PET Method Update- Summer 2020

[SaraJean]

Another nice video, thank you Steve! I started cracking up when you pulled out the maculatum, that thing is a beast. Very cool flower on that one too

I tried this method out on about half of mine this year and man are they looking good. I used LECA on the bottom and I had some old basic orchid mix laying around for the middle layer. I think it’s fir bark, charcoal and sponge rock, wasnt sure how that would work for that layer but it seems to be fine. And yes, I left a lip on mine between the moss and top of the pot for the water to pool. I don’t really understand why this potting method seems to be working better than my normal sphagnum and clay pots, but it is. I would have thought that the sphagnum that’s watered every day, or every other day, would be plenty of moisture. But now I’m wondering if the center of those pots aren’t getting saturated enough. All of the ones growing in the PET seeming to be plumping up so much better and faster than my others.

[hypostatic]

How expensive are the chips compared to sphag?

Originally Posted by SaraJean

I don’t really understand why this potting method seems to be working better than my normal sphagnum and clay pots, but it is.

I'd think that clay would lose water/moisture too quickly, more so if outside. Clay is great for gas exchange in the media, which is sort of the opposite of what you want with catasetums.