Hydrogel for orchids
Description of the drug
Growing an orchid in hydrogel: how does it happen and how to properly care for it? This is a polymer that can be seen on sale in the form of coarse sand or colored balls the size of peas. Its main feature is the active absorption of moisture , and then gradual release to the plant or atmosphere, if a flower is not planted in it.
Hydrogel beads absorb moisture and then gradually release it back.
The price of the drug depends on the packaging size and particle diameter. Starting price from 250 rub.
In the form of balls
For this purpose, balls ranging in size from 0.5 cm to 1.5 cm are sold. Sometimes you can see that the plant is already planted in such balls when sold, but as practice shows, the flower will not live .
Because there is practically no access to oxygen . But, if you want to plant it while presenting a flower gift, then take a container, put a flower in the center and fill the entire void with balls.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages: relative beauty when buying a flower, and among the disadvantages is that after a short time it will be compressed and will not give the root system access to oxygen. In addition, after a while the following appears:
- Mold on granules/balls;
- If a plant dies in this polymer, then it cannot be used for another flower, since it is not disinfected.
Types and properties of hydrogel
Aqua soil is a modern substance that can retain large amounts of nutrient moisture. Instead of ordinary soil, polymer granules are placed in a flower pot , capable of absorbing water, holding it for a long time and gradually releasing it to the plants . This property is important for orchids, which react sensitively to excess or lack of moisture and nutrients.
Another name for the substance is hydrogel . Outwardly, it resembles gelatin balls or irregularly shaped flakes. It is placed in flower pots, mixed with a nutrient substrate, or completely replaced.
Orchid in hydrogel (planting, growing, care). Aqua soil for orchids is not only a source of moisture and nutrition, but also a decorative material.
By consistency, it is a springy substance, colorless or colored in different colors. Serves to increase the intervals between waterings.
The mechanism of action is as follows:
- The hydrogel absorbs moisture and nutrients and gradually releases them with slow evaporation;
- The root system of the orchid, evenly located between the granules, penetrates the material and takes away nutrition.
This method protects the orchid from drought or waterlogging, and also provides the necessary aeration.
Important! An invaluable property compared to ordinary soil is complete sterility. The hydrogel does not contain pathogens or pest larvae.
By growing orchids in hydrogel, there is no fear that they will become infected with a fungal or bacterial infection. But it is worth considering that regular watering should be alternated with nutritious solutions of mineral fertilizers.
Features of cultivation
Sometimes you can see exotic beauties growing in colored polymer balls. It may be beautiful, but it is difficult for the plant to grow in it, since its roots are not adapted to such soil.
The root system of this plant is created in such a way that:
- Must participate in photosynthesis;
- And she must have access to oxygen.
Therefore, after several waterings, the polymer will be compressed and the air supply to the root mass will stop, the flower will lose its roots . The use of hydrogel beads can have a bad effect on the roots of the orchid.
How to use it correctly?
The polymer can only be used for resuscitation of orchids .
Some gardeners use hydrogel beads to resuscitate orchids.
Moreover, this experience does not help everyone and cannot be fully recommended, since it is not particularly confirmed by facts:
- A plant with leaves that have lost turgor is placed in polymer;
- And water it;
- They lie in this position for no more than 2 hours;
- After which they are cleaned of hydrogel.
Lifespan
will not grow in multi-colored polymer balls . Due to the lack of oxygen access to the root system, the plant will die from oxygen starvation. A month will be enough for it to turn from a beautiful plant into a bush without roots and with yellowing leaf plates.
IMPORTANT! If you receive a gift and the flower is in hydrogel, you must urgently save it with a complete transplant.
From seeds - reality or myth?
Is it possible to grow orchid seeds in hydrogel? Some flower lovers try to grow a flower from seeds. In addition, you can note that seeds will not grow in ordinary peat; they will die there almost immediately .
This happens because the seed of a tropical plant does not have a nutritious shell and therefore, in its native environment, the seeds germinate together with fungi.
The seeds are very small and the human eye cannot see them. One seed capsule contains many small seeds . Therefore, in order for a gardener to start propagating a plant using seeds, he must arm himself with a special composition in which to sow these midgets.
Some websites advertise hydrogel . But the seeds will not germinate in it, since it is a lifeless, not nutritious product that will not be able to feed the seedlings. Therefore, it is not used for germinating orchid seeds.
