Has anybody tried Oncidiums in Stalite?

[jsehorn]

I have recently started potting my Catts in medium Stalite and they seem to thoroughly enjoy it. I'm considering trying some of my Oncidium type plants in Stalite. Since they have finer roots, I'd probably go with small Stalite, but I was just wondering if anybody has tried growing Oncidiums in Stalite and how you felt about it. Thanks!

[Carkin]

Is Stalite similar to sponge rock?

[jsehorn]

It's a porous, gray, rock-like material, so yes, I would say it is probably similar in many ways to sponge rock, but it's a a bit heavier. Sponge rock seems like it would be too light to grow top heavy plants like Catts in just sponge rock, but Stalite works great.

Is sponge rock like perlite? Or are we thinking of two totally different things?

[Carkin]

Originally Posted by jsehorn

It's a porous, gray, rock-like material, so yes, I would say it is probably similar in many ways to sponge rock, but it's a a bit heavier. Sponge rock seems like it would be too light to grow top heavy plants like Catts in just sponge rock, but Stalite works great.

Is sponge rock like perlite? Or are we thinking of two totally different things?

Yes Jeff, sorry about that, I was thinking of perlite when I read Stalite. I will have to do some research on Stalite now, it sounds very interesting!

I had the weirdest experience using sponge rock in the bottom half of the pot for my oncidium. I didn't have a pot the right size for the small amount of roots that my recovering oncidium had so I put sponge rock (I thought it would be good for drainage) in the bottom and spagnum moss in top half. The roots loved the moss and grew like crazy but the moment the touched the sponge rock the turned around completely and grew vertically back up through the moss and straight up out of the pot! So I had about a dozen roots sticking straight up in the air out of the moss! I have been able to train a few back down but it is like they were so repulsed by the sponge rock. So I put bark mix in the bottom and the roots now happily growing into that.
I know this really has nothing to do with your question but I thought you might find it curious too! Sorry I can't be of any help to you but I am looking forward to hearing if you try your Oncidiums in Stalite.

[jsehorn]

No, I'm glad you shared that, because that is interesting. I still have quite a few Catts growing in the mix I used before I started switching to Stalite, and I put a little sponge rock in that mix, but other than that, I don't have much experience using it.

I really like Stalite, and my Catts grow great in it, and because it doesn't break down, it makes repotting easier (unless you want to divide of course), and I'd like to try it on my Oncidiums and see what happens. The only downside I've noticed is that it dries out very quickly, so I have to water much more often, but I don't really mind that, so no worries there. I intend to give it a shot this spring when I repot a few of my plants. I'll try it out on just a few and see how it goes, and I'll keep you updated with the results.
y
The one I have in mind to try in Stalite is Sharry Baby. It grows so big and so fast and needs repotting so frequently, that it would be nice to grow it in something inert like Stalite that doesn't break down so I could just drop it into a larger pot as necessary rather than going through the full, all-out repotting routine. I mean, I realize that it will have to be replaced eventually due to salt buildup (although with regular thorough flushing, I haven't seen any fertilizer residue anywhere), although my Sharry Baby is one of my oldest and most dearly loved plants, so before I pot Sharry Baby in Stalite, I'll probably try it out on a couple plants I'm not quite so attached to.

[Shannara]

Almost all my orchids, including my Oncidiums, are in Stalite, aliflor, or a mix of the two. My monster Sharry Baby is in it and is very happy. You have to water a lot more but so far they have all tolerated it very well even if they are on the slightly dehydrated side. Just mix in some charcoal with it or even fine aliflor to get between those tight root areas.

Edit: Here is a pic of it from December...



Shann~

[jsehorn]

Those are some nice looking plants, Shannara, especially that beast of a Sharry Baby! I guess when it's time to repot mine (which will be this spring), I'll go ahead and pot it in Stalite. Do you use small or medium Stalite for your oncidiums? I use medium for my Catts, but I'm thinking that may be a bit too coarse for the fine roots of Oncidiums. What do you think?

[katrina]

I've been using stalite for...uh...about 2yrs now I think...maybe a little longer (?). I've used it mostly as a mixed medium for plants but I do have a couple of catts in it alone.

I always had trouble keeping Oncids moist enough so I don't think I would've used it as a lone medium for those but definitely for anything that likes to dry a bit between waterings.

Shann -- were do you get your stalite?

[otis 226]

I'm not really certain on what you consider 'medium' stalite. There's a product called soil perfector, which is stalite,(you can check it out online). I'm not certain, but I believe it comes in 2 sizes. Then there is the standard size stalite most are familar with. I should have placed a ruler in this pic but thought of that after the fact. Anyway, I'd think the smaller grade stalte would be good for finer root systems and the standard size for thicker roots. The smaller grade stuff does stay moist longer in my experience, which would make sense.
Tony

[jsehorn]

Yeah, it looks like the larger Stalite in your picture is what I consider medium, and the other is what I consider small. And yes, I agree that the smaller size would be better suited for orchids with fine roots like Oncidiums.

The larger Stalite in your pic looks about the size I use for my Catts.

[Shannara]

Originally Posted by jsehorn

Those are some nice looking plants, Shannara, especially that beast of a Sharry Baby! I guess when it's time to repot mine (which will be this spring), I'll go ahead and pot it in Stalite. Do you use small or medium Stalite for your oncidiums? I use medium for my Catts, but I'm thinking that may be a bit too coarse for the fine roots of Oncidiums. What do you think?

To get in between the roots I have found that fine aliflor is best. Most of the time my statlite is on the medium side but I have had the small in the past too.

Originally Posted by katrina

Shann -- were do you get your stalite?

Normally I buy the bulk of it at shows from Hick's Orchid Supply but after seeing what Tony just said I am going to look at this Espoma product because I am pretty sure I can get it locally. Not sure of the price yet but am going to look into it. BTW Odom's orchids uses it a lot in their orchids and they might sell some to a customer if they ask.

Originally Posted by otis 226

I'm not really certain on what you consider 'medium' stalite. There's a product called soil perfector, which is stalite,(you can check it out online). I'm not certain, but I believe it comes in 2 sizes. Then there is the standard size stalite most are familar with. I should have placed a ruler in this pic but thought of that after the fact. Anyway, I'd think the smaller grade stalte would be good for finer root systems and the standard size for thicker roots. The smaller grade stuff does stay moist longer in my experience, which would make sense.
Tony

Thanks for showing me that Tony! I have seen Soil Perfector for years and never actually saw the product out of the bag or I would have picked it up! I need to see how much this runs at my local garden center.

Shann~

[otis 226]

Originally Posted by Shannara

Normally I buy the bulk of it at shows from Hick's Orchid Supply but after seeing what Tony just said I am going to look at this Espoma product because I am pretty sure I can get it locally. Not sure of the price yet but am going to look into it. BTW Odom's orchids uses it a lot in their orchids and they might sell some to a customer if they ask.



Thanks for showing me that Tony! I have seen Soil Perfector for years and never actually saw the product out of the bag or I would have picked it up! I need to see how much this runs at my local garden center.

Shann~

You're welcome, Shann. Odom's does indeed sell stalite to customers. A 6 dollar bag is probably enough to fill 10-12 6" pots. Odom's uses it by the ton, as you can see when you visit their greenhouses. Its just piled around the side of the place like huge hills of gravel! I think Hicks was selling it for the same price when I was up at the Gainesville show this past fall. I picked up a 27 lb bag of the soil perfector also in Gainesville. Can't remember the store or exact price. It was something like 17 or 19 bucks for the 27 lb bag. The store specialized in organic pet foods and gardening supplies. If I find the name, I'll let you know.