Storing Media Outdoors
 

I know some growers in this forum have some outdoor space, like a patio or balcony, but no garage.

Have you ever found any inconvenience in storing your media (bark, sphagnum, etc.) outdoors? Especially using the stuff you stored outside on your indoor plants?

I buy in bulk and keep it all indoors but wanted to tidy up my place and take advantage of my balcony. I store some "potting soil" (milled coco husk mixed with perlite, no peat) outside, and when I went to repot some aroids, I was surprised to find the entire surface covered in teeny tiny spider eggs. It's a bit gross but not a deal breaker for me, as spiders predate on many pests and are not dangerous to the plants. I even used the potting soil indoors and don't have a spider infestation, if I ever see a spider, I let it be. I imagine they were attracted to the moisture and found a little crack to get in and build their nest.

My main concern is for those things that I can't see: mites, snails, slugs, and any other critter that might place their eggs away from the plant. So before I bring my supplies outdoors, especially since I will be using them indoor/outdoor, I wanted to see if there are some rules to follow that the forum could enlighten me about?

Thanks!

I store media outside (or in the garage) . As long as the bags are sealed, they should be fine (though if they get a lot of sun outside, the plastic can get brittle eventually). If you want to protect it from possible creepy crawlers (haven't had problem with the orchid bark, potting soil can be more "welcoming"), you can use trash barrels or 5 gallon buckets with lids (depending on the size).For potting soil, I don't worry about the occasional earthworm, it's used for plants that live in dirt.

I keep all my potting stuff in a big plastic bin, with a snap-lock cover, that I keep on a covered front deck.
It's remained dry and pest free, so far - For Florida, that's pretty good.

I've had mice in my shed stash sunflower seeds in potting media. Divided and potted up a succulent, had to "weed" out the sunflower sprouts!

The pack rats or ground squirrels bury mesquite or palo verde seeds in all my outdoor pots.

Put your materials in a metal trashcan/feed can, and plunk it in a shady spot that’s protected from rain. Add a bungee cord across the lid, if you have raccoons.

I found a bag of orchid mix (fir bark, charcoal, perlite) that I forgot about sitting outside under a covered porch unprotected for a year. It was fine and don’t give my orchids any problems. Probably because it was very dry in the bag.