Orchids potted in sponges - what to do

[Roberta]

When removing the old medium, you don't have to get it all. Just remove what you can get off easily, where it is stuck to roots, leave those bits, The roots will adapt to the new medium, eventually that stuff will fall off. But as long as there is not a lot of it, won't really affect the watering regimen much. Same applies to plants in sphagnum. You don't have to get them completely clean to gain the benefits of the new medium.

[GrowingSanDiego]

My guess is that the little sponges are pieces of Pafcal, a planting medium invented by Toyota Suntory. It's designed to hold 70% air and 30% water. I would think it would be ideal for many kinds of orchids. I planted a Cattleya in a mix of Pafcal and Leca this morning. We'll see. I have several Hoya plants in Pafcal, and they are thriving.