Orchid Potting Media, What size chunks for what orchid?

[fishmom]

There is a rule of thumb that says the size of the medium parallels the size of the roots, so a fine bark for fine roots, chunkier bark for thicker roots. However, an orchid will grow on most anything if you adjust your watering practices to provide what the orchid needs.



Big chunks are a poor choice for an orchid that wants to stay moist all the time, fine bark is not so good for a plant that needs to dry out between waterings. Good culture information will be your guide, along with your own experience.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by fishmom

There is a rule of thumb that says the size of the medium parallels the size of the roots, so a fine bark for fine roots, chunkier bark for thicker roots. However, an orchid will grow on most anything if you adjust your watering practices to provide what the orchid needs.

One of the important factors is the size of the spaces between the particles, again, paralleling fishmom's recommendation.

Big chunks are a poor choice for an orchid that wants to stay moist all the time...unless you're going to water frequently.

Frequent watering is actually better for the plants, but we have to be practical. Summers in my greenhouse in PA, I watered daily and saw spectacular growth. Now that I'm sans-greenhouse again and growing on windowsills, that simply isn't happening.