My first species Phal

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Bird Song Farm

Congratulations John, I know you will have good luck with pulcha.
Camille, thanks for the tip. I have been wondering why my pulcha only throws spikes with keikis (3). Guess I have to find a different spot for mine.

From what I understand, it will keiki instead of bloom if the temperature is too warm. As to what is meant by 'too warm' I'm not sure. I've been told to grow it on the cool side of intermediate.

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by Robe

P. pulchra, a love/hate story
I bought one few weeks ago.
Sincerely I don't like your potting media: it seems to be too fine-grained, not aired and too moist.
But it depends on growing conditions , Christenson in his book (Phalaenopsis, a monograph) wrote that he saw Phalaenopsis happily growing in a wine bottle or in a pot filled with wool socks
hahahahahaha!!

ahh well we each find what works the best for ourself and they work great for me ....and actually grow monsterous root systems I use just pure rice hulls and they actually have perfect drainage and break down very slowly,hold moisture well also but never pack down and have more air in them that you would think....here is one that has been in them for many years It managed three spikes this year already at once and has a new spike growing now after being out of bloom and resting 3 months

[Call_Me_Bob]

:shock im hooked!! im gonna buy it right now! can i get it locally?

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

ahh well we each find what works the best for ourself and they work great for me ....and actually grow monsterous root systems I use just pure rice hulls and they actually have perfect drainage and break down very slowly,hold moisture well also but never pack down and have more air in them that you would think....here is one that has been in them for many years It managed three spikes this year already at once and has a new spike growing now after being out of bloom and resting 3 months

You convinced me last night in the chatroom, I'm dying to try potting a test phal in some rice hulls! When I get back to France I'll see if I can find some. Hopefully it should be easy to find since the south of france produces rice.

[Robe]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

ahh well we each find what works the best for ourself and they work great for me ....and actually grow monstrous root systems I use just pure rice hulls and they actually have perfect drainage and break down very slowly,hold moisture well also but never pack down and have more air in them that you would think....here is one that has been in them for many years It managed three spikes this year already at once and has a new spike growing now after being out of bloom and resting 3 months

Wow, it's a great result, your plant looks very very healthy.
the very slow breaking down is actually a good advantage but I still think this media is too thin for my growing conditions. Do you have a greenhouse? What is your RH?
I'm extremely interested in potting media, I'm always testing new ones: bark, cork, coal, perlite, sphagnum and all the mixtures of these

[johnblagg]

when you first get them soak them well just like you would hydrotron the are very very dry at first and will need to soak a while...I get mine localy and have a big pile outside where they get to weather and get rained on a lot so they are ready for use at any time ....LOL I use them for mulch around flower beds and as a soil amendment too so I have a stock pile all the time.I am lucky and here they are a waste product from the grain bin since Im in rice growing country also Camille.And lol I get mine free!!!

[johnblagg]

Originally Posted by Robe

Wow, it's a great result, your plant looks very very healthy.
the very slow breaking down is actually a good advantage but I still think this media is too thin for my growing conditions. Do you have a greenhouse? What is your RH?
I'm extremely interested in potting media, I'm always testing new ones: bark, cork, coal, perlite, sphagnum and all the mixtures of these

nope no Gh just inside in winter and lol wood heat so its very dry but I mist a lot then.And outside under a tree in summer but in summe RH is pretty high here anywhere from 50 to 100% and usually about 70 to 80

[Robe]

Originally Posted by johnblagg

nope no Gh just inside in winter and lol wood heat so its very dry but I mist a lot then.And outside under a tree in summer but in summe RH is pretty high here anywhere from 50 to 100% and usually about 70 to 80

hmm I have very similar conditions
Ok ok, I'll try to test this media even if it won't be easy to find it in my place
Thank you and good growing!
Please let us know how it will go

[johnblagg]

repotme carries rice hulls

[Call_Me_Bob]

yeah, i know. is there anywhere Locally