Orchid in a pot with no compost?

[Goodkoalie]

Hi all, I am wondering if you can grow a orchid in a pot with no bark or anything. I am thunking it could be fine as the plants can be mounted . Would it be fine as long as it is kept at a decent moisture level? Thanks.


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[james mickelso]

They can be kept that way. No different than mounting but you have to keep them hydrated. Probably every day. I have had a few orchids that I just wrapped in sphagnum moss and hung on a wire. Some of the older members may remember that pictorial essay. I still have it although I have since mounted it. Just was easier to grow. Many folks grow vandas and the like in slatted baskets with no media at all. Most orchids grow with no media at all.

[RosieC]

It's possible, however in my experience the roots like to be secured on something. In the wild orchids like phals grow on trees, so they take well to mounting but the roots like to grip the tree not wave in mid-air.

I grew one without medium in a pot for a while to try and save it when it had new roots, but the roots didn't really get growing properly until I potted it up again with medium.

If you were to try clay pots and kept the pot damp, then it's possible the roots would anchor on that which might work well.

Vanda orchids on the other hand seem to like their roots just hanging, and some people grow those in pots without medium. If I ever get another I might try that way.

You don't say what sort of orchid, so I'll also comment that some orchids, such as Phrags, Paphs and other slippers are terrestrial orchids and don't do well mounted as they naturally grow in the ground anyway. So what sort of orchid you are thinking of could make a big difference about how well it works.

[Goodkoalie]

I have 2 in question, a brassia and a ocidum


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[james mickelso]

oncids more than likely need more moisture than we can provide without some type of media. not to say it can't be done.

[lotis146]

I just received my first Tolumnia (Buck Hollow x Sib) today and it arrived in a clay pot with no media. From the way the roots are clinging to the pot it seems this plant with 3 growths & a spike has been growing in here for a while. I am new to this concept as well but just wanted to share this example with you.

From what I'm learning Tolumnias are one kind from Onc. alliance that can be grown without media although they have to be misted daily, need good aeration, and lots of light. Water I hear in the morning, but I watered this afternoon, well misted, because it's been in transit since Saturday. Here's a pic.

Btw what kind of Onc. do you have? Good luck! A lot of us are still learning here.

[Sharry]

A few years back I had a baby Trichocentrum cross. I put it on the balcony in the shade of other plants. Unbeknownst to me, all the media was knocked out of the pot. It seemed to be growing just fine. It was in a clay pot though.

[RosieC]

That Tolumnia is a good example of what I was thinking of, with a clay pot the roots cling to the inside just as they would cling to a mount. Looks really happy like that.