Orchids potted in sponges - what to do

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Ray

...That Pafcal stuff looks interesting, but I suspect it would have the same potential pitfalls as Grodan rock wool cubes.

The Pafcal "chip" is literally a sponge, as is the Grodan cube. When watered heavily, they become completely saturated, so the only air in the system is the space between them. For terrestrial plants, that's not an issue, but for orchids, I'd be looking to add a second phase, to "up" the airiness.

I know nothing about Pafcal other than reading about it here and then looking it up. Haven't used it. Having said that, for anything epiphytic I'm with Ray... I think it would need a supplemental medium. Like LECA perhaps. Might have to get some and see how it pairs with semi-hydro instead of Grodan cubes and LECA. If it doesn't make my hands itch and performs the same...hmmmmm.