angraecum leonis substrate

[clusty]

Hey,

My angraecum leonis finishes flowering and the old substrate is very mouldy.

Any advice what a good medium might be for them? From my reading it seems they hate to death being disturbed.

I got access to coconut chips and medium fern.

Alternatively anybody has an idea if they are a good candidate for S/H inside LECA pebbles ?

[RosieC]

Sorry I can't help, just bumping your post back up in the hope it will help someone else who can help to see it.

[cbuchman]

I can only report what orchid Wiz says about media for this orchid:

If potted, a very open, fast draining medium such as medium to large fir bark or cork nuggets is recommended. Some growers report that plants grow well when potted in coconut fiber. Undersized pots just large enough to hold the roots should be used, and repotting should be done just as root growth is starting or as soon after flowering as possible.

Hope that helps.

[clusty]

Any idea if it can take constant lite moisture, or it needs periods of bone dry roots ?

[Leafmite]

I wish I could help but I just switched my leonis to a mix of lava rock and sphagnum moss (tiny net pot) this past spring so still waiting to see how it does. My angraecums seem to like the net pots (I haven't repotted the new distichum yet, just poked plenty of holes in the pot to allow for air-flow.) and so I use those. With the other angs, lava rock (small chips for the other distichem) is my only potting medium but the leonis roots were not happy so I added the moss. I know that a small pot or mount with a pad of moss is often recommended. Hope someone else can help. I find the other angraecums I grow very easy but this one has those tiny roots. Good luck!

[clusty]

You know what they say: Fortune favours the bold
Here's my "bare twigged" plant together with my improvised S/H pot (a cut wine bottle with a hole fairly low)

[Leafmite]

Looks good! You'll have to let us know if this is a successful way to grow the leonis. The only other angraecum I grow with small roots, distichum, seems fine in the smallest pieces of lava rock (and generous watering). Good luck!

[stefpix]

mine is in a net pot with clay pebbles. Been ther efor more than 6 months and is growing larger/ faster than expected. I do not like the moldy smell of bark. The net pot is wedged inside a clear plastic cup with some water in it to keep some moisture around the net pot.

[Bud]

I have my plant in a basket lined with coconut fiber and as I curled the roots inside the basket, I have medium bark, lava rock, charcoal and sponge rock sprinkled around the roots....it is hanging outdoors at the moment

[clusty]

I have moved it in a ceramic 3" orchid pot with chunky coconut finer. We'll see how will it fare.