I'm a huge fan of your vids, Michael. I have a learned a ton from you and am now starting my own conversions. For whatever its worth, I concur wholeheartedly that we all need to find what works best (In our own unique growing environments) for the health of our orchids. You offer information objectively and with great transparency. Don't waste any energy worrying about those peeing their pants because you found an unconventional/unpopular solution to a problem. You've always been crystal clear that these are YOUR methods, in YOUR home, that work best for you. You have never claimed to be an expert, nor have you ever stated or even implied that your methods are the very best. Some people clearly wear their underwear far too tight. Big orchid love, sir........and keep the videos coming !
Thank you so much for this kind comment, John! I always wonder if the reason people become so irate is because I’ve been unclear on some way. This makes me feel like I’ve communicated properly, which means the world to me. Thank you!!!
I love experiments. The results here were very interesting. The parameters of your experiment are sound. Other results could occur with Leca purchased from other sources and would only be relevant to those with a different source of leca and different fertilizers. Another issue altogether. Just an added thought, I wonder what each individual considers to be their 'perfect' pH level. Your orchids are doing well. Don't change what isn't broke. There are millions of other variables that can cause differing results. As with any other life form, adjustments are always necessary to thrive in different environments around the world. Having differing opinions doesn't make things wrong it simply makes them different. Good manners are important. The 'rude' comments obviously come from people lacking or ignoring that skill set. You go Michael!!!
Thank you for your kindness and support Etta! Some people refuse to believe that there more than one ways to grow our plants...I need to stop letting those people impact me! Xoxo
Michael's Orchids Absolutely. It's just a waste of energy if you start a discussion with such aggressive people. You've tried to clear out your point of view without hurting anyone and that's absolutely enough 😘
You have to do what works for you! I have also learned that there can be some really rude people out there that think that if you don't do it their way, you are wrong. Continue working hard and providing for your plants the best that you can.
Thank you, I agree! That’s precisely what I intend to do, and I’ll let the plants tell me what is and isn’t working. It had worked for me so far, I think everyone has to hammer those little nuances out for themselves! Thank you for watching ❤️
Please be yourself and enjoy your orchids! I have been using Leca in my 46 pots of orchids for one year and they are giving me joy. I use only tap water of 7.2PH. I use my tap water for my 4 freshwater fish and water plants tanks and my Koi Pond. I do my way as long as I am not hurting them. They are all doing well and giving me joy 😄
Another thing to consider (as though you didn’t have enough!) is that the lecca may be absorbing/holding onto the salts in the nutrient solution, pulling it out of the water and thereby returning the water itself to something closer to its “default” ph. That could explain why the difference is higher with the nutrient solution than the water alone. I honestly don’t know how you would measure that, and I don’t think it’s necessary to try, but it’s an idea :-) Kudos to you for paying attention to the feedback in your previous comments and taking it into account without getting hung up on the hostile attitudes you encountered in the process- you gave your viewers some added value and proved yourself resilient at the same time
I have orchids growing in different media but over the past year I have really favored the semi hydroponic media. I enjoy your videos and find them very inspiring. Try not to let the rude people bother you..do what works for you. Blessings!
Thanks for further explaining your system. Mine is quite similar in that I start with a lower ph in the nutrient solution and I haven’t noticed any adverse effects. I have only been dropping the ph for about 6 weeks so it is early days. All good so far. Keep up your excellent work!
Love that you are taking such a scientific approach. I'm new to the hobby but is it possible root burn is primarily from too many nutrients and salts not the pH ?
Hi Cyndi! I thrift for the containers, then I drill the holes myself. Here is a the video I did on how-to: Drilling Holes in Glass: Semi-Hydroponicsth-cam.com/video/h3PKt-UJjpE/w-d-xo.html
Hi Michael thanks so much for the video - my orchids babies have not been growing for over a year now I have an ionizer to change the PH so changed the 7.0 what I have been using to 3.5 acid and then fertilizer = 5.2 which I soaked all my orchids in leca except 1 which is in seramis medium for 15 min. after soaking I measured the solution all came out 5.6 except the seramis which came out 5.8 so hoping this works!! Keep up with the passion you have for your orchids and we will all benefit from them!!
