chipped terracotta for phalaenopsis?

[greengarden]

I got a number of neglected phals a while back. Have unfortunately lost a couple and I'm starting to worry whether I'm doing things right. I'm a little iffy on how good the bark they are in is as they seem to stay wet for too long so was thinking about repotting. I was wondering whether anyone uses crushed terracotta for phals? If so what sort of watering regime do you use?

[WhiteRabbit]

I've mixed in some small pieces of pots.

If media stays wet too long, you can try tucking some styrofoam into the center of the root mass, or place a small over-turned net pot (or any pot with drainage holes) in the bottom center of the pot.

[james mickelso]

I have used lava rock (same innert dryness as terracotta) for phals with very good success. Here are a couple pics. If I use moss I pot the phal loosely so that the roots dry out in short order. In bark I use charcol and sponge rock with it and use a medium mix. In lava I use a medium coarse grade. I like a very airy mix because I would rather water more often and therefore feed more often than have to guess when the center of the mix under the roots is dry enough to water again.