Hydroculture orchid kit

[Jane Doe]

Picked up a hydroculture orchid kit at a garage sale for five bucks. It came with the media (fired up clay), the culture pots and interior pots, as well as the water level indicators. The instructions called for an overnight soak in a rooting compound/nutrient mix. But there was no rooting compound or any other fertilizer-like powder in the kit.

Trying to understand whether any ordinary rooting compound would work the same? Can I substitute a GrowMore 20-10-20 and soak the clay media in this?

Assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you. Mariana

[SuE]

Instead I would go read the Semi-Hydro Method work on FirstRay.Com There is a good description. You have the hardest, most costly ingredient (Clay media). This method is well loved by Phrags, Paphs, Oncidium, Brassia, Summer or Chinese Cymbidiums and many others. Less likely to cause you to cross contaminate the plants. Virus control in a full hydro system is difficult. SuE

[Wendy7]

Hi there Mariana, Yes Sue is right, just a follow up, are these pots individual containers, they don't share the water in one large tank like conventional hydroponics right? I would soak in a very weak solution of GroMore & rooting powder. Otherwise you would see fertilizer burn on your leaves etc. Cheers Wendy