Repotting in bark.

[liliya]

I am just curios why fir bark is so spesial? Fir is a coniferous tree. Can Phals grow in another coniferous tree bark; for example - spruse bark?
Thanks.

[Ray]

Orchids can be grown in almost anything, as the medium is more for mechanical support and for storing moisture and fertilizer, than for providing nutrition directly, as is the case with terrestrials in soil.

Fir bark was considered "the best" because after steaming to remove the natural oils that can be toxic to the plants, it still held up better than did most other readily-available barks.

Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder to actually find good fir bark.

[Lagoon]

I totally agree with Ray!
I've actually cut my bark down to almost nothing. I now have only 2 dends growing in a bark mixture.
So I've had to learn to grow in sphag moss and peatmoss.

[liliya]

Thanks for unswers. I will try sphag moss with bark.
But I still have question. Does all barks has the same PH? I want to try another pine bark - spruse or juniper bark because it smells so good when wet. Will Phals like it?

[Ross]

Originally Posted by liliya

Thanks for unswers. I will try sphag moss with bark.
But I still have question. Does all barks has the same PH? I want to try another pine bark - spruse or juniper bark because it smells so good when wet. Will Phals like it?

I would strongly urge you to NOT use wild collected bark unless you know it does not contain pathogens, resins, etc. As Ray stated, commercial orchid bark (a lot of it is no longer fir, but most is) has been processed to remove most of the harmful resins.

As an alternative why not try one of the inert materials like aliflor, or large sponge rock, or one of the volcanic origin materials like chunk pumice?

[liliya]

In Toronto garden centres sell commersially pakaged bark. It was not prosessed for orchids. What if I boil it? Will it remove resins? I just like when it smells like coniferouse forest.
You are right I will try sponge rock and maybe semi-hydroponic system.
Thank you.