Worm in bark mix with phalaenopsis, good or bad?

[BobInBonita]

Several people have commented on avoiding medium from big box stores. As I said earlier, I have had good luck with the Better-Gro brand sold at both Home Depot and Lowes.

What negative experience have you had with it? Why don't you like it? Is there something I'm missing that I should be watching for?

I've been pleased that it has the "endorsed by the AOS" logo, and that the big box stores have more turn-around (hopefully fresher).

[silken]

Originally Posted by BobInBonita

Several people have commented on avoiding medium from big box stores. As I said earlier, I have had good luck with the Better-Gro brand sold at both Home Depot and Lowes.

What negative experience have you had with it? Why don't you like it? Is there something I'm missing that I should be watching for?

I've been pleased that it has the "endorsed by the AOS" logo, and that the big box stores have more turn-around (hopefully fresher).

I was just generalizing as Schultz and a number of brands are almost dirt like and I know myself and others have had trouble with them. If you can endorse Better-Gro and AOS does, then orchidkilla would likely do fine with it. I just didn't want him to end up with one of the many bad bags of orchid media out there.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by BobInBonita

Several people have commented on avoiding medium from big box stores. As I said earlier, I have had good luck with the Better-Gro brand sold at both Home Depot and Lowes.

What negative experience have you had with it? Why don't you like it? Is there something I'm missing that I should be watching for?

I've been pleased that it has the "endorsed by the AOS" logo, and that the big box stores have more turn-around (hopefully fresher).

For me, it's based on experience here in the UK, and more than that in my local area. It's a rule of thumb but there could be good ones... generally though folks buying from those stores, or asking here what they need, don't know how to tell a good one... besides which you generally can't tell until you open the sealed bag.

The big box store ones I've tried here have been either too heavy and really for terestrial orchids (even with a picture of a phal on the bag) or have been already broken down and rotting. When I was starting out I had no clue there was anything wrong with either and nearly killed by first phals for that reason (having had a rare experience of keeping my first alive for two years before that). Even when things started going wrong it took a long time before I realised it was the medium and not me that was at fault (I remember asking here on OB "I'm following the advice on what to do... why are they still getting sick!".)

I think the broken down/rotting thing is due to big box stores near me having a low turn-over of orchid supplies therefore whatever they have could have been on the shelves for years and/or they've not stored it well (sometimes having it outside with potting compost where even platic bags can have damp creep in. Orchids is not their main business so they don't sell much of the stuff and assume it can be kept indefinately.

On the other hand orchid specialists have a higher turn-over because it's their main business and the hobiests shop with them, and they also know how to store it and what it's like when good quality. The place I buy mine from has it absolutly bone dry, so dry there is a warning on the bag to wear a face mask when handling due to the dust. They could keep that stuff forever because it's just too dry to be decaying.

If you know what the good stuff is like, and have found a brand you've had no problems with then buying from a big box store is no problem. If you had a duff, already damp and decaying (and smelly batch) you would know not to use it.

But for a newbie/as a newbie a smelly bag of bark did not seem a problem to me... the stuff I put on the garden is always like that. I tend to think if you don't know what you are doing it's best to buy from the specialist because they know what they are doing.

[scy]

I use Better Gro Special Orchid Mix and haven't had a problem with it. I can see through parts of the bag and try to pick one that looks good. I'm curious to know if there is something wrong with it that I'm missing too.

[orchidkilla]

Hmm, I think better-gro is at one of my local hardware stores, but I think the mix might have peat moss in it.

RosieC said:

"I think the broken down/rotting thing is due to big box stores near me having a low turn-over of orchid supplies therefore whatever they have could have been on the shelves for years and/or they've not stored it well (sometimes having it outside with potting compost where even platic bags can have damp creep in. Orchids is not their main business so they don't sell much of the stuff and assume it can be kept indefinately."

