Potting Mixture (Peat Moss) Experiment

[lotis146]

So here goes my big risk/experiment...

I hadn't gotten around to doing any repots this year until this weekend. I've been telling myself that I will repot any Zygo hybrids in a promix like medium, peat moss with some perlite basically. Reason being, I have a Zygolum Louisendorf I bought in something like Promix in March; there are two plants in this pot come to find out. Normally bringing an orchid home with me means the pbulbs will lose their smooth appearance rather quickly, however this has not been the case.

In the meantime I pollinated flowers on both plants (oh yes, it was in bloom when I bought it at a show) and both plants sent up new growths, one grew two but the second stalled very soon after.

One cross I did failed on both plants, the other resulted in a pod each. Then one pod dehisced prematurely (lab said there were no viable seeds) while the other remains intact. Meanwhile both new growths are 7" tall (plus) but neither spiked. Little confused that I didn't get any spikes off these however the main pbulbs are still smooth (maybe it was the light, not enough? Not enough fert?).

My Colmanara Masai Red was also potted in a promix like solution (got it from Natt's at a show) and it has smooth pbulbs and 5 new growths. I had to repot it because it was too big for the original pot. I wound up discarding much of the potting mix but then thinking I should just 'drop pot' it and keep it in the mix. I kind of did both of these things, in a manner of speaking. The bulbs are still smooth & the growths continued to grow though in the last month they seem to have stalled some...?

Given my sometimes extreme under-watering (even in winter, especially in winter) and the thirsty nature of my Zygo hybrids (of which I have many) I decided potting mix is what I should try. WELLLLLLLL, got to repotting and got a bit 'heavy-handed' in that I kept going will all my repots, almost.

I repotted the following plants in peat moss mix w/ a little added clay pebbles, more perlite (than what's already in the mix), & bark/charcoal:

[Neopabstopetalum]
Ianclarkara Cheyenne Marie 'Midori'
[Alantuckerara]
Wils. Pacific Passage 'Peach Cobbler'
Helcia sanguinolenta 'Grace'
Prom. Chameleon (this I potted with moss in net pot)
Prom. xanthina 'Botanica'
Zns. Cynosure 'Blue Water Sailing'
Zns. Cynosure 'alba'
Paph. Pink Fred
Phal. stuartiana (w/ a lot of extra perlite)
Phal. Champion Swan (a mini that I killed w/ dehydration, struggled to get back then it was one of many Phals subjected to direct rain that actually got crown rot, has one root, here's to wishful thinking...)
Paph. venustum (x sib)
Liparis grossa
Dtps. Yupin Fairlady - actually this one is more a combination of SOME peat mix, small bark mix & more

I also top dressed a couple of smaller plants much as you would with moss.

I didn't water anyone b/c it's supposed to rain today. As soon as I do water I will feed. Most of these have new growths, the Liparis has lots. I'm hoping to see some spiking in the new growths of some of the Zygo hybrids & ambitious growth in the new growths without the curling, wrinkling leaves that I've been seeing. For example, Wilsonara grew a new growth from the last mature growth & one from the next oldest one. One of them has stalled, perhaps now it will grow more.

I could go on with more specifics but I know this is already quite long so if you'd like to know more ask and I will share what I know/remember. In the meantime, thanks for reading, now only time will tell if I just did an awesome or a very terrible thing.