The Orchid Room's video: Bonsai Media for Orchids Maxillaria variabilis - Kyodama Pumice LECA 7 Month Update Semi-Hydro

Hey everyone, it's Annabel, welcome back! Today we are taking a look back at three Maxillaria variabilis that I purchased and repotted back in February, after purchasing three small plants from a local garden centre. I used this as an opportunity to try three different media- 'S-Te' (Kyodama) , Small grade pumice and LECA for a comparison. Since my tenuifolia does excellently in semi-hydro, I knew this method was a fairly safe bet, so placed the smallest of the three plants into the LECA / semi-hydroponic setup. The largest went into the most unknown medium, the kyodama. All had the bottom of the reservoir filled with LECA, since the smaller grade media would otherwise mean lower volumes of water in the reservoir, and faster drying, which I wanted to avoid. Original repot: https://youtu.be/Mxfbhg399t8 Link to the bonsai store I purchased the small grade pumice and S-Te / Kyodama from: https://www.kaizenbonsai.com/shop/bonsai-soil/bonsai-growing-media-straights Media tests 1, Sanicat, LECA, Perlite, top layers: https://youtu.be/fEo-YOAGdi8 Media tests 2, S-Te, this small grade pumice, large pumice, lava and more: https://youtu.be/09Inrxr14tQ Media test 3, Seramis, Horticultural moler : https://youtu.be/KMoHyyTnY0k I hope you enjoy the video! For any newcomers, welcome to my channel! And to everyone- thanks so much for watching! ___________________________________ Summary Videos- Me as a Grower ___________________________________ Semi-Hydro Overview & Modifications, dry layer fixes: https://youtu.be/k2nmcWAz_rc Inorganic Media: https://youtu.be/fEo-YOAGdi8 (Part 1) https://youtu.be/09Inrxr14tQ (Part 2, refined) Watering & Fertilising: Short routine: https://youtu.be/tqUb3PQoZBU Long, detailed nutrient mixes, pH adjusting: https://youtu.be/p87-HcOuRTE Phalaenopsis Advanced Care: https://youtu.be/BLca9G9LVxM ______________________________________________ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.orchid.room/ ______________________________________________ ❀ My Orchid Room ❀ UK Conservatory Temps- 18-35C Humidity 30-90% (high if it's raining outside, low if warm) Natural light in summer, LEDs in winter ____________________________________________ ✩ Plant Products I Use & Love ✩ Quick Disclaimer - These are products I genuinely love, buy and use- I wouldn't list something I didn't use regularly and purchase myself. I've provided links to try and make them easier to find, some of these are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of these products through the Amazon links below, I may get a small percentage towards future purchases, which really helps! ❀ Inorganic Media ❀ RHS Alpine Horticultural grit or washed gravel- pebble top layer LECA - Canna Aqua Brand: https://amzn.to/2Z5sPPy Lava rock, small grade: https://amzn.to/30J3Z9y or larger, used here: https://amzn.to/2CPXCt0 Pumice : Medium grade ~10mm : https://amzn.to/3aTCIFn Or Kaizen bonsai, small or large grade: https://bit.ly/3aeYKRW Synthic: UK supplier https://bit.ly/2RCb4oI US: Glassbox Tropicals : https://bit.ly/2wHy2na Seramis : https://amzn.to/2QdyP59 or https://bit.ly/2V90RSJ (cheaper) Perlite ❃ Organic media ❃ Sphagnum- Besgrow Orchiata bark ________________________________________________ 💧Water & Nutrients🌱 RO system: https://amzn.to/3hz5QER ZeroWater Filter: https://amzn.to/2KaaYjP Rain Mix: UK: https://bit.ly/2yaTfX5 Akerne: https://bit.ly/2XEj3W3 Silicon: https://amzn.to/2K41IxJ Seaweed: Maxicrop: https://amzn.to/2VbQ0rv Or Envii: https://amzn.to/3fZ1bek Magnesium Quick Watering Day video: https://youtu.be/tqUb3PQoZBU (Short) My Watering / Fertilising Routine: https://youtu.be/p87-HcOuRTE (Full, detailed, long) ________________________________________________ 🐛Pest Control🐛 Pink Sun Neem Oil/Soap duo: https://amzn.to/39qyPam Systemic insecticide Bug Clear Ultra (5g/l Acetamiprid): Large: https://amzn.to/39nTzzS (Use at 10ml/litre) Small: https://amzn.to/2smCUfp 💡 Lighting 💡 High Light Orchids GEMMA Lights: https://bit.ly/34CqY7Z , 10% discount with code 'OrchidRoom' Mars Hydro TS600 : https://amzn.to/3bagRcS ❃ Shelving ❃ Wire shelving, Hartleys direct: https://bit.ly/2REpeWl Metal shelving IKEA Mulig ✩ Pots ✩ 13cm Buckets Amazon: https://amzn.to/2V92cci (£~20 for 35)