What Medium Is Black and Slimy?

[jmrathbun]

I purchased an orchid at auction last September, a full-grown Blc that has done splendidly in a medium I don't recognize: black like charcoal, soft texture and a bit slimy, soils like garden dirt but doesn't stain. Does anybody know what this is or where to get more?

[katrina]

There is a medium that I've seen that's made of ground up rubber but I can't remember the name. Maybe that's what your orchid is potted in. It's fine textured and black but not really slimy. The nice thing about it is it holds moisture well w/out ever compacting. Even when moist, if you squeeze it together is doesn't compact together...it stays very open and loose.

A friend has used it for lycaste and they really seem to love the stuff but it's not readily available and the shipping is outrageous. I think total cost for one bag + shipping was over $50. I'll see if my friend remembers the name so you can look it up and see if that's what you have.

[jmrathbun]

I found lots of references to this as an orchid growing medium. The most interesting is attached.

[Orchid Whisperer]

I did see a reference to use of crumb rubber as an orchid medium http://www.caios.org/images/Is_there...ember_2015.pdf The article referenced many different materials.

I would not use crumb rubber simply because there are better alternatives that have fewer management and disposal issues. If I were to try it, chips seem to make more sense than crumbs, though I guess it depends on the plant, grower, and individual conditions.

If I had a Blc plant potted in crumb rubber, I would probably move it to a different material as soon as the plant's growth cycle allowed it, discarding the old medium in the trash. Asphalt paving seems a better choice for re-purposing crumb rubber.

[katrina]

I was wrong about the mix being rubber...it is peat based. It's called Flexi-mix. Not sure why i thought it was made of rubber.

[jmrathbun]

Fleximix looks like dried peat. This stuff looks like charcoal mixed with bits of inorganic matter. The reason I'm so interested is that this Catt has done much better than the rest of my collection. Picture attached. Those blossoms are about 9" across!

[katrina]

That looks like the stuff I see at one of the local nurseries and I was told it's ProMix. Not something I would use for the long haul. Have you checked the roots? If you find the same thing I did...it will be lots of dead roots.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Promix sounds right. Some varieties of Promix contain vermiculite, or vermiculite could be added, which could make it seem slimy. I agree, not a good medium for the long term, check th roots ASAP when the blooms are done.

BTW I have to ask, what's the name of the hybrid on that tag?

[jmrathbun]

Blc Ronald Hausermann 'Carl' AM/AOS

[estación seca]

I would repot that ASAP into something else.