Medium Fir Bark compared to Medium Orchiata
 

I recently ordered med. orchiata bark and found that the size of it is considerably smaller than the med. fir bark I have been using. I wonder if anyone else has used it to plant Phal's. I have considered ordering a bag of the large orchiata, their web site says that it is 1/2" to 3/4", that is closer to what I have used in the past. I don't want a mix that gets too dense and holds too much water. I don't know if just adding more perlite and or fired clay beads would keep it open or not. I usually make a mix go bark, s.moss, perlite and charcoal. I am potting in air core pots for the first time this year and would like feedback about your experience.

Orchiata has several sizes.

Precision #8 is basically <1/4"
Classic #9 is 1/4"-3/8"
Power #5 is 3/8"-1/2"
Power+ #5A is 1/2"-3/4"
Super #7 is 3/4'-1'

All grades tend to be drier than most other barks, and have very long lives, so going with something smaller than you're used to might be quite appropriate.

I will add this: DO NOT ever make a "wholesale" change in your collection. Try something new on one plant and see how it goes....

Ray, I do not have any of the fir bark that I was using. I have to go to the orchiata or not repot and they really need to be i new medium. Should I do some in the medium and some in the large and see what happens? If you haven't seen the post, I have pictures of the Cat. that had no roots, the pictures are in my album as I haven't figured out how to add them to a thread. Many thanks to you for the KelpMax.

if you have a rhizome clip it will hold the cat down firm to the medium, and it should make roots....if you are using a smaller/finer bark than normal, I personally would leave out the vermiculite....cats like to be potted hard/firm, while phals like a more delicate touch so as not to bruise their roots...I just hold them where I want the crown to be and shake medium around them, tapping the pot to settle the medium around their roots...that's just how I do it, you can alter to suit yourself....gl!!