Thank you Margaret, that sounds like a good game plan! I always encourage trying an adjustment like this on 1-2 plants first to ensure nothing is damaged, but it sounds like you have everything under control! ❤️
Thank you Micheal for such an interesting piece. Perhaps keep an eye on your collection as you’re making adjustments and a couple at a time. Sometimes when you’re dealing with public you’ll see all streets of life with various ways of expressing themselves. Keep the “stiff upper lip”.
I think you'll find that lowering the pH of the nutrient solution will not have a marked effect on the length of time that it takes for the pH to increase due to the small volume of solution compared to the much larger volume of buffering agent (LECA). It would seem to me that using a nutrient solution with a starting point closer to 6 would be more advisable, as the LECA is only buffering to near neutral. The end pH from a higher initial pH nutrient solution should be the same as that of a lower initial pH.
I am sorry Michael that instead of bringing joy, it brings you hustle and negative vibes 😞. That is why I, myself, don’t venture out into TH-cam world. I don’t want this 💩in my life. But you keep on keeping on my man. I love your videos. Thank you✌️
Thank you Elaine! I feel so silly for being bothered by it, maybe one day I’ll be able to ignore it altogether. In the meantime, I really appreciate your positivity and support!
Hi Michael! I really love your videos. Even though you uploaded this video 3 years ago, it's still super relevant to semi-hydro neophyte. I wonder, have you tried soaking tea with your nutrient solution to somehow lower the pH? I just figured maybe the tannic acid could help stabilize the pH levels.
Some thing I’ve noticed about leca is that When I prepared my fertilizer nutrients I would aim for a ph of 5.8 Ph and ppm of 125- a day or week later my ppm would go up about 150-175 my ph would go up to about 7.0 which tells me that as the water dehydration the ph & nutrients ppm goes up so what I started doing is adding ro water and adding ph down to reach a ph of 5.8 and draining the hi ph water and adding the 5.8 ph water and it would bring down the ppm back down to normal nutrient settings of 125 ppm
Can I suggest one more test? I have been using just a tiny bit of Sera Super Peat in the bottom of the pot. Maybe about 1/2 tsp. I believe it helps control the Ph.
Mayrie Grimm I am trying this currently as well. Using peat pellets meant for water filtration to reduce reservoir pH. I have about a dozen phrags in SH with a 1/2 tsp in the reservoir but have not taken any measurements. No ill effects so far and it gives additional humic acid for the plants
ummmnooo100 Did you saw MissOrchidGirl's Video about that? I am currently using the sera super peat at the bottom and the PH stays constantly at 6,4 in the reservoir! It just seems to push the hardness of the water...not sure how 🤔
I bought a bag of these clay pellets not long ago and on the back it suggests flushing the pellets with a mix of 1 part white vinegar to 3-4 parts water and then flushing with water once the ph reaches 5.5 or so. I wonder if this vinegar solution soak would decrease how much the clay pellets raise the ph of the water in the long run. Might make a great part 3! ☺️ love your vids, I’ve been binge watching!!
The leca itself has a pH of around 7 or higher. Mixing it with an acidic liquid will result in a pH that is somewhere in between. I let the leca sit in acidic water before using it initially so that it brings down the pH of the leca.
Ok. I finally got a ph meter and tested the reservoir water with and some without superpeet and I found no difference. Both produced a reading of 6.8. I'm curious to see what you find Michael. I'm going to try a more detailed test to see if I get something different.
So pH is determined by amount of hydrogen atoms in a solution. The chemical make up of clay (leca being the expanded version) is Al2Si2O5(OH)4 allowing it to bond with free hydrogen and why Clay is hydrophilic to water which has 2 hydrogen. This is just what I remember from hs chem but this is possibly why the ph decreases for you.
