How long is too long to pre-soak bark mix?

[Bahar]

Hi there.

I started soaking some Better-Gro Phal Mix in a water/Physan solution about 3-4 weeks ago. I was only planning to soak it for a few days, but then I had a personal crisis come up and had to hold off on repotting. The mix is still soaking. I usually soak for about 5-7 days max. I am thinking 3-4 weeks is way too long and that I should just throw it out. Does anyone know whether is would still be ok to use this mix?

The reason I am even considering using it is: (1) I can see the bark in the pot is really breaking down and I probably should have repotted it 2 months ago (obviously want to avoid root rot) and (2) I am going to be going out of town tomorrow for 5 days; once I return, I am going to start driving across the country 3 days later (2000 miles) with my orchids in the back of my SUV. If I'm going to repot before I leave, I feel like I should do it now, so I'm not repotting the plant 2-3 days before it's subjected to the stress of a 4-day road trip.

It's not showing any visible signs of stress, and I noticed the emergence of a new spike about 2 weeks ago. So, it can probably deal with the old medium for a couple more weeks...

These are my thoughts. Just wondering what other, more experienced, growers would do in this situation.

And also, even if I dump the soaking media, for future reference, I'd like to know how long is too long to soak a bark mix. I worry that such a long pre-soak will result in the mix decomposing faster than usual and also worry about mold/fungus developing from sitting in water so long (by now, the Physan is obviously inactive).

Any thoughts or advice?