Phal. deliciosa potting media recommendations?

[sewcrazy64]

I got my Phal. deliciosas Silver Leaf and Hookeriana about 6 months ago. The sphagnum moss they came in has broken down and is filled with algae so we’re ready for a repot. I want to use something other than sphag. I’m wondering about small bark or maybe a self-watering pot with Leca. I know they like to stay more moist than my regular phals, so I’m concerned that in bark I would be constantly watering. However, I don’t have experience with a self-watering situation with Leca. I need these to be as low maintenance as possible. Please advise me on how to proceed.

[Lil Duck]

Why do you not want to use sphagnum? Just wondering.

[KatieM]

Why not mix some sphag in with a bark mix? Are you growing indoors or out? I do have one in a self watering pot and it's doing well. I still take it out and feed it and you do get algae still particularly in the transparent pots. I've also got one in a bark mix with sphag, perlite and threw a little leca in more because I had a little left that anything. Both are happy.

[3rdMaestro]

Originally Posted by KatieM

Why not mix some sphag in with a bark mix?

This is what I did when I grew mine a while back. It was a mixture of sphag, cork pieces, and hydroton. I also grew mine in an “oxygen pot” setup, where it’s in a net pot which is sitting in a clear plastic pot. I figured it would keep the root zone more humid. It rewarded me with a nice bloom spike. (One of my favorite Phals!) However I was a T5 light indoor grower. Not sure how your conditions compare?

[sewcrazy64]

Thanks everyone! I grow indoors in my sunroom with natural light from East and South windows and some supplemental LED light. I’m supposed to avoid sphagnum moss because of lung issues. KatieM, what size leca did you use for the one in the self watering pot?

[Lil Duck]

Originally Posted by sewcrazy64

I’m supposed to avoid sphagnum moss because of lung issues.

You could always wear a mask when working with it and if the sphagnum is always lightly moist (not crispy)
then it shouldn't release anything into the air.

If you are firm on no sphagnum you could try out semi hydro, if you use a combination of Hydroton and Rockwool cubes it should stay moist for longer. However Rockwool does release some fibers and should probably be worked with outside. Read up on some of the discussions in the Semi Hydro sub forum.

[KatieM]

I use a medium size about the size of a marble. Definitely worth trying especially if you're allergic to the moss. I just get mine off of Amazon. Make sure you rinse it really well in a strainer first. It does have dust so you might want to wear a mask just to be safe. I hope it works for you! If you don't want to make your own pots there's a place on Etsy that has these cute self watering pots. I'll see if I can find the link.

---------- Post added at 10:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:18 AM ----------

3 Perfect Orchid Pots Self Watering Plant Planters - Etsy

[tmoney]

howdy!

we use the same media for all of our phals, but, it does contain moss. however, the results, i think, are worth it. i would second the suggestion about using a mask if you are working with it.
you can check out a simple video on how we mix our media here:

https://youtu.be/PfXUZTGLvlk

best of luck with the deliciosa!!