Paph Media: Bark or Pro-Mix??

[jeffg]

Hi All,
I currently buy my Paphs from 2 really good, established growers - both have nice healthy plants. Yet, one uses and swears by bark mix, the other pro-mix (the one that's highly porous). I have queried them about their choice of mix and the rationale for using what they do and both present compelling view points.

My question for you is, I am coming up on re-pot time, and trying to go with one or the other. What do you use /recommend, and is there a potential problem or adjustment I should plan for going from bark to pro-mix or vice-a-versa? Thanks in advance. Jeff G

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The general answer is...

It depends on the Paph.

More specific answers will be obtained once you disclose which two plants you're talking about.

I'm only aware of Paph villosum as being the only true epiphytical Paph. The others are either lithophytes or terrestrials. Others grow in rotting wood.

Most Paph species belonging to the sections Parvisepalum or Brachypetalum are lithophytes, particularly favoring limestone.

[slipperfreak]

The mix you choose will depend on your growing conditions. Personally if I used 100% Pro-Mix my plants would rot. I do use it as an additive to bark mixes, though.

You want your plants to dry out fast enough that they need watering at least once per week, preferably 2 times per week or more. It is far better to have plants that dry out quickly and need frequent watering than plants that are staying wet and rotting. Watering forces oxygen around the roots, which is a good thing.

What are you using now?

[Bolero]

I use a mixture of bark, perlite and charcoal. This works really well with all my Paphs.

[jeffg]

Thanks for the responses. Below are the plants I got from the guy who grows in pro-mix:

16. Spellbound (Macabre ‘Brawney’ x Voodoo Magic ‘Black Sceptre’)
32 Chamberliananum
33 Amelia Hart Alexandar – chamberliananum x primulinum
34 Moquettianum
39 Hybrid -Sukhakulii ‘takeoff’ x Fredrich von Hayek ‘duette’
178 chamberliananum ‘wolf lake’ x chamberliananum ‘pisgah’
I also have a Phrag Jason Fisher in pro-mix that is growing like mad and blooms reliably from the same grower.

I have about 25 more Paphs that came in bark mix (with sponge rock and charcoal).

I guess I am tentative about switching from pro-mix to bark as the plants are doing well. And then wonder if maybe they would all do well in pro-mix...

[slipperfreak]

If the plants you have in bark are doing well though, I would not switch all of them to Pro-Mix at once. Wait and see how the Pro-Mix works for you with your new plants first - just because it worked for someone else does not mean it will work for you. I'd wait a month or two and see what happens. Make sure you are very careful with watering that stuff! You don't want it to stay too wet.

[Bolero]

You will need to water and grow in the same conditions as the seller to have success. Have you discussed the plants with him and what works for him?

Maybe join a local club and discuss with them as well, I find clubs to be a great source of information.

[Lagoon]

Hi there Jeff,

I'm curious - why does it have to be one or the other, have you thought about mixing in some promix to bark?

I'm a fan of mud - I make my own promix, didn't like the bagged stuff too much, to dense I thought.

I use: 1 cup of peatmoss (CIL brand) to 1 cup of repti bark (smallish) with 1/2 cup of perlite #2 grade.

I've got catts, dens and phals in this type of mixture, although I use less peatmoss and a bit more bark with a larger grade of perlite for the drier kept orchids.

My phrags get only 25% bark. So its mostly peatmoss, they go nuts in this mud mix.

[jeffg]

Wow, you guys have prompted the thinker into seeing the multi-dimensionality of making changes. I guess, in reflection, I have been looking for "The Universal Formula for Paph Media" - Hence the confusion over how both growers could be successful with different Formulas. Thanks for the reminder... my built-in-forgetter is active and on-line. I much appreciate you sharing ideas and thoughts.