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xmikelx

more pink from a stromanthe triocolor

xmikelx
10 years ago

Hello,
This is my stromanthee she is growing semi hydro as you can see.
I have noticed that she grew more pink variegations during winter time than the spring summer months. Right now she just put out a cream like leaf, she is getting direct morning light.
Do you guys have this experience or is it me.?

Comments (9)

  • teengardener1888
    10 years ago

    No idea but that is gorgeous, I must find one somewhere

  • xmikelx
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks. Its my favorite plant. Sshe is capable if becoming very thick.

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago

    Hey Mike..Your Stromanthe is gorgeous.

    You said it's growing semi hydro? What do you mean by semi?
    I see Hydroponic grow media on top. Is it potted in a medium other than Hydroponic balls?

    Strange, your Stromanthe has more pink during winter. Do you place your plant in windows and gro lights?

    My Stromanth trio has more pink in summer. Outdoors.

    Very nice,, Toni

  • nancy_pnwzone8
    10 years ago

    toni,

    i can't answer the OP question about stromanthe, but i can answer your question on semi-hydro...

    the short answer is that Hydroculture, Passive Hydroponics, non-circulating Hydroponics, and Semi-Hydro are all basically the same. most folks seem to use the terms interchangeably.

    the long answer:

    i think Hydroculture is the most commonly used term, especially when it is referring to growing houseplants. i think that the word was created to differentiate this method from the active (pumps, sprayers, etc.) forms of hydroponics.

    some hydroponics folks seem to want to keep the "hydroponics" term, and simply add the words passive or non-circulating to distinguish the method. some even seem to get bent out of shape when someone refers to Hydroculture...

    technically, Semi-Hydro is slightly different than the others in that Ray, the developer of the method, waters and refills his grow cups a bit differently than the standard Hydroculture pots, such as the one pictured above. this watering/flushing method does a better job at preventing salt buildup which is important for orchids. he thinks that it is also more effective at removing root waste products and drawing oxygen into the root zone.

    cheers,

    nancy

    ps and then, if that isn't confusing enough... some folks use the term Hydroculture when they really mean Water Culture - plants growing with their roots submerged in water, with or without rocks, marbles, hydroponic balls, or other media.

  • birdsnblooms
    10 years ago

    Hi Nancy,

    You're right...I am confused. lol

    A few of my plants are in water...guess what's considered Water Culture.

    I didn't know plants grown Hydroponically, 'whatever it's called,' :) were grown in certain pots.
    I rechecked your photo, and saw the spout?
    Are these containers similiar to self-watering pots?

    Anyway, your Stromanthe is gorgeous...one of my favorites. Toni

  • nancy_pnwzone8
    10 years ago

    toni,

    that's not my photo... i just answered the hydro question.

    as for the pot, if you look at the link below, the author does a good job explaining how it works.

    mike's picture above shows one of the two-pot planters. there is an inner pot that holds the hydroponic media. it has holes or slits to allow water to pass through. this goes into an outer pot that holds the water and is more decorative. the nicer pots also have a tube that has a water level indicator and which is also the fill tube. this is the 'spout' you're seeing.

    hydro pots are similar to self-watering pots in that the pot stores water for the plant to use as it needs it. they are different from self-watering pots in that the hydroponic media will never get waterlogged. many people kill plants in potting soil in self-watering pots because they think that they're supposed to keep the reservoir filled. this keeps the plant way too wet. with the hydroponic media, it has so much air in it because of all the spaces between the pebbles that it is almost impossible to over water a plant.

    personally, i use use standard plant pots with a hole in the bottom and then set that in a drip tray that acts as the water reservoir. in the link below, this is called the 'pot in saucer' method.

    i also have a few plants in semi-hydro pots which just means that you use one pot (no hole in the bottom) and it has one or two holes about an inch up from the bottom on one side. you can make these out of deli containers, old plastic soda bottles, or whatever. for these, you water until it over flows through the holes on the side.

    i hope this helps.

    cheers,

    nancy

    Here is a link that might be useful: Houseplant Hydroculture

  • xmikelx
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi toni, thanks .....and what nancy said. Lol.i attached a photo showing the media inside the inner pot, that has the slits on the sides and the bottom. Also the watertight outerpot. Stromanthe roots grow like mad in this setup.
    In winter I have no supplemental lighting unless you count the floor lamp. No direct sun in winter either as its north east. I thought maybe more light more pink but idk

    Nancy, you explained it very well. How long have you been growing plants in this method? I have four plants in total growing this way.

  • xmikelx
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Toni, nancy.
    I forgot to mention I have two plants growing with that particular setup but I also use glass containers you can see it a littke in the pik above. Also an orchid in a plastic container with holes

  • nancy_pnwzone8
    10 years ago

    mike,

    i'm surprised, like you, that you seem to be getting pinker growth in the winter. the only plants i have with pink variegation are some aglaonemas and they get pinker during the summer when the light is brighter. new leaves in the winter have more plain green on them.

    as for hydroculture, i've been learning and experimenting for at least 4 or 5 years now. i mostly grow aglaonemas. in oregon, where i live, it is pretty dark for half the year and these plants manage to grow well in spite of the dark. i also like that they're not particularly prone to bugs, though they can suffer infestations like most any plant.

    as i said, i feel like i'm still learning. early on i had trouble with my hydroton getting salted up so i have started flushing the plants at least quarterly by putting in them in the shower for a bath and completely cleaning their reservoir saucer. i also began covering the surface of the hydroton with decorative gravel to cut down on surface evaporation which concentrates salts. i also like the look of the gravel.

    this last year, i've had a few leaves come in that were 'watery' looking and the variegation was lacking or indistinct. at the time, the plants were sitting in larger than normal reservoirs (the water height was the same, but the volume was much larger) so that they could go much longer between waterings when we travelled. i'm not sure if this didn't allow enough oxygen into the root zone, or if i was having some sort of temperature or nutrient problem. i've switched them all back to their smaller water reservoirs and am waiting to see if the problem corrects itself.

    i'm glad to hear that you are having good luck with this method so far. it has really helped me to grow my plants better. i have about 30 plants in hydroculture and am running out of window space :-)

    cheers,

    nancy

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