Hi Michael! I am new to discovering your channel, and just wanted to say I have found you to be a breath of fresh air in the orchid community 😊 I have a question: I recently soaked my first Leca (about 20times, over 3 weeks to be safe!). I use Distilled water PH 5.5/5.8. My Leca (soaking in distilled water) reads as PH7 (30PPM). It reaches 7 almost instantly after changing the water. Would you recommend (to a newbie like myself) to lower my water PH below 5.5 to counteract this bump? I understand that orchids prefer 5.5-6.5 so I'm a bit scared to leave it, but also to go too low! 😅 Thanks-Also its great to see more LGBTQ+ representation (like me) in the hobby! 🙏🌈
This experiment was well done, but your possible conclusion that the effects might be “magnified” in some conditions is not correct. The resulting pH is always going to be somewhere between the pH levels of the ingredients you’re combining. In other words, if you have a solution with a pH of 4.0 and add an equal amount of a solution with a pH of 8.0, the resulting pH should be 6.0. If I start with a 2.0 solution and add the same 8.0 solution, the result will be 5.0. This jump of 3 (from 2 to 5) doesn’t mean the former effect of just 2 (from 4 to 6) has been “magnified by 1.0”. The average pH has just been dragged up further.
I think since it hasn't been a problem before...and you change it weekly...I would stay with the same measurements. By the way, you are soooo cute about how NOT perfect you are!
I'm a huge fan of your vids, Michael. I have a learned a ton from you and am now starting my own conversions. For whatever its worth, I concur wholeheartedly that we all need to find what works best (In our own unique growing environments) for the health of our orchids.
You offer information objectively and with great transparency. Don't waste any energy worrying about those peeing their pants because you found an unconventional/unpopular solution to a problem. You've always been crystal clear that these are YOUR methods, in YOUR home, that work best for you. You have never claimed to be an expert, nor have you ever stated or even implied that your methods are the very best. Some people clearly wear their underwear far too tight.
Big orchid love, sir........and keep the videos coming !
Thank you so much for this kind comment, John! I always wonder if the reason people become so irate is because I’ve been unclear on some way. This makes me feel like I’ve communicated properly, which means the world to me. Thank you!!!
I love experiments. The results here were very interesting. The parameters of your experiment are sound. Other results could occur with Leca purchased from other sources and would only be relevant to those with a different source of leca and different fertilizers. Another issue altogether.
Just an added thought, I wonder what each individual considers to be their 'perfect' pH level. Your orchids are doing well. Don't change what isn't broke.
There are millions of other variables that can cause differing results. As with any other life form, adjustments are always necessary to thrive in different environments around the world. Having differing opinions doesn't make things wrong it simply makes them different. Good manners are important. The 'rude' comments obviously come from people lacking or ignoring that skill set. You go Michael!!!
Thank you for your kindness and support Etta! Some people refuse to believe that there more than one ways to grow our plants...I need to stop letting those people impact me! Xoxo
Michael's Orchids Absolutely. It's just a waste of energy if you start a discussion with such aggressive people. You've tried to clear out your point of view without hurting anyone and that's absolutely enough 😘
You have to do what works for you! I have also learned that there can be some really rude people out there that think that if you don't do it their way, you are wrong. Continue working hard and providing for your plants the best that you can.
Thank you, I agree! That’s precisely what I intend to do, and I’ll let the plants tell me what is and isn’t working. It had worked for me so far, I think everyone has to hammer those little nuances out for themselves! Thank you for watching ❤️
Please be yourself and enjoy your orchids! I have been using Leca in my 46 pots of orchids for one year and they are giving me joy. I use only tap water of 7.2PH. I use my tap water for my 4 freshwater fish and water plants tanks and my Koi Pond. I do my way as long as I am not hurting them. They are all doing well and giving me joy 😄
Thank you for that, Yukari! Yes, we all have our own ways and the plants are the judges of our success 🙏🏼
Another thing to consider (as though you didn’t have enough!) is that the lecca may be absorbing/holding onto the salts in the nutrient solution, pulling it out of the water and thereby returning the water itself to something closer to its “default” ph. That could explain why the difference is higher with the nutrient solution than the water alone.
I honestly don’t know how you would measure that, and I don’t think it’s necessary to try, but it’s an idea :-)
Kudos to you for paying attention to the feedback in your previous comments and taking it into account without getting hung up on the hostile attitudes you encountered in the process- you gave your viewers some added value and proved yourself resilient at the same time
Thx for this, very interesting. My Orchids are thriving in the Leca medium, I'll continue as you've shown.
I have orchids growing in different media but over the past year I have really favored the semi hydroponic media. I enjoy your videos and find them very inspiring. Try not to let the rude people bother you..do what works for you. Blessings!
