What type of potting mix do you prefer? - Orchid Board

Lady Tottington · #1 06-16-2010, 05:32 PM

Hi friends! What type of potting mix do paphs and phrags prefer? I had one that has been doing well in an almost regular potting soil type mix, even though it said orchid mix on the bag (I can't remember where I got it), anyway, I repotted to a BetterGrow AOS bark mix from Lowes, but I'm wondering if it was the right thing to do? I have BetterGrow AOS moss on the top as well.

I haven't stepped up to order special mixes from the internet, although I'm sure I should.

But it seems there are so many to choose from, as well as the cost is higher than what I can pay at the time I'm looking. ug.

Anyway, would love your comments and suggestions. Forgive my ignorance

EDDIE · #2 06-16-2010, 05:51 PM

I use seedling bark mix presoaked for 24hrs in water and superthrive; this seems to work well for me...

Eddie

WhiteRabbit · #3 06-16-2010, 05:55 PM

My Paphs have been doing well in a mix of fine and medium bark with added perlite. The fine bark I have is very fine, which is why I also use medium bark mixed with it. The upside to the very fine bark is it retains moisture very well. I've only had most of my Paphs a bit over a year, but they all seem to be growing well, and one is now in spike

I don't know what orchid media is available to you locally - I agree that buying online can get pricey with the shipping costs. In my area, some places carry plain orchid bark (just bark, nothing else added). The brand is Wonder Bark I think - I use the medium and fine (fine is VERY fine, and I never use it without mixing in medium bark and a fair amount of perlite - nearly killed a couple of oncidiums a few years back by using the fine bark with apparently not enough perlite added).

I have read, and been told, that Paphs should be repotted to fresh media annually - just an FYI for the future

Lady Tottington · #4 06-16-2010, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

My Paphs have been doing well in a mix of fine and medium bark with added perlite. The fine bark I have is very fine, which is why I also use medium bark mixed with it. The upside to the very fine bark is it retains moisture very well. I've only had most of my Paphs a bit over a year, but they all seem to be growing well, and one is now in spike

I don't know what orchid media is available to you locally - I agree that buying online can get pricey with the shipping costs. In my area, some places carry plain orchid bark (just bark, nothing else added). The brand is Wonder Bark I think - I use the medium and fine (fine is VERY fine, and I never use it without mixing in medium bark and a fair amount of perlite - nearly killed a couple of oncidiums a few years back by using the fine bark with apparently not enough perlite added).

I have read, and been told, that Paphs should be repotted to fresh media annually - just an FYI for the future

Thank you thank you! I think I may get some of the finer mix and blend it with the bark as you did. Will it harm my plant to repot again a week after last time

?

camille1585 · #5 06-16-2010, 06:25 PM

I saw the BetterGro stuff at Lowes yesterday, and it looks like a very good mix from what I could see in the bag. But it might still be a bit too coarse for slipper orchids. Mine are growing in fine bark.

WhiteRabbit · #6 06-16-2010, 07:02 PM

I don't think it should hurt it to repot again. I have heard good things about the better gro brand too - I haven't seen it here. If the fine bark isn't extremely fine, it may be good without the medium bark mixed in - idk - I just know what has been working for me lol

Jerry Delaney · #7 06-17-2010, 10:03 AM

I currently have all of my Phrags in S/H. This has proven to be a much better media for me. My second choice would be CHC using some perlite & charcoal as additives. If you use CHC for the Phrags make sure you wash it really well. Phrags don't particularly care for salts in their root zone.

Lady Tottington · #8 06-17-2010, 10:58 AM

I have looked into the S/H at Rays, is this the medium you use Jerry? Do you have the clear plastic pots, and from your other post with your gorgeous Onc. photo, it looks like you are in a climate where you can grow outdoors? What is your humidity like?

When you say CHC, what exactly is that? And good to know they don't like salts, I'll remember that one.

smiles & thanks!

Ray · #9 06-17-2010, 11:31 AM

CHC is coconut husk chips.

Asking folks which potting medium they prefer (semi-hydroponics is a whole culture method, NOT a potting medium, by the way) is like asking "how high is up?".

The fact that one person is successful with a particular mix has absolutely no relevance to whether it will be good for you.

To be smart about it:

Understand that orchids MUST have a readily available supply of moisture, AND must still have plenty of air flow around their roots.
Be observant about your growing conditions - solar flux, air movement, humidity, & temperature - and learn how that may affect the evaporation of moisture from the medium.
Become knowledgeable about various potting medium options and how each performs as far as providing moisture while maintaining airiness.
Think about yourself with respect to "messing with" your plants: Do you want to interact with them a lot, or do you prefer minimal maintenance - or somewhere in between?

With all of those things in mind, you have to develop a "balance". Item 1 is a "given" - you really need to do what the plant wants - and 2 is as well, but it can vary with seasons and you can do stuff on a macro scale to modify the conditions, if you wish. That leaves you with variations in potting medium and watering being how you achieve what the plants need.

If you want to mess with your plants a lot, you can afford a medium that doesn't retain water well, as frequent watering suits you. That can be a very coarse medium, or one that doesn't absorb much.

If you have a job, kids, pets, etc., maybe you don't have (or want to dedicate) that amount of time, so you need a medium that holds water longer. That can mean something finer or that absorbs really well.

Which way you go within a single option will be determined more by your conditions than anything. For example, large commercial nurseries commonly use tightly packed sphagnum for their plants. In their big greenhouses in Florida or Hawaii, the conditions are such that the moisture loss rate prevents suffocation of the root system. On a windowsill in less temperate regions, or even my greenhouse here in Pennsylvania, it will become soppy in no time and kill the roots.

A commercial, mass-marketed potting mix might work well for you, but the chances that is it "right" are slim, considering the other variables. If you decide to go that way, the ONLY thing you can adjust is your watering regimen - volume and frequency - and that is a difficult thing to maintain, especially as the medium ages.

Lady Tottington · #10 06-17-2010, 07:29 PM

Wow Ray, that really helps and sums it up. I guess I would like a happy medium of interaction with my plants, considering I do have a job, kids, and huge vegetable garden to contend with, and lots of canning to do in the summer. So, although I like to tinker with orchids, I don't really have more time to make sure my medium is perfect daily, I guess I'd like to get into a routine for what works during the different times of the year for our indoor climate, and summer heat of the west windows that get closed from the afternoon baking sun on.

How well do CHC retain moisture?

Thanks so much for sharing your time and expertise, I truly appreciate it my friend!