Orchid newbie seeks advice

[Ecco]

A while back I decided that I wanted to keep a plant in my room to liven things up a bit and give me something to care for. Don't remember what my first plant was but it did fine till I neglected to water it for a little too long (not the first time I'd been a little late either...) and it decided that it wasn't going to come back that time. Months later I was looking through the plants at my local grocery store and saw that they had orchids, and decided to pick this phal up. It seemed to be in decent shape considering I was buying from a grocery store, few of the leaves cracked a bit, but blooming nicely and overall looking healthy as far as I could tell in my relative ignorance. Well, that was last summer if I recall (may have been earlier. Not entirely sure.) and I'm happy that I've managed to avoid accidentally killing it one way or another. Think it's actually doing quite well, having grown two new leaves already this year, but at this point I know I've had it for close to a year, if not fully a year. Probably time to replace the original growing medium , even if it does still seem to drain/dry pretty well despite being (as far as I can tell) 100% Sphagnum Moss with a handful of packing peanuts at the bottom. I'd rather be safe and avoid potential trouble down the road that may come with putting it off. Was considering ordering Phalaenopsis Monterey Imperial Orchid Mix. I figure it will drain better than straight moss, but still retain moisture decently, but I was curious to hear some thoughts from anyone who knows more about phal potting mix.

[Izzie]

Repotme has good quality mixes.
Unfortunately, as I've learned recently- and have been told by higher-ups, is that the medium also depends on your watering habits and growing environment.
Here's a great article about media for phals: http://www.hrt.msu.edu/faculty/Runkl...sis_Part_2.pdf

ETA: Ray Barkalow is a well-known member on here that has great information and guides on his site: http://www.firstrays.com/free_info.htm

[RosieC]

I don't know much about the mix you mention, but the key is that whatever you use make sure it is high quality.

I have heard good things about Repotme.com where that mix comes from. Not used it myself (I'm in the UK and use a more local one) but I've seen the site mentioned many times as being a good one.

Most garden centers (at least here in the UK) will sell orchid mixes but they have often been sitting arround for a long time and are already degraded. I almost killed the first few orchids I repotted as a result of using stuff from the garden center so buying from an orchid specialist is always a good idea.

Choosing the right media for your enviroment and watering habits is very important and Ray has some great advise on that so I would really recomend taking a look at the link Izzie gave above.

[Donald]

Your growing conditions will be what dictates you choice of medium. Here in Massachusetts where my orchids experience humidity levels during the winter of around 40% I have my "phals" in clay pots with sphagnum. The moss drys out after about 7 days. I believe if you're in a more humid environment bark would be the way to go. It's all about your current conditions. Seems like your plant did OK with the moss.

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by Donald

Your growing conditions will be what dictates you choice of medium. Here in Massachusetts where my orchids experience humidity levels during the winter of around 40% I have my "phals" in clay pots with sphagnum. The moss drys out after about 7 days. I believe if you're in a more humid environment bark would be the way to go. It's all about your current conditions. Seems like your plant did OK with the moss.

This is an excellent point. Also keep your watering habits in mind.
If the media is still damp/wet in the middle of the pot after 7-10 days, it's a good sign that you should try something else that's more airy and doesn't retain as much water (so bark/coconut husk chips with perlite and charcoal instead of sphag moss)
You can use sphag moss as a top dressing to keep it more humid. Just don't pack it tightly- do a single loose layer.


As for vendors- Ray Barkalow sells good quality media at great prices. His site is already linked on this thread.
Orchid Growing Supplies Semi-hydroponics Hydroponics Orchid Books PrimeAgra

[Ecco]

Thanks a bunch for all the helpful advise and links. I think what I really need to do is get my phal out of the pot this weekend and take a look at it's roots to see just how well it's doing with the moss. I have been putting water in the tray under the pot lately to boost humidity around the plant. Think it is definitely making the moss dry out slower too though, as it's still a little damp after about a week since the last time I watered.