Orchiata
 

This is probably dredging up old news, but I bought some Orchiata recently and I was wondering how folks who have been using it for a while are satisfied, what amendments they added, like spag.moss and how often they had to water it.

I have some of the finer and some of the larger stuff that is similar to the medium regular bark. I have used the chunkier Orchiata for some of my Catts so I don't add anything else to it. It does dry out faster so you need to water more often. However it is supposed to last a lot longer. I think it does. I honestly haven't found that my orchids do any better in it tho. Maybe in some other growing environments it would be better. And it should mean not having to replace it as often. Mine can go at least 3 years with it. But in the end, my plants and roots outgrow the pot and I re-pot anyways. So then, do I top up with newer stuff and leave the old in there? It might rot in the centre and the more recent stuff still not need re-placing. So I think once mine is gone, I will just go back to regular bark for everything. It might be good for Paphs with some moss and the finer grade of it. It might stay fresh longer than fine regular bark.

Thanks, silken. I am beginning to have second thoughts about it. Living here where the summers are extremely hot I might have to water twice a day and that is not practical. We bought a misting system late last year and we will install it this spring. I have my plants under shade cloth but on a unexpected hot day Cats. and Phals. burned severely and have yet to recover.

Some people love it and say the moisture is more evenly distributed. That may be so for some. But again, I think its the same old story, what works for some, doesn't work for others. I'm not removing mine before it gets old, just won't get more. Good luck with the heat. I grow in a greenhouse and in summer it can get really hot too. I have a misting line and a good fan vent at the top on one end to push hot air out. It all helps.

The disadvantage of the misting system is that you only need it to run in short bursts, and it will only give you 8 on off periods.

There is a way to get 16, or even 24 but it involves a bit of jiggery pokery.

If you are interested, pm me and I'll tell you how I did it.

Considering that correctly potted orchids outgrow their pot in 2-3 years, i fail to see any benefit from the reputed 10 year lifespan of this product.

I can see a benefit in the longer than necessary useful life, but I certainly wouldn't pay a premium for it.

Prior to Arcadian (the importer of Orchiata) being sold and relocated to Savannah, GA, I used to pick it up in bulk from the warehouse north of Atlanta. Couple of tidbits that I've picked up from the original owner;

If you fill up a room with just basket balls, or just marbles, you will have about 40% air space between the balls. If you mix the two together, you will have a lot less. This is the same theory with the 5 sizes of Orchiata. By using only a uniform size in a pot, you maximize the air space.

That said, I do, sometimes add some leca medium to my bark, and/or styrofoam peanuts on the bottom, and for the soggy loving plants I'll also add some Besgrow (also from Arcadian) sphagnum moss.

While Orchiata is more expensive, it has been proven to last 7 years! G-d forbid an orchid of mine dies while in Orchiata. I toss the plant, thoroughly rinse the bark, bake it for about an hour at 250 degrees, and reuse it.

If you are an overwaterer, you can water everyday in the summer time, as long as you have good airflow in your growing area.

And although this is an unpaid endorsement for their products, the Besgrow sphagnum moss, which comes in different levels of quality is fantastic, especially if you order the highest quality (AAA).

A few clarifications:

1) It was Acadian Wholesale, not Arcadian. (The Mayes are transplanted Canadians)
2) The volumetric thing originated in my S/H talk, and I shared that with Tim as part of the reason I like Orchiata.
3) How long it lasts depends a great deal on your cultural parameters.
4) The Besgrow Sphagmoss actually comes in as high as high AAAAA, but according to Tim, in the years they owned the business, they only had one request for it, so the AAA stuff they sell - which is extremely good - has been tremendous for most.

I think the primary problem folks have with Orchiata is that it is just different from anything else they've used, but without considering that, try to use it the same way as any other bark.

The primary learning point I found useful was how to pretreat it to make it absorb more water right away: you DO NOT want to soak it, as that can extract some of the beneficial nutrients added in the curing process, so I pour a small amount of boiling or VERY hot water on it (enough to wet it), wait 30 minutes and do it again. That will open up the structure and allow it to absorb water better, and once it's cool, pot those plants up.

Orchiata is also naturally populated with a trichoderma fungus, which parisitizes pathogenic fungi, making it a bit of a probiotic.

Thanks for the clarifications Ray.

Furthermore, the 'transplanted Canadians' are now Floridians. His Sis (or Sister-in-law) is still running the business but has moved back to Canada.

I can't say enough about the product, and am 'hoarding' my 9 40 qt bags of orchiata, plus a few dozen smaller bags as well.