Medium approoval please? - Orchid Board

TiffanyP · #1 06-12-2012, 02:34 PM

I would like to use this for my Odonto Oncs Alliance. Is this going to suffice or do I need a finer bark? I believe what my Oncs Alliance is in it is too much moisture retaining. I dont really trust fully the grower of this grocers shipper. The other day I saw an over grown Miltassia, if that's how its spelled, and it had just arrived. Instead of having shipped it in a larger pot to begin with they sliced off the Pbulbs. Is that not absolutely unnecessary? I read to never cut off Pbulbs. Anyhoo...

Will this medium work?????

Wynn Dee13 · #2 06-12-2012, 02:49 PM

I use this meadium but with Cattleyas. I think it might be too coarse. If you use it, you will have to water a lot. It doesn't hold a lot of moisture because the bark pieces are big.

You can remove pbulbs. If the oldest one dies or if you want to divide the plant you cut them off at the rhizome. Many people divide their plants when they get too big or to share or sell a piece. When you divide a plant you should have at least 3-4 pbulbs per division. When I repot I will remove the old leafless pbulbs if they are dead or if there are a lot of them. You can also use older leafless back bulbs to propagate orchids. Sometimes when I repot a plant it breaks in two anyway. I just pot both pieces in their own pots and I have two of the same plant now. Where did you read you should never remove pbulbs? But if that grower cut the bulb in half and left half of the pbulb in the pot that isn't good. You need to remove them at the rhizome.

TiffanyP · #3 06-12-2012, 03:39 PM

Thank you so much for the info and the help...also confirming that the book im reading "Orchids for Dummies" SO FAR is accurate. It does say that cutting at the rizome is ok but this grower just well...cut some in half and sort of "trimmed" them down whatever level was necessary to make it look as if it fit. I know trimming leaves and such is sometimes the right thing. The plant was completely over grown. The book also does mention propagation of Orchids with old pbulbs and I found that pretty fascinating. So to answer you.....they pretty much chopped them in half in fourths and just kinda chopped it. Im noticing too that I have to be MORE CAREFUL THAN NORMAL because there is a lot of weird cloverlike and grasslike growths in their mediums and I just don't really understand how Orchid growers can propagate such lovely orchids with such problems. Granted I have not brought any home that are bad but there are several there.

As far as my medium, I thought I'd give it a shot. I know it'll work for my Phals I'll just have to mix in a lil sphag for some moisture. I'm still learning the perfect balance for the skinnier fragile roots on these others. I wanna get it down before I cause any root damage. I love my Odonto's and don't want to lose even 1.

Wynn Dee13 · #4 06-12-2012, 04:26 PM

Most growers who sell to grocery stores and big box stores don't care about the plants. They only care about making money. They mass produce these orchids, make them look as good as possible and sell them. Also the medium they use might be fine for their greenhouse conditions but not for the home grower. A lot of people buy these plants and throw them away after the blooms die. Then they buy a new one. I don't buy orchids from these stores because of the issues they come with. Also I never find a very big variety. They always have the same orchids. I always buy from well known growers online or if I can, visit the nursery in person. It is a lot of fun to visit them.

tucker85 · #5 06-12-2012, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiffanyP

Thank you so much for the info and the help...also confirming that the book im reading "Orchids for Dummies" SO FAR is accurate. It does say that cutting at the rizome is ok but this grower just well...cut some in half and sort of "trimmed" them down whatever level was necessary to make it look as if it fit. I know trimming leaves and such is sometimes the right thing. The plant was completely over grown. The book also does mention propagation of Orchids with old pbulbs and I found that pretty fascinating. So to answer you.....they pretty much chopped them in half in fourths and just kinda chopped it. Im noticing too that I have to be MORE CAREFUL THAN NORMAL because there is a lot of weird cloverlike and grasslike growths in their mediums and I just don't really understand how Orchid growers can propagate such lovely orchids with such problems. Granted I have not brought any home that are bad but there are several there.

As far as my medium, I thought I'd give it a shot. I know it'll work for my Phals I'll just have to mix in a lil sphag for some moisture. I'm still learning the perfect balance for the skinnier fragile roots on these others. I wanna get it down before I cause any root damage. I love my Odonto's and don't want to lose even 1.

The cloverlike weed that you mentioned is very common in orchid mediums. Many of the orchids I've bought had those weeds in them and some of my orchids still do. They don't hurt anything.

Oncidiums like a little more moisture than cattleyas. You can grow them in large bark but you would need to water fairly often. I think your idea of mixing some sphagnum in with the large bark will work well for you. Good luck.

TiffanyP · #6 06-12-2012, 05:56 PM

That is truly unfortunate. I think you may have seen in a few of my posts, I have a beautiful noId, the purple neon spotted Odonto and I have found quite a few very lovely integenerics there. Do you know of a good grower online? There are no nurseries in Vegas just a society I don't feel so good about for some reason. I don't know that they are crazy about younger people especially ones with tattoos. Maybe I'm just being shy. The place I buy is the only place in Vegas with Oncidium alliance variety unless you or anyone else knows any secrets. Otherwise I would be more then willing to buy online. Thank you for the help again.

TiffanyP · #7 06-12-2012, 05:59 PM

Thank you Tucker that makes me feel better. I've passed up beauties in fear of those growths. Do you any good online sellers? I'd like to try that route.

TiffanyP · #8 06-12-2012, 06:06 PM

I've sort of been wanting a Vanda...."Roberts Delight."

Bud · #9 06-12-2012, 06:22 PM

Yes, you can grow Vandas in your grow zone. If they come in a basket, then you can hang it in a shade outdoors in the warmer months and bring them indoors in a south facing window a month before frost.
'Robert's Delight' is a beautiful flower...you may find it online with reputable growers or on Ebay.

Wynn Dee13 · #10 06-12-2012, 08:11 PM

Here is a website called the Orchid Mall.The Orchid Mall - Everything in Orchids They have a list of growers from all over the country. If you find some plants you like at a grower on this list, you can ask us if we have had experience with them. Most of them have links to their websites. It's a lot of fun to get orchids in the mail! I have also bought many orchids off of eBay. Make sure the seller has good reviews though.