not, but then again, just in case the roots penetrates again the hygrolon membrane, it will still find some more moisture to cling on inside safely. It is easy enough to do the baggie, just some minor sewing on the sides..you can even use glue if you want.
So repotting the plant back to its clay pot container. I placed some loose styro peanuts below, cut small portion of hygrolon fabric to put on top of the styrofoam peanuts, then settled in the hygrolon baggies, carefully sandwiching the exposed roots. Sandwiching the roots with the baggies makes it easier to keep the plant upright, no need to stake it. I have presoaked the hygrolon baggies briefly, it does wick quite fast, so no overnight soaking needed like usually done with bark media.
So that's the final set-up, the plant goes back to its vertical hanging pole, getting good moisture on the roots and good airflow as well. So will see how it goes later on..especially come winter time!
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