This was absolutely fascinating. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Michael! You work so hard for us, thanks!i
Thank you for watching and for being so kind! ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for further explaining your system. Mine is quite similar in that I start with a lower ph in the nutrient solution and I haven’t noticed any adverse effects. I have only been dropping the ph for about 6 weeks so it is early days. All good so far. Keep up your excellent work!
Loved this experiment! Thank you for spending the time doing this. I learned a lot!
Great great job, thaks a million foro sharing. Regards from Málaga (Spain)
Love that you are taking such a scientific approach. I'm new to the hobby but is it possible root burn is primarily from too many nutrients and salts not the pH ?
Thank you! I was wondering the same thing myself, we need a go-to orchid scientist to answer these questions...
I have noticed all of your orchid pots are clear where do you get them and how do you make the holes if they are glass! I love the look!
Hi Cyndi! I thrift for the containers, then I drill the holes myself. Here is a the video I did on how-to: Drilling Holes in Glass: Semi-Hydroponicsth-cam.com/video/h3PKt-UJjpE/w-d-xo.html
Fascinating video. Smarter minds then mine will need to explain why it is happening.
You and me both! Just when I think I have things figured out, this grow system throws me a curveball. Thanks for watching!
Hi Michael thanks so much for the video - my orchids babies have not been growing for over a year now I have an ionizer to change the PH so changed the 7.0 what I have been using to 3.5 acid and then fertilizer = 5.2 which I soaked all my orchids in leca except 1 which is in seramis medium for 15 min. after soaking I measured the solution all came out 5.6 except the seramis which came out 5.8 so hoping this works!! Keep up with the passion you have for your orchids and we will all benefit from them!!
Thank you Margaret, that sounds like a good game plan! I always encourage trying an adjustment like this on 1-2 plants first to ensure nothing is damaged, but it sounds like you have everything under control! ❤️
MARGARET MOEN great numbers! Hope your orchids will now start to feel more comfortable 😊
Thank you Micheal for such an interesting piece. Perhaps keep an eye on your collection as you’re making adjustments and a couple at a time. Sometimes when you’re dealing with public you’ll see all streets of life with various ways of expressing themselves. Keep the “stiff upper lip”.
That’s great advice, Thomas! Thank you for the support and words of wisdom
I think you'll find that lowering the pH of the nutrient solution will not have a marked effect on the length of time that it takes for the pH to increase due to the small volume of solution compared to the much larger volume of buffering agent (LECA). It would seem to me that using a nutrient solution with a starting point closer to 6 would be more advisable, as the LECA is only buffering to near neutral. The end pH from a higher initial pH nutrient solution should be the same as that of a lower initial pH.
Well done!
Thank you Pat!
I am sorry Michael that instead of bringing joy, it brings you hustle and negative vibes 😞. That is why I, myself, don’t venture out into TH-cam world. I don’t want this 💩in my life. But you keep on keeping on my man. I love your videos. Thank you✌️
Thank you Elaine! I feel so silly for being bothered by it, maybe one day I’ll be able to ignore it altogether. In the meantime, I really appreciate your positivity and support!
Hi Michael! I really love your videos. Even though you uploaded this video 3 years ago, it's still super relevant to semi-hydro neophyte. I wonder, have you tried soaking tea with your nutrient solution to somehow lower the pH? I just figured maybe the tannic acid could help stabilize the pH levels.
Hey Michael! This is a great video! Are you still starting your solution at 4.5?
Some thing I’ve noticed about leca is that When I prepared my fertilizer nutrients I would aim for a ph of 5.8 Ph and ppm of 125- a day or week later my ppm would go up about 150-175 my ph would go up to about 7.0 which tells me that as the water dehydration the ph & nutrients ppm goes up so what I started doing is adding ro water and adding ph down to reach a ph of 5.8 and draining the hi ph water and adding the 5.8 ph water and it would bring down the ppm back down to normal nutrient settings of 125 ppm
Can I suggest one more test? I have been using just a tiny bit of Sera Super Peat in the bottom of the pot. Maybe about 1/2 tsp. I believe it helps control the Ph.
Mayrie Grimm I am trying this currently as well. Using peat pellets meant for water filtration to reduce reservoir pH. I have about a dozen phrags in SH with a 1/2 tsp in the reservoir but have not taken any measurements. No ill effects so far and it gives additional humic acid for the plants
Let me know if you test. I have ordered a PH meter. As soon as I receive it I will test. Good luck.
