Pros and cons of lava rock

[Ferns Daddy]

I will have to take a trip to get it, most of the garden centers around me don't have it in stock, but if it last a long time its worth a trip and who know I might find a orchid or 2 LOL

[Leafmite]

If you are washing great quantities at once, don't do it in a sink (can clog the sink). I wash it outside or in a bucket, then use the water on my other plants.

[Leafmite]

I grow nearly everything potted in the red lava rock. The exceptions are my ludisia, bulbo, mounted orchids, and vanilla.

[Ferns Daddy]

It wouldn't be the first time I clog up the sink from working with plants but I will do it out side just to be safe

[AnaLuisM]

I love lava rock, I started last year potting all my catts in it and they grow well, only problem would be watering because during summer you might have to water everyday, OR you can mix with moss which is what I did for the ones that like more moisture.
now I'm trying it on vandas because it didn't matter how much I water didn't look like it was enough, so will see how these do
but you can't beat the price, one bag goes a long way

[james mickelso]

there are different types of lava rock so check to see if it is the type you want to use. if it will fit your bill. the lava rock i usde comes from the eadstern sierra nevada mts in california and i collect it myself. it is full of holes so wicks water up and releases it slowly. some lava rock is just red or grey basalt with few holes so you might as well use plain ol granite. and there is a lot in between. i like what i get. buyer beware.

[Ferns Daddy]

I will have to look and see what is around, I'll be going out this week end to find some

[Vanda lover]

I just bought some that is used for landscaping. They sell it at our Canadian Tire store to use as mulch. It's good stuff.

[ALToronto]

I picked some up at a landscaping supply yard. It was in a pile, frozen solid! The worker at the yard had to use a hammer to chip out big icy chunks and put them in a bag for me. Then I put the bag on the bare concrete floor in my basement, on the floor drain, and it thawed overnight. The joys of Canadian winters (Vancouver Island notwithstanding ).

So I put a few rocks in a wire basket, and the wire basket in a laundry bin, in the bathtub. Poured tap water to cover the tops of the rocks. The water in the laundry basket turned deep red - no kidding there's a lot of dust on these! We dumped a few laundry basket loads in the back yard (have to be careful not to dump the water onto patio stones, or they will remain red for a long time!) before the water ran reasonably clear. I'm still getting a bit of red sediment every time I shake the basket.

I'm a little concerned about this lava rock, since the same landscaping supply yard sells a lot of road salt this time of year, so there could be some cross-contamination. I hope the soaking got rid of any salt that might have been there.

I'm almost ready to use the rock - I just made a cedar basket for my currently naked vanda, so we'll see how it goes.

[Vanda lover]

The basket looks great! I think that if you have washed the lava rock well that it will be fine. Good luck!