Phal Potting Mix Help For An X-tra Large Phal

[peeweelovesbooks]

Hello all.

I need some help and suggestions to choose the right mix for my huge phal. Here's the story:

I have been growing this phal in a 16" vanda basket outside in my backyard. This year it grew A LOT, and it has a lot of blooms. I had thought of showing it, but as each bloomed opened, and to my disappointment, the blooms are all marked by thrips tracks. Sigh. Clearly, I can't submit it like that, and I'm determined to do so with this particular plant. So, I have decided to take it from the backyard and where it's currently potted and move it inside to see whether it can produce show quality blooms next year.

I can't leave it in the vanda basket, it is too dry inside for the plant to be bare root. So, I need to pot it up. I am planning on having a custom-made container for it, but I need to put it in some type of mix. I can tell you that I grow my indoor phals in a mix of 1/2 coir and 1/2 monterrey bark, but I'm not sure whether this mix will be appropriate for such a large plant. The indoor phals are VERY happy in that mix and their roots are thick like my fingers.

The root system in this plant is about 16 inches long, if not longer (I haven't examined the root system underneath the Coconut Husk fiber it's currently in.

So, what are your suggestions as far as mix is concerned for such a huge plant? I don't do well in moss, or in pure bark based mediums.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.