Pure planting media

[Dorra]

Hello
Excuse my bad English. I wonder how you do to get a pure planting media? Do you cook bark? Does the boiler pour? Other way to do it? And how you mess with your own picked sphagnum?

We sterilizes tools and pots and so ... but how to do with the potting media? And do not destroy this possible "sterilization" bark and sphagnum properties?

Thank you in advance for all the answers.

[Ray]

If you purchase your potting media, it is likely clean enough of pathogens and fungi that all you need to do is wet it thoroughly.

Wild collected ingredients are more prone to carry such stuff, but I think that adding a bit of topical disinfectant to the soak ought to take sufficiently care of it.

[Dorra]

Thank You for Your answer... problem I get was that a good qualité media I bought (I do not say the name for not spreading the rumor) contain mini shells ... or eggs of thouse ... as well as millipedes. It's quite easy to get rid of just these, but there may also be worse harm insect or pest.

If a known orchid growers sell such potting media, what does it look like to others? There should be ways to sterilize the potting media... I wonder...

[Cym Ladye]

It sounds as if you may have gotten an old bag of bark which had gotten wet. Often all you have to do is spread it out on a plastic sheet in the sun for a few days, but that does not solve the problem that it has started to break down. That can be solved by soaking it in a garbage can of water, allow it to soak 24 hours, sieve out that which floats, and drain. Use the bark which sank to the bottom of the can as mulch or top dressing around garden plants.

[Dorra]

Thanks!!! I will do so in the future