Best potting media for Restrepia

[avian]

Have a bareroot Restrepia contorta and need to pot it. What would be the best media for it?
--all sphagnum
--sphagnum mixed with fine bark or just putting
sphagnum on top of the bark
--bark mixed with pumice/perlite

The other Restrepias I have all came planted in sphagnum moss. Sometimes I think that just dries up too fast.

[Ray]

There is no “best” potting medium for any plant.

The trick is to 1) understand what the plant needs, and 2) select a potting medium that will provide that under your growing conditions.

[estación seca]

I would say if sphagnum dries too fast you might consider putting it into a terrarium. Unless you have time to water almost every day miniatures are difficult to grow outside a terrarium.

[avian]

No terrarium.
Going to go with bark and some sphagnum on top. Remembered that this is what the vendor recommended after we had a discussion of the growing conditions here.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by avian

No terrarium.
Going to go with bark and some sphagnum on top. Remembered that this is what the vendor recommended after we had a discussion of the growing conditions here.

That actually sounds good... I grow that one mounted (some sphag on the mount) so the extra drying-out from the bark with moisture from the spag might hit the sweet spot.

[avian]

Potted it up with fine bark and then added some sphagnum on top. Sadly when I opened the package it was in and removed it a few of the leaves fell off. Hope this isn't an indication that there is an issue or a sign of things to come.

[Roberta]

Pleurothallids tend not to take kindly to the bare-root-and-time-in-a-dry-box process for import. Good luck.