I know NOTHING

[estación seca]

You probably have Phalaenopsis orchids. Look up some photos of those online to compare.

They do well in the LECA balls I mentioned. I no longer use bark for my Phals.

Also look up growing them bare root in vases, or in water culture. A number of people here on OB do this, and several members of our orchid society have great results with water culture. Use the Search function in the top maroon menu, and search on Water culture or Vase .

[greenpassion]

Originally Posted by estación seca

You probably have Phalaenopsis orchids. Look up some photos of those online to compare.

They do well in the LECA balls I mentioned. I no longer use bark for my Phals.

Also look up growing them bare root in vases, or in water culture. A number of people here on OB do this, and several members of our orchid society have great results with water culture. Use the Search function in the top maroon menu, and search on Water culture or Vase .

Es. Why did you switch from bark to leca balls ? When I was growing my phals in SH, I used the LECA balls, and I have done a few mixes using them with bark.

[estación seca]

They do better for me in LECA balls. I suspect they dry out at a more uniform rate. Also LECA doesn't break down the way bark does.

Most but not all my Phals are in semi-hydroponics. But the ones not in S/H do better for me in LECA than in bark. That may be specific to my conditions - warm to hot all year, lower humidity than a sealed greenhouse, owner works too much and can't water every day.

[greenpassion]

Oh, I see. Here in Vermont it starts really cooling down late September and doesn't warm up really until May or so. Sounds like very different conditions than your place.

[estación seca]

That's a huge point to understand. People have very different growing conditions. That's why so many people here ask for more information about how people grow plants before answering questions. The flip side is that people living in fantastic climates for growing orchids sometimes tell people certain orchids are easy to grow, when they really aren't, unless you live someplace with a great climate for them.

One of the great things about Orchid Board is that we not only have people living all over the globe, we have people who have grown orchids in many different parts of the globe during their lifetimes.

I truly understand how awful it is to overwinter plants indoors during a long, cold winter. I've lived in places like that, before good and practical grow lights were really available. You can keep cacti and many succulents alive for the winter months in a cool, humid basement, under plain old fluorescent lights, but every year a few don't make it.

Some parts of Canada and northern Europe have summers that can be colder and darker than my winters. Brrrr!

[greenpassion]

I posted some pics of one of my setups and the Forum growing under lights. Those are LED track lighting in the photo I'm not sure if you can actually see them that well. But I grow all year indoors half a dozen or so and in East window. My big picture window. My dendrobiums in a South window, and the phalaenopsis that you will see if you go to that thread. I'm curious what you think.

[estación seca]

I saw it and commented there. It looks great.

[DarkDragoness]

Originally Posted by estación seca

I use quite a bit of clay balls sold in hydroponics shops for my orchids. I am more and more preferring this to large bark. This product is called LECA for Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate. Anywhere with a lot of pot smokers is going to have hydroponics shops.

Funny you should say that, there literally is a hydroponics shop across the street from Seattle Orchid. I'm not kidding.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by VONDI

Hmmm. I foresee a problem...I live in central NM. If Phoenix has no supplies I seriously doubt that Albuquerque will.
I can get cedar chips or pine bark chips or wood chips (probably pine) Any chance of using one of those?

I don't know. Most wood chips degrade rapidly when kept moist. Some pine bark has a lot of resin, and I don't know how that would work. A lot of people do grow mounted orchids on pieces of cedar fencing. Carter & Holmes grows and sells some orchids in shredded cypress. They also sell orchid potting media.

[greenpassion]

Ever since I started growing orchids, I buy all my supplies online. Pots, steaks, growing medium. Kelly's Korner is a good one, and even Amazon cuz they have the b
Better Grow bark mix. I order my orchiata from Amazon. Free shipping. There is literally no place that I'm aware of at least in a 50 mile radius of Westminster Vermont that sells anything other than that awful Miracle-Gro Orchid potting mix. That stuff is horrible stay away from it. It's almost like regular potting soil with a few pieces of wood chips tossed in. Anyway that's my two cents.