New order from C&H in what looks like potting soil

[kindrag23]

What is camelias website called?

[dickjo]

Carmela Orchids

[Sharry]

As Peewee said

"It's not good practice to put plants that you just bought with your orchid collection...."

I learned this the hard way. I did not isolate an auction purchase and it gave horrible scale to a beautiful red minicatt that never recovered. Now I try to keep new plants from old for a couple months and inspect them often for varmints.

[kindrag23]

@Sharry you are right. Mine are always quarantined for a month unless I know they are from the most reputable of dealers.

[Silje]

Originally Posted by SHag42

Hello all,

The other 2 Michael Crocker Contrast and Be Tris Newberry
were in this medium that looks like sponge rock and a little dirt. Never seen this in a orchid plant before. Wondering if any one else has. I just found this to be a little odd. Should I go ahead and repot them in bark?

I actually don't mind that mix at all, as long as that is all that is in there. If you got a small moss ball in the center of it all you're asking for trouble. At least in my care. I've had oncs, catts, paphs, phals and angraecoids come in a peat, perlite, sponge rock mix and I tend to keep them like that. You just have to make note of it and adjust watering accordingly. Like with all growth mediums. And in my conditions, that mix tend to stay fresh for longer than e.g. moss.

[SHag42]

Wow so much great info here. I still have a lot to learn. I feel that my orchids will be fine, after letting them soak and taking a better look at the roots there is enough good ones for them to have a good start. I think my expectations were high because I had a terrible round with root rot and then it seemed like everyone I purchased here had root rot even if I would catch them when they came in the store. I think I was hopping to get an orchid that had excellent roots because I was tired of dealing with bad roots. But I can say that these roots are better than some of the ones I have bought lately. But I am still a newbie to this. I do always try to look at the roots before I buy them but sometimes it can be tricky. I bought one that looked like it had decent roots and when I got it home and took it out of the pot most of the roots just fell off. Weirdest thing I ever saw. I can say though that it is surviving now with 4 new roots.
I can do OK at bringing them back to life but it takes a long time. I will have to start a new thread on a issue I keep having with transplanting. But with everyone's great advice I feel sure that my online buying experience is going to be a great one.

Thanks Guys you are awesome. I will be checking out the new websites everyone has so kindly informed me of.
Oh and by the way I went to lowes to pick up something today and came home with a pot that had 2 miniature orchids in it. That puts me up to 53. it is hopeless at this rate by next year I will have 300.

[NYCorchidman]

Actually it is a great mix, moisture retaining and draining wise, I'd say it is perfect!

The dark dirt looking part is loam, sand, chopped up sphag, and peat moss mixture.
I think almost all of my supermarket bought orchids (oncidium and related intergenerics, dendrobiums, zygo) with the exception of phals, which are always in either straight bark or sphag, came in this "dirt" mix and apparently they all grew wonderfully in the nursery.

Also, all of my paphiopedilums and miltoniopsis from Hawaii are always in this same mix.

[SJF]

Originally Posted by SHag42

Wow so much great info here. I still have a lot to learn. I feel that my orchids will be fine, after letting them soak and taking a better look at the roots there is enough good ones for them to have a good start. I think my expectations were high because I had a terrible round with root rot and then it seemed like everyone I purchased here had root rot even if I would catch them when they came in the store. I think I was hopping to get an orchid that had excellent roots because I was tired of dealing with bad roots. But I can say that these roots are better than some of the ones I have bought lately. But I am still a newbie to this. I do always try to look at the roots before I buy them but sometimes it can be tricky. I bought one that looked like it had decent roots and when I got it home and took it out of the pot most of the roots just fell off. Weirdest thing I ever saw. I can say though that it is surviving now with 4 new roots.
I can do OK at bringing them back to life but it takes a long time. I will have to start a new thread on a issue I keep having with transplanting. But with everyone's great advice I feel sure that my online buying experience is going to be a great one.

Thanks Guys you are awesome. I will be checking out the new websites everyone has so kindly informed me of.
Oh and by the way I went to lowes to pick up something today and came home with a pot that had 2 miniature orchids in it. That puts me up to 53. it is hopeless at this rate by next year I will have 300.

The orchids are like rabbits...they keep multiplying

[kindrag23]

Originally Posted by SJF

The orchids are like rabbits...they keep multiplying

Omg omg we need this as a bumper sticker