Potting Mixture (Peat Moss) Experiment
 

So here goes my big risk/experiment...

I hadn't gotten around to doing any repots this year until this weekend. I've been telling myself that I will repot any Zygo hybrids in a promix like medium, peat moss with some perlite basically. Reason being, I have a Zygolum Louisendorf I bought in something like Promix in March; there are two plants in this pot come to find out. Normally bringing an orchid home with me means the pbulbs will lose their smooth appearance rather quickly, however this has not been the case.

In the meantime I pollinated flowers on both plants (oh yes, it was in bloom when I bought it at a show) and both plants sent up new growths, one grew two but the second stalled very soon after.

One cross I did failed on both plants, the other resulted in a pod each. Then one pod dehisced prematurely (lab said there were no viable seeds) while the other remains intact. Meanwhile both new growths are 7" tall (plus) but neither spiked. Little confused that I didn't get any spikes off these however the main pbulbs are still smooth (maybe it was the light, not enough? Not enough fert?).

My Colmanara Masai Red was also potted in a promix like solution (got it from Natt's at a show) and it has smooth pbulbs and 5 new growths. I had to repot it because it was too big for the original pot. I wound up discarding much of the potting mix but then thinking I should just 'drop pot' it and keep it in the mix. I kind of did both of these things, in a manner of speaking. The bulbs are still smooth & the growths continued to grow though in the last month they seem to have stalled some...?

Given my sometimes extreme under-watering (even in winter, especially in winter) and the thirsty nature of my Zygo hybrids (of which I have many) I decided potting mix is what I should try. WELLLLLLLL, got to repotting and got a bit 'heavy-handed' in that I kept going will all my repots, almost.

I repotted the following plants in peat moss mix w/ a little added clay pebbles, more perlite (than what's already in the mix), & bark/charcoal:

[Neopabstopetalum]
Ianclarkara Cheyenne Marie 'Midori'
[Alantuckerara]
Wils. Pacific Passage 'Peach Cobbler'
Helcia sanguinolenta 'Grace'
Prom. Chameleon (this I potted with moss in net pot)
Prom. xanthina 'Botanica'
Zns. Cynosure 'Blue Water Sailing'
Zns. Cynosure 'alba'
Paph. Pink Fred
Phal. stuartiana (w/ a lot of extra perlite)
Phal. Champion Swan (a mini that I killed w/ dehydration, struggled to get back then it was one of many Phals subjected to direct rain that actually got crown rot, has one root, here's to wishful thinking...)
Paph. venustum (x sib)
Liparis grossa
Dtps. Yupin Fairlady - actually this one is more a combination of SOME peat mix, small bark mix & more

I also top dressed a couple of smaller plants much as you would with moss.

I didn't water anyone b/c it's supposed to rain today. As soon as I do water I will feed. Most of these have new growths, the Liparis has lots. I'm hoping to see some spiking in the new growths of some of the Zygo hybrids & ambitious growth in the new growths without the curling, wrinkling leaves that I've been seeing. For example, Wilsonara grew a new growth from the last mature growth & one from the next oldest one. One of them has stalled, perhaps now it will grow more.

I could go on with more specifics but I know this is already quite long so if you'd like to know more ask and I will share what I know/remember. In the meantime, thanks for reading, now only time will tell if I just did an awesome or a very terrible thing. ;)

:biggrin::evil::biggrin::evil:

results will be interesting. There are some who say you can grow orchids in just about anything, you just have to get the watering right.
I specifically would like to hear about your zygonisia cynosure and whether you will have the same experience as I had. I think they hate to be repotted. Well, mine did. Maybe its the mix ( I used small bark/sphagnum ), so your experiment with a different mix is timely.
After about 8 months of doing nothing, its coming right. 3 new growths ( only 1 from the latest growth, where you would expect ) and the larger growth looks as if its going to have 3 spikes, all from the same side of the pbulb which is strange.

This is my first time repotting my Cynosures and the first I've heard they might not like it! So yes, we'll see. I have yet to repot my Zns. Roquebrune as it is still in bloom (w/ a few pollinated flowers at that, results pending) but when I do I will put it in the same mix. Have you ever repotted a plant with pods?

Glad to hear yours is making a come back, and it sounds like a nice one at that. I hope you post pics whether it's a triple spike or not! :D

There was a person in France growing everything into straight peat moss, she must have had her watering/air circulation/temperatures right… (now I don't know if it's still the case 2 years later)

I hope it all works for you. I have had to make myself water better but I am now a slave to my orchids. I am watering plants almost every day. If I skip a day then I have a bunch to do. On some I am trying to add more spagh to the mix as you have to see if they will stay damp longer and I don't have to water them as often.

It seems to be working for my mini Phals. I am using a seedling mix and then I am adding more spagh and depending on the weather it can be 3 or 4 days between. When I put them in as it was mixed I wasn't watering enough and some started to get wrinkly leaves and I had to step it up and water them every other day for awhile.

I'm guessing it will work for you.

Thanks everyone, I'm hoping the same! :) It is a little nerve wracking but like you Shannon I've felt like a slave to my orchids only to still disappoint them. I think I'd feel better if I was having to do something to or with them all the time and had great growth and blooms but I haven't so I'll just have to keep tweaking my process. :)

Lepetitmartien it's nice to hear about someone else doing it. While it encourages me knowing I've bought plants in peat moss from commercial growers it's also cause for concern b/c they have their s*** together a little more no doubt... ;) We'll see. They got a good dose of rain today so this counts as the first watering and temps are going to be a bit higher in the coming week(s). I know I'm going to have to be a lot more diligent about protecting them from rain in the future if they're already wet/too wet.

Be prepared with bacillus thuringiensis (mosquito dunks), peat moss is magnet for fungus gnats.

And a perfect substrate for Sundews to eat them!

Thanks Nexogen... I do have a butterwort... mwah ha ha... and this little carnivorous plant kit I bought on clearance at a big box store I never did grow/put together. Seems there are so many more fascinating elements to this experiment!

On that note, I have had my Butterwort outside with all the Chids for the last couple of months and it is COVERED in delicious little creatures. :D I think I need more...

If peat works for you, you should keep using it.
I use peat as a base for all of my non-orchids. It is great stuff. I keep a few bags on hand, along with perlite, vermiculite, sand, African violet mix, and orchid bark (for soil mixes, not orchids).
My CP's seem to be thriving with all of the rain (and bugs). I don't have a fungus gnat population right now but the butterworts seem to be able to nab mosquitoes. No idea what the pitchers are getting. The Venus Fly traps always seem to have bulging traps...I am going to guess flies in their case.