Seeds need a nutrient medium rich in sucrose and other nutrients so that the hatched sprouts can grow further .
Reviews
Many buyers leave their reviews about hydrogel for orchids: some are positive, and some are negative. Here are some of them.
Nina Petrovna, Sevastopol. “I bought these beautiful balls for cultivating orchids. But having tried them, I do not recommend the polymer for growing any plants. They refuse to grow in this artificial environment. Balloons can only be used as decoration."
Svetlana, Omsk. “I bought this polymer to grow Vanda. But I didn’t put her in it directly. I have a tall, straight vase 50 cm high. I put balls on the bottom and moistened them. And on top there is a flower.
Each person uses hydrogel beads differently.
That is, between the hydrogel and the roots there is about 30 cm of moist air. This is how a flower grows. As soon as the roots grow into balls, it will be necessary to increase the height of the vase.”
Alena, Ryazan. “I bought myself a polymer in order to revive an orchid, but it completely destroyed it. But adding it to the soil when growing hibiscus, I discovered that the soil retains moisture longer and the flower does well. But I don’t recommend cultivating orchids in this polymer.”
Transfer
Is it possible to plant an orchid in hydrogel? Sometimes in flower shops you can see orchid seedlings for sale, planted in polymer . What is this for?
Necessity
There is no need to replant the flower at all, since there is no way for it to grow roots. Therefore, the best solution for the plant would be to plant it in normal bark . This will allow it to live normally and grow roots for subsequent leaf growth and flowering.
What orchids are grown in water?
Not all varieties of orchids are suitable for growing indoor flowers in water. Flower growers note that phalaenopsis and other domesticated species grow well in these conditions. Choose those that do not have a resting phase with drying of the roots:
- Phragmipedium.
- Dendrobium. It is best to place a container with water and an orchid in a cool room.
- Cattleya with flowers 20 cm in diameter. It develops better in a warm environment, but does not like heat.
- Mormodes, whose petals and sepals are predominantly dotted with spots, dots and strokes.
- Zygopetalum with fragrant bicolor and tricolor petals.
Possible consequences
If the flower was purchased planted in polymer, then most likely, if you take it out from there, you may not find the roots .
Growing an orchid in hydrogel balls can lead to the death of the roots.
Because after a month without access to oxygen, they begin to die off almost all at once. The result will be a disastrous result: the death of the beauty if the absence of roots is not detected in time.
IMPORTANT! Having received such a surprise as a gift, the flower must be urgently transplanted into a normal substrate. Beauty is beauty, but do not forget that the flower wants to live.
How does it affect development?
After a month of living in hydrogel balls on an orchid, you can notice an “amazing” result :
- Loss of root mass;
- Leaf blades that have lost turgor;
- If there was flowering, then the flowers withered ahead of schedule.
In what cases is it justified?
An adult orchid can be planted in a transparent container filled with beautiful hydrogel balls, if you want to give a unique gift , but you should warn the owner of the gift that transplantation into the bark will be required.
Beautiful hydrogel beads are simply an attractive design technique for the florist , and not a decision about the choice of soil.
Absorb and release: why do you need hydrogel for indoor plants?
Hydrogel, also known as eco-soil, hydrosoil and aquasoil, has recently joined the assortment of flower shops, although the history of its origin goes back centuries.
Since ancient times, the brilliant minds of mankind have been thinking about how to retain moisture in the soil and prevent crop losses from drought.
Attempts to solve this problem in the last century led to the invention of hydrogels. The initiative belonged to the UN, and implementation was carried out by Western chemical concerns.
At its core, a hydrogel is a highly absorbent polymer.
One gram of dry polymer granules can absorb up to 200-400 grams of water, increasing in size by 1000-1500%. The structure of the hydrogel is flexible and plastic.
When dried, the polymer returns to its original crystalline form and swells again in the presence of water. What does indoor flowers have to do with it?
Hydrogel beads added to the soil
absorb moisture from the soil during watering and create a kind of water reservoir, to which plant roots fall in times of “drought” to quench thirst. Brilliant - simple.
If you…
- take care of maintaining optimal soil moisture,
- are planning to go on vacation, leaving the plants for 2-3 weeks,
- or simply forget to regularly water your “pets”,
...transplant potted flowers into aqua soil. They will say thank you. As for application, the hydrogel can be used both as an additive and as an independent primer.
