Different potting mediums and local places to buy

[Ashleyma23]

Hello,

I am looking into repotting my Cymbidium and was wondering what was the best material and at what locsl store can I purchase at. Pet store , hd. I see all these posts with diff medium and have no clue where to purchse in store?

Thank you
I also wanting to purchase a zygo, and miltonopsis.

[Discus]

Cymbidiums like to be kept somewhat on the damp side; coconut husk chips seem to work quite well for them. No idea where you'd buy them in Delaware, I'm afraid, but there are online retailers, and perhaps someone that lives around those parts might chime in soon.

[Cym Ladye]

Search Google for garden stores or hydroponic stores in your area. Then see if they carry fir bark, perlite or coco chips or orchid supplies of any type. Good place to start.

Most box stores have some of the products you want as fir bark (small) for orchids and perlite, and if that is what you can get easily, then use it. Hydroponic stores and some elite garden stores are the best for coco chips.

Cym Ladye

[WhiteRabbit]

In my area, bark and bark mixes (both fine and medium) can be found at retail nursery, hardware, and home-improvement (Home Depot, Lowes). I find perlite, charcoal, pumice, sometimes sphag at hardware store (local chain), retail nursery.

It may have been Cym Ladye who suggested to me I check out hydroponics supply stores for coconut husk chips - and I did, and found some! (I had previously bought on-line, but shipping costs as much as the product itself!)

I pot my cyms in a mix of medium and fine fir bark with added pumice, perlite, and some styrofoam peanuts. Coconut husk chips are also good for cyms (with added perlite, can also add pumice, charcoal, styro pnuts)

I have used fine bark mix or fine chc mix for Milts.

Zygos can be potted in medium bark mix, or chc.

All these types of orchids are moist growing, so need media that retains moisture while draining well. In my experience, Zygos like to dry a bit, Cyms and Milts a bit moister.

I'd advise against using Miracle Gro orchid mix - it's very fine and heavy - too much so for most orchids.