Shredded cedar - opinions?

[estación seca]

Some seedlings from Carter & Holmes arrive in shredded cedar bark. The ones I've moved to larger containers, or to S/H, have decent, but not amazing, entirely healthy root systems.

Some seedlings have obviously been in the material a while; it is more tightly packed, with a darker color than the fresh stuff. These seedlings have roots almost entirely on or near the surface, so they topple out of the pot easily, which is a management issue. Still, the roots are all healthy.

What are people's opinions on shredded cedar for orchids? Seedlings? Adults? Moister-growing? Dryer-growing?