I need to get on this, thank you for the tip Mayrie! I’ll order some ASAP and do some testing
I'm happy to assist in the search for knowledge. Anything to help my orchid kids. I just ordered 3 more orchids. Oh my! I'm running out of room. LOL!!
ummmnooo100 Did you saw MissOrchidGirl's Video about that? I am currently using the sera super peat at the bottom and the PH stays constantly at 6,4 in the reservoir! It just seems to push the hardness of the water...not sure how 🤔
I bought a bag of these clay pellets not long ago and on the back it suggests flushing the pellets with a mix of 1 part white vinegar to 3-4 parts water and then flushing with water once the ph reaches 5.5 or so. I wonder if this vinegar solution soak would decrease how much the clay pellets raise the ph of the water in the long run. Might make a great part 3! ☺️ love your vids, I’ve been binge watching!!
I enjoyed your sharing 🙏👍
The leca itself has a pH of around 7 or higher. Mixing it with an acidic liquid will result in a pH that is somewhere in between. I let the leca sit in acidic water before using it initially so that it brings down the pH of the leca.
Ok. I finally got a ph meter and tested the reservoir water with and some without superpeet and I found no difference. Both produced a reading of 6.8. I'm curious to see what you find Michael. I'm going to try a more detailed test to see if I get something different.
Wow ,you look great in black.. I suck at mental math too lol. This was a great experiment.
Haha, awe thank you! Mental math is juuuuust the worst.
Side note: Your orchids are gorg, but so is YOUR SKIN!! Do you have a skin care channel?
So pH is determined by amount of hydrogen atoms in a solution. The chemical make up of clay (leca being the expanded version) is Al2Si2O5(OH)4 allowing it to bond with free hydrogen and why Clay is hydrophilic to water which has 2 hydrogen. This is just what I remember from hs chem but this is possibly why the ph decreases for you.
You remember hs chem!? You’re a better man than me, that all sounds a little confusing to be honest. But an interesting possibility nonetheless
Hi Michael! I am new to discovering your channel, and just wanted to say I have found you to be a breath of fresh air in the orchid community 😊 I have a question: I recently soaked my first Leca (about 20times, over 3 weeks to be safe!). I use Distilled water PH 5.5/5.8. My Leca (soaking in distilled water) reads as PH7 (30PPM). It reaches 7 almost instantly after changing the water. Would you recommend (to a newbie like myself) to lower my water PH below 5.5 to counteract this bump? I understand that orchids prefer 5.5-6.5 so I'm a bit scared to leave it, but also to go too low! 😅 Thanks-Also its great to see more LGBTQ+ representation (like me) in the hobby! 🙏🌈
👏🏼
Thank you for all the info, however I would like to let you know I enjoy the view of you elephant ear plant in the background,
Can you please tell me your favorite leca? I just ordered a bag and just don't like the look of them! Thanks Michael!!!!
should have had one with a lower ph to see if it would have raised it to where you would have wanted it to been
Great experiment what about people who grow orchids in just water cultivation with great success maybe they don’t experience the Ph swing
I do both. The PH will go up in plain water culture but very, very minimal. Nothing like leca cultivation!
I think you’re right, since leca isn’t impacting the ph of your nutrient solution!
wouldnt exposing your nutrient solution to air increase the dissolved oxygen content & then therefore raise the pH.... ?
Well your reasoning makes clear sense to me. Lol.
This experiment was well done, but your possible conclusion that the effects might be “magnified” in some conditions is not correct.
The resulting pH is always going to be somewhere between the pH levels of the ingredients you’re combining. In other words, if you have a solution with a pH of 4.0 and add an equal amount of a solution with a pH of 8.0, the resulting pH should be 6.0. If I start with a 2.0 solution and add the same 8.0 solution, the result will be 5.0. This jump of 3 (from 2 to 5) doesn’t mean the former effect of just 2 (from 4 to 6) has been “magnified by 1.0”. The average pH has just been dragged up further.
I think since it hasn't been a problem before...and you change it weekly...I would stay with the same measurements. By the way, you are soooo cute about how NOT perfect you are!
Lol, thank you! I’m a VERY imperfect but always trying my best ❤️❤️❤️