Orchids & Hydrogel Beads: The Positive and The Negative

Pros and Cons of Hydrogel Beads as an Orchid Potting Medium Hydrogel beads (or water beads) have been used by florists for a long time to create orchid decorations to maintain the orchid stand in place for days on end. These beads are squishy, hard jelly-like balls, that resemble marbles. When wet, they expand to about a third of their size by retaining water. For a short-term potting medium, hydrogel beads are a life-saver, but not for long periods of time. There are benefits of using hydrogel beads and also cons, so if you’re thinking about transferring your orchid, let’s looks at what can happen, both good and bad. Overall, water beads are not good as orchid potting mediums in the long term even if they have a few positive attributes. Since they deprive your orchid of air movement and constantly maintain the roots wet, your orchid will eventually die. Orchids prefer having moist roots, not soggy, wet ones. This consistent water around the roots that the hydrogel beads provide, induces root rot and will kill your orchid. Orchids grow naturally attached to tress in the subtropical and tropical rainforest. This affects air circulation, lighting, pH, watering, and pollination—all that hydrogel beads cannot. If you want the full explanation of this video in writing, go to https://orchideria.com/hydrogel-for-orchids/ On Orchideria.com, you can find more in-depth guides and all the access to our information, tutorials, guides, and much more. Happy Cultivating!