Which mix to pick (first time bark user)?

[bil]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin92

But the moss calls to me, it tells me things, I tried to get away, but I just couldn't. I'm not strong like the rest of you...

Btw, I read that just before going to bed, and do you know how impossible it is to go to sleep after laughing so hard? [COLOR="Silver"]




Can I add or wrap more moss around just the top roots? Cause some of the roots at the surface look really dry today and I'm worried that if the tops die they'll take the rest of the roots with them.

Glad you liked it.

The single most important thing about a potting medium is that it allows air to pass thru fast and easy. You could actually design a test to see how well air passes thru with a tube and a piston, and if you did, you would see how fast it passes thru pure bark, and how the speed drops off as soon as you start filling the interstices with sphagnum or fine bark. I have a couple of minature phals. I am not happy with them on the larger bark, and I did experiment with them having some sphag, and again, they didn't seem overly happy. This year I will be potting them in a fine bark with chopped coir as an experiment, but a very shallow pot.

The second problem you have is this. To grow phals, the best way is to mount them or hang them with absolutely no medium, and spray them with a very weak fertiliser solution a few times a day.
That clearly is impractical. Out here the roots would dry out rapidly. Why do you think that someone mentioned that the 'air roots' of phals usually die off? Mine do too. Point is, there are no such things as air roots with phals. All the roots are identical.
We pot them because we need to stop them drying out too fast. So, potting is a compromise between retaining moisture, and allowing air in, and you have to get that balance right.

I would suggest that you get a phal to abuse. I do it all the time. Pot it in large bark only and water it well twice a week in summer. Push it towards the edge, as it were, to see just how far the edge is away. I think you will be surprised.

Everyone has unique growing conditions, and if I gave one piece of advice to any beginner, it would be this. "You are going to kill orchids. That ¡s the way it is. Get the most info you can to minimise the damage you do. The orchids themselves will teach you if you listen to them, and are prepared to experiment and change things. If the orchids are saying different from the people, listen to the orchids.

[Pumpkin92]

Originally Posted by bil

I have a couple of minature phals. I am not happy with them on the larger bark, and I did experiment with them having some sphag, and again, they didn't seem overly happy. This year I will be potting them in a fine bark with chopped coir as an experiment, but a very shallow pot.

I would suggest that you get a phal to abuse. I do it all the time. Pot it in large bark only and water it well twice a week in summer.

You kinda brought up a problem with my two mini phals. One mini phal planted in sphag goes crunchy in 4 days. I wait till day five to water but the bottom leaf starts drooping (and is now yellowing). The roots look good though. But my other mini had really bad roots to start. I put that one in sphag but its showing signs of rot at the ends so I put an air cone in. Then I underwatered it and all the flowers blasted...

I actually do have a phal to abuse. That third one pictured was $1, and it had half decent roots on it. (especially compared to others I've bought). The next two weeks I'm studying for finals so I can't do it yet, but I think I'll stick it in pure bark. Like you said I've got to learn somewhere...

Any suggestions on the minis? If large bark didn't work for you, then I can't say I'm brave enough to try with them. I don't know what your environment is like but it might be similar to mine here.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin92

You kinda brought up a problem with my two mini phals. One mini phal planted in sphag goes crunchy in 4 days. I wait till day five to water but the bottom leaf starts drooping (and is now yellowing). The roots look good though. But my other mini had really bad roots to start. I put that one in sphag but its showing signs of rot at the ends so I put an air cone in. Then I underwatered it and all the flowers blasted...

I actually do have a phal to abuse. That third one pictured was $1, and it had half decent roots on it. (especially compared to others I've bought). The next two weeks I'm studying for finals so I can't do it yet, but I think I'll stick it in pure bark. Like you said I've got to learn somewhere...

Any suggestions on the minis? If large bark didn't work for you, then I can't say I'm brave enough to try with them. I don't know what your environment is like but it might be similar to mine here.

Well, like I say, both worked, just not as well as I wanted. I figure tho that if I go midway, and plant them in fine bark with chopped coir they should do ok. Bear in mind tho I am talking about a pot 8 inches in diameter and two inches in depth.

I have to make my pots up as I just can't buy wide pots with such shallow depth.

My results with good sized bark chunks and normal sized phals have been excellent. My first batch were in 35 cm pots, that's what, 14, 15 inches in diam, and as much deep, which just goes to show that large chunk bark allows them to breathe ok and retains enough water.
Bear in mind that the bark chunks here are about 2 inches long at max, (they call that fine.) It's sold as mulch and I have to sieve it a bit to get dust out.
What I call fine is sold as orchid mix. It is still discrete chunks, no dust or powder.
That's what I am trying with the miniphals.

[wintergirl]

Mini phals are harder for me too. I either under water or over water. I brought one back from the brink by putting in a clay pot with chunky bark. It had one wrinkled leaf and a few brown dried roots. I thought that I finally killed an orchid, but no. It is now getting a new leaf since I repotted in the clay pot with big pieces of Miracle grow bark.

[Pumpkin92]

Awesome, bil & wintergirl you inspired me to take a chance! Thank you! I stuck the struggling mini in all bark and thank heavens cause the roots looked worse. I know it might struggle at first but I'm being cautiously hopeful.

Then I potted two big phals in bark. One that has plenty of roots and one that is growing new roots. I've got my fingers crossed as the latter is my favorite even if I've never seen it bloom.

That gives me 3 in 50/50, 3 in bark and 2 in sphag (one of which I have a question about but for a new thread). Even the phal an inch from death in my other thread is slowly recovering. I had it sitting on top of sphag but I put some bark in there too. That way maybe its 2 new roots can adjust easier.

So let the experimenting begin!!! And thank you bil for giving me confidence to try and taking the time to respond. Even if I lose one I'm determined to understand the rest.

Plus thanks to everyone else who responded!

[bil]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin92

Awesome, bil & wintergirl you inspired me to take a chance! Thank you! I stuck the struggling mini in all bark and thank heavens cause the roots looked worse. I know it might struggle at first but I'm being cautiously hopeful.

Then I potted two big phals in bark. One that has plenty of roots and one that is growing new roots. I've got my fingers crossed as the latter is my favorite even if I've never seen it bloom.

That gives me 3 in 50/50, 3 in bark and 2 in sphag (one of which I have a question about but for a new thread). Even the phal an inch from death in my other thread is slowly recovering. I had it sitting on top of sphag but I put some bark in there too. That way maybe its 2 new roots can adjust easier.

So let the experimenting begin!!! And thank you bil for giving me confidence to try and taking the time to respond. Even if I lose one I'm determined to understand the rest.

Plus thanks to everyone else who responded!

My pleasure. I always encourage people to experiment (tho not with expensive orchids, natch) because experimentation is how you learn.