I have been thinking about this water culture regarding orchids. I came up with this point as first and foremost that an orchid is an epiphyte, it grows on another plant for support. Secondly their roots need air in order to survive. Water culture goes against point#2. So if you want to grow orchids hydroponically, you are walking on the edge. What it boils down to is growing orchids with marginal cultural practices where they might limp along for years, never performing like they should. OR you can grow them using accepted cultural practices such as pots, media, baskets and mounts.
I tell beginning orchid growers this point over and over again, if a big orchid blooms, is it healthy?? Or if the same plant is big enough to properly have eight spikes with 44 flowers, which plant is most likely to be healthier????? Stick to begonias or maybe impatiens with water culture, not orchids.
I had a few friends up North who tried to grow Phalaenopsis and Phragmipediums in shallow flowing water through connected plastic window boxes. Both had initial success and both later abandoned this method due to leaks, clogged pumps and gross looking algae growing every where.
