Cochleanthes discolor--media and pot recommendations

[avian]

Purchased one from Ecuagenera at Fascination of Orchids. What would be the best media to plant it in? I'm thinking bark with some pumice (don't have any perlite) and maybe add some sphagnum moss. The roots are currently wrapped in sphagnum. Also would a net pot be OK? According to Travaldo's blog they do badly in pots but I'm assuming that he is referring to a solid pot rather than a net pot. Another website recommended putting it in a basket.

[Roberta]

I grow it in a pot no problem. Just well-drained medium. Bark plus pumice should be fine. Plants that are imported are always in sphagnum (to give some moisture) because they have to be basically bare-rooted for import, sphagnum is permitted. But it isn't a particularly good long-term medium. I'd unwrap it, give it a good bath, and pot it up in that bark/pumice mix. Skip the sphag.

[estación seca]

It's a high water use plant. I wouldn't suggest any kind of ventilated pot unless you plan to stand it in a dish of water.

[Roberta]

I don't keep mine any wetter than the Oncidinae and it does fine. In fact, it's one of my relatively bulletproof plants that doesn't get much special attention at all.

[estación seca]

Maybe it was the heat here.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Maybe it was the heat here.

Very likely. Also you have much lower humidity to deal with. I also do water a lot.

[avian]

Thanks. So no slotted or net pot, just a regular plain old solid pot and give it a good wash removing the sphagnum from the roots.

[estación seca]

They have narrow diameter roots that are easily damaged. Don't be vigorous removing old media.

[avian]

I'll be careful.
Would an aircone pot work? Just a few slots near the bottom of that one, but maybe too ventilated??
Have plain old square plastic pots I can use.

[Roberta]

I'd just shako off the sphag that it came packed in, try to spread the roots out a bit and pot it up in a pot of suitable size. Not a fragile species... as mentioned in your other post, it can handle temperatures from freezing (Or a bit below) up to well into the triple digits F. I got mine in 2005, it has survived rookie mistakes and weather extremes and is still going strong.