Best Medium For Oncidium/Odontoglossum

[thakshila smith]

Hi .Nice to meet u! very close place to Colombo.
We use just coconut fibers and charcoal.I suppose u grow them in the garden . When after they established they just grow and grow no need of medium .
Only the pot Hi , Hi ,Hi./

[Jerry Delaney]

I don't grow many species but do grow a fair number of intergenerics. I use a mix of chc, charcoal and perlite (4:1:1). I find it interesting and wonderful that everyone seems to have a slightly different twist on mixes. I have always thought that it is much easier to change mixes than it is to change our watering habits!

[wahaj]

I agree with that you're saying there Jerry.

You see CHC for me kills everything. I have the habit of accidently over watering sometimes and not watering enough the other. I find that somtimes I have left some water in the saucer and the chid has been sitting in it for a few hours or a day. If it's bark, it drains away very easily and saves me worrying but with chc I find it doesn't let go of the excess moisture very quickly.

I think it's also to do with what we have available to us locally. People will probably flinch when they read this, but I actually use reptile bark for my orchids. It's not really been decomposed at any stage like orchid bark is....and it's red wood as opposed to the usual fir bark that's used. I find they're perfectly happy. In fact I have an oncidium rosey sunset in it that's producing it's 4th spike while 2 are in flower. The roots look beautiful and are clinging onto it happily.

[Lagoon]

I also use reptile bark, good stuff!!