Potting Mixtures

[kg5]

It is amazing how complex getting the right potting mixture for an given type of orchid.

The orchids seem to be very slow in telling the grower if they are getting to much water or not enough watering is taking place.

All the different components that can be used in potting mixtures is totally fascinating and quite a science in itself.

Nice to here about your mixtures?

Happy Mixing!

[Ray]

Yes, orchids are relatively slow growers in the plant world, but getting the potting medium right is as much of a case of how well does it fit with your conditions and ability to water, as it does to the plant's requirements.

I have used-, and still do use a very wide variety of ingredients, in multitudes of combinations, or no medium at all in some cases.

To me, no medium at all is the ideal situation - plants mounted on cork bark or some other substrate, or in slat baskets. That, of course, would require at least daily watering, if not several times a day for many plants to thrive. That, therefore, means I have to add something that retains water to one degree or another, so that I don't have to exert so much effort. You should also consider that the right choice of container can affect that as well.

There are a very wide range of materials that can be used, and tons of potential combinations and permutations of those, but above all, the number one criterion is to make sure the roots get plenty of air.

[tucker85]

I agree, it's a fascinating topic to explore. Everything is interrelated so that we need to consider the type of orchid, the mini-environment in our growing area, our watering habits, the type of pot and the properties (size, shape, longevity and moisture holding capacity) of all the different types of media we can use.
I also agree that it can be a slow and frustrating process to find the right mix. I find that it takes me at least one year and often two years to adequately evaluate a potting mix. Of course it's easier if you have a good starting point. When I started growing and even today for that matter, the best starting point was to read some books on the subject. These days forums like Orchid Board provide a lot of good information also.
I agree with Ray. My number one goal is to get good air to the roots.

[NYCorchidman]

It would probably help you better if you mention types of orchids you grow.
For most commonly grown hobby orchids, there is no need for special mix really.
People like to experiment and come up with many mixes that are not really necessary.

Most orchids I buy from commercial growers come in just a singly ingredients or two at most.

I would list a few for an example:

Phalaenopsis- either in sphagnum moss or bark chips.
Dendrobiums, any oncidium hybrids, paphs- all came in promix (peat moss, fine grade perlite, possibly some other stuff) or bark alone or mixed with lava rock (especially ones from Hawaii as lava rock is common over there).

Cymbidiums- bark chips.

I have seen nurseries in tropicals like Thailand where dendrodbiums are growin in charcoal, large chunks. No need to repot as it does not degrade, and very well draining, and plants grow very well in them.

You need something that will hold the plant obviously, and something that drains VERY WELL.
Then all is fine.

What do I use personally?
I use pure sphagnum moss or straight bark chips or coconut husk chips mixed with hydroton or other small stones or perlite even for phals.
For other things I grow, it's mostly just bark chips of different sizes either straight or mixed in with one or two additional ingredient, most commonly those are perlite or hydroton balls.

I do not see any difference in plant growths.
As mentioned above, drainage is of utmost important in whatever you use. Then different mix (most commonly bark chips, moss, coconut husk chips) dries out at different rate, so take that into consideration when you water. That's about it.

If you go into other "exotic" mix like solely inorganic mixtures, you want to study them before jumping on to them as they may cause lots of issues.

The three most commonly used media for orchids are common for reasons. They work well and thus people use them.