Lesson learned...get quality media!

[sunset360]

I try to live by the mantra, "waste not, want not".

Awhile ago (i.e. before I knew better), I got a bag of Espoma Organic Orchid mix - thinking, it's "organic" so it must be great!

So, when repotting my phal recently, I decided to use the Espoma mix for bark to add to my New Zealand AAA sphagnum moss. I wanted more control over the media ratios than the pre-mix allowed, so I decided to just pick through it for what I wanted. What I found was a dusty, dirty mess from the abundance of charcoal and...well, what looked like dirt. After some time bent over the kitchen sink rinsing and picking, I finally had enough bark chips to make something happen - but not before throwing out 4xs as much junk, mushy pieces of bark, and rocks...YES, ROCKS.

Lesson learned...buy good quality material up front. You may think you're saving $ by buying these pre-mixed, mass produced bags...but you're not! Do a little research, ask around on this site, figure out what you want in your mix, and buy it from a reputable site. Otherwise, you're wasting your $, time, and energy...all of which could be spent enjoyin' your plants!