What do you grow your orchids in?

[cb977]

Hi everybody...
I've made the decision to switch from clay pots/saucers and bark mix to clear pots and LECA. When I first started growing orchids way back 14 months ago my assumption was that I had to have clay pots and use bark mix. Through the many speakers at my orchid club meetings, research on the web and of course, the knowledgable people on this forum, I have learned that there are other options.
My question is:
what do you grow your 'chids in...and why?

[nyorchids]

i grow mine in aircone and bark mix. i like the aircone because of good air transfer and you can see your root growth with the clear pots. also i have to warn you about the leca as it hold alot of moisture in and rots roots. i know alot of people that used leca and have now switched back

[Marleneann]

I grow mine in a variety of potting medium. I like to use the best mix that is reccommended for each orchid. I grow my Cattleyas in bark. Phals are in bark, perlite and a little sphag. I have given up on charcoal as it is too expensive and I feel it absorbs and holds salt. Well that is my theory.
Others would probably laugh at the idea. Anyway ...I am experimenting with new potting mixes to see how they work.

[Oscarman]

If it is not in a clear pot already, then it gets put in one at re-pot. Why clear pots - roots and you can see what's going on. Roots are exposed to light in nature, same with clear pots.

Catts in medium bark: why - retains lots of air and good amount of moisture for my conditions.
Phals in medium bark, NZ moss, charcoal, sponge rock blend: why - good drainage, moss hold extra moisture.
Paps in S/H with PrimeAgra: why - supplies more consistent moisture to roots.
All seedlings in NZ moss: why - ease of handling, speed of potting, excellent moisture and air balance.
Mounted plants on cork with NZ moss pad: why - moss hold good amount of moisture for my drier conditions. Cork is lighter weight and easy to mount on and hang.
Others are in S/H with PrimeAgra: why - mostly I am experimenting. These plants were not happy in their old media or I could not keep them moist enough or evenly for good growth. They include some Paph seedlings, Phaleanopsis, Beallara, Epidendrum, Zygopetalum and an odd Cattleya.

Tried Coconut husk chunks and was not really happy with the results.

[Ray]

Vandaceous plants: Slat baskets of coarse charcoal, PrimeAgra, or nothing at all. The plants just like it that way, and I can hang them high so they provide shade for those below.

Tolumnias, bulbophyllums, and a few odd-ball species: mounted on cork bark or EpiWeb. Allows frequent watering but fast drying. Bulbo's can ramble without me having to repot them so freuqently.

Just about everythng else is in Semi-Hydroponics using PrimeAgra, which has the primary advantage of allowing me to water on a timer during those periods that I cannot water manually. First Rays is a second job for me, and my real job requires business travel and has a long commute. Trying to water on a timer with most organic media is a sure bet for desiccation or overwatering, something that's impossible with S/H culture.

[ScottMcC]

Since I'm new at this orchid thing, most of my plants are in whatever they were in when I bought them.

Two of the phals and my brassavola are in sphag
Most everything else is in bark mix (finer for the oncidiums and the milt)
The ascocenda is in a slat basket with a couple chunks of charcoal
my new baby (the blaupunkt) is in coco fiber in a clay pot
and my two big catts are in s/h.

eventually more things will be in s/h. the phals are next on the list to move (as soon as they're ready to repot).

why I'm making the move: I like the ease of watering and the more constant conditions in s/h, along with not having to worry about media decomposition. if you haven't read my story about getting burned by decomposing media, go here: click

now I know there's no "perfect" media or technique, but this one seems to make sense to me, and I like the idea of being able to control the chemistry that my plants roots are exposed to a little better than I could with traditional methods. and while my initial results seem great, I have no idea how the long term results are going to be.

something I want to try in the future...epiweb. I think the blaupunkt might be headed for that whenever repotting time arrives.

[cb977]

Question:
is prime agra used only for the full s/h course of action, or can I still use it in my new clear pots without having to get into the science of s/h? Is there science in s/h? Don't really know anything about it.

[ScottMcC]

from what I understand, it can be used as "standard" inert media while doing standard culture techniques. however, it dries pretty quickly if there's no reservoir like on an s/h pot, so be ready for frequent watering.

[justatypn]

I'm much like the Doc, new to orchids, almost a year. There are a lot of my orchids in the same pots at time of purchase. The ones I did repot along with keiki's went into bark mix/sphag and clear pots. Soon I will be making a transition to S/H on a few chids, I love the concept. I will be returning back to work after a 3 months medical hiatis and will not be able to give my chds the TLC I have over the months and I know nothing is fool-proof but I'm game for self-ease. So I am anxious on this transition, but hopefully other chid lovers will give you there knowledge of personal potting medium/LECA.

What is NZ moss ...

[ScottMcC]

NZ moss is special magic sphag from new zealand, which apparently is much better than standard cheapo sphag from wherever else. I have no data to prove/disprove the superiority of either.