Orchiata bark vs. Better-Gro bark

[Rebecca817]

Wanted to get everyone's opinion on both kinds of bark. I've used Better-Gro in the past because it's what Lowe's sells, but I recently discovered Orchiata in one of my local fancy-schmancy garden shops.

[Ray]

You'll find Orchiata to be:

1) More uniform - meaning better airflow
2) Graded in several sizes, making it easier to tailor the bark to the needs of the plant.
3) Far longer-lasting.
4) More difficult to wet. Don't soak it, but trickle hot water over it, wait 15-30 minutes and repeat. When it cools it's ready to use.
5) More expensive, but I think it's worth it.

[WaterWitchin]

Orchiata. Hands down. What Ray says. ^^^

[Mountaineer370]

Yep, what Ray says and what WaterWitchin says.

I'm a fan of Orchiata. It's very clean, uniform in size of the chunks (comes in five different sizes, I think), and lasts a very long time without breaking down. It dries somewhat quickly after watering, so you may have to water a little more often than with some other types of media. If you're someone who has a tendency to forget to water, that could be a concern.

It is expensive. I don't have any local shops that carry it, so I've had to purchase it online, but even there, prices can vary widely.

[plantzzzzz]

Orchiata is way better. Especially their extremely fine bark sizes, which I find are very underrated for not just oncidiums but non-orchid epiphytes like Hoya and Dischidia. The latter two genuses develop incredible root systems when grown in fine bark.

That being said, if you just wanna repot a supermarket phal, I don't think it matters.

[TomThumb]

Originally Posted by plantzzzzz

Orchiata is way better. Especially their extremely fine bark sizes, which I find are very underrated for not just oncidiums but non-orchid epiphytes like Hoya and Dischidia. The latter two genuses develop incredible root systems when grown in fine bark.

That being said, if you just wanna repot a supermarket phal, I don't think it matters.

Ahhhhh I have some hoya cuttings and this is good to know. I was just going to use a succulent mix but I think i will try Orchiata instead. I was going to use a self-watering pot with my Hoya but if i use a bark medium should i just water normally?

[Orchid Whisperer]

Offering a different opinion here.
I have used both Orchiata and BetterGro.

I think Orchiata may be Ok for some plants. If I ever purchased more, I might try it with monopodials and other that only show slow horizontal growth. However, for most of my orchids (many Cattleya alliance plants) I use the BetterGro bark with good results. Adult Cattleyas always seem to outgrow the pot (2 to 3 years) before the bark breaks down. So, for me, I find the BetterGro product fits my needs better and is more economical.

[plantzzzzz]

Originally Posted by TomThumb

Ahhhhh I have some hoya cuttings and this is good to know. I was just going to use a succulent mix but I think i will try Orchiata instead. I was going to use a self-watering pot with my Hoya but if i use a bark medium should i just water normally?

It depends a lot on the species. Hoyas from cool and wet areas such as Bella and Retusa want to be constantly moist. I water them like oncidiums, constantly moist but never sitting in water. You can also grow them in sphagnum. I'm not sure if a self watering pot would work in bark, but if it does, yes they would love it.

Hoya Carnosa and related liked to dry out more, I do grow these but haven't had the chance to grow them in an epiphyte mix. They grow very slowly for me and I think it's the lack of light.

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

Offering a different opinion here.
I have used both Orchiata and BetterGro.

I think Orchiata may be Ok for some plants. If I ever purchased more, I might try it with monopodials and other that only show slow horizontal growth. However, for most of my orchids (many Cattleya alliance plants) I use the BetterGro bark with good results. Adult Cattleyas always seem to outgrow the pot (2 to 3 years) before the bark breaks down. So, for me, I find the BetterGro product fits my needs better and is more economical.

This is a really good point actually... I've always just liked the uniformity. I may be wrong, but I'm not sure if BetterGro has bark that is as small as Orchiata?

[Orchid Whisperer]

Hi plantzzzzz

I do grade the BetterGro bark that I buy, using some simple home-made seives and one that I purchased ages ago. I have seives that have 1-inch, 0.5 inch, and 0.25 inch openings, what I consider coarse, medium and fine bark are retained on those seives, respectively. It takes just a couple minutes to grade a bag of bark into sizes. I bag the sizes separately, ready to use. So, I'm creating the uniformity that I also like.

[Optimist]

I love the small size orchiata for pahiopedilums. I generally use hydroton on the bottom and orchiata on the top, in a (get this) semi-hydroponic pot.

I used to use pecan shells though-- so I am crazy enough to try anything.