I think the above might hold very true. Orchids seem like a new fad around my neck of the woods. I haven't really seen orchids until this year, and even then plenty of people just toss the plant once the bloom is over.

Even with compost for my garden I try to find an open bag and smell the contents. I pick the compost by smell mostly, so I wouldn't even buy musty compost let alone orchid medium.

Thanks for the advice, I usually pick my products by product review, it seems I am going to order a gallon of medium fir bark from repotme.com since many people have given the business good reviews, unless, I can find some medium fir bark at my premium nursery in the area.

It doesn't make sense to buy the cheapest mix and have an expensive plant die. I'm always a fan of buying top quality as a noobie and then economizing later.

[RJSquirrel]

+1 Better Gro Special Orchid Mix
+1 Better Gro Orchid Bark
+1 Better Gro Sphagnum moss

all good stuff and not a thing wrong with it

I do like to add some ali-flor or LECA or lava rock or Hydroton or whatever you call it in your town.


Media should smell clean indeed. Dirt bark or moss it should still smell clean..We all know what foul smells like.

The charcoal in the mix keeps it sweetened. Add charcoal to moss to keep it from going sour

Did I actually add anything here

[BobInBonita]

Yes you did - at least for me. I was starting to doubt my own experience with Better-Gro because of the negative comments about media from big box stores. The fact that others have had the same experience with it not only sets my mind at ease, but probably makes it easier for those who need media NOW, and don't have a good specialty shop locally.

[orchidkilla]

I'm planning to repot my Phal with a worm in it and get a good look. I'm soaking some orchid mix right now:

Brand: Hoffman
Name: Organic Special Orchid Mix
Ingredients: * Special selected bark from various Hardwoods, Douglas Fir, Pine and/or Redwood, processed Charcoal and other plant stimulating ingredients.

Note: This product is sold by volume. Some setting may occur during shipping.

Hopefully the above is good quality. Says to pre-wet but I'm thoroughly soaking. I need to sterilize my pot, can I just use a half water and half vinegar solution? I'm going to repot in the same pot. Where should I put my Phal while its pot is sterilizing?

I don't want to pay $20 + $10 shipping for plastic pots which I need soon not a week from now. I plan to just use a ceramic pot, maybe a store bought pot with extra drainage holes for orchids that naturally grow from trees.

For tonight I'm just replanting my orchid with no good roots. I'm having trouble pruning the last of the dead roots, maybe I'll get my digital camera working so you can see the problem. I figure even orchids with no good roots need to be in an orchid mix and pot to stop the plant from moving too much.

BTW, when I'm sterilizing the orchid with no root's clay pot now I heard a fizzling sound when the pot touched the vinegar. What does the fizzing mean?

[orchidkilla]

I cut out the rot and re-potted my orchid with all dead roots. I used a flame sterilized scissors and then knife to cut the bottom third and then the middle third of the crown off, leaving only the top two leaves and 1/3 crown. The plant sizzled when the hot metal touched the flesh.

I don't know much about orchids but I figure the black rot in the crown look very similar to the black rot that killed the leaves. I lost the two flower spikes which had rot at the beginning. The orchid was in a 4 inch diameter pot. I put Saigon cinnamon on the cut and potted the remaining crown and leaves, which look healthy btw.

I put the distressed orchid in soaked orchid mix inside its old sterilized clay pot. I hope the little orchid makes it, I don't know if the remaining crown is capable of regrowing roots.

Edit: As for the six inch pot with the worm I cut the flower spike with a heated razor. Took quite awhile, I first cut at the base but couldn't get a good angle, I didn't bother to re-sterilize and cut a bit higher leaving some of the spike. I put Saigon cinnamon on both cuts. I am now watering the moth orchid from the bottom with a big bowl of water. I figure the orchid needs time to adjust before I repot.

I put the flower spike in a vase and while watering I saw a small semi-translucent worm. I didn't like the worm since it wasn't an earthworm so I put the live worm in the compost.