Winter hardy orchids?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Kittyfrex

Wouldn't it be more beneficial to grow locals in media they are found in? I know why you wouldn't use outside stuff for your tropical orchids and what not, but it seems as if in this specific case at least a partial soil seems to have benefits (ie. presence of ecologically intertwined fungi, plants, bacter etc.)

If you live in the actual environment, you can obtain local soil. But, for instance, I purchase the terrestrials as dormant tubers. Any visible soil has to be cleaned off for import. (They apparently can store a bit of the mycorrhizae within the tuber, because they do establish in their new home) Then, the choice of medium is based on function... it needs to have the characteristics of its home soil such as drainage, organic matter or lack of it, etc. But it's that intimate relationship between the terrestrial orchids and their environment that makes them nearly impossible to cultivate. Another reason to not take them from the wild! The seed-grown ones that I purchase have already adapted to an artificial environment.