| |
08-13-2007, 09:39 AM
| |||
| |||
| potting medium for phals I have been becoming more reluctant and uncertain when it comes to potting media for my orchids, especially the phals. I currently have them in medium orchid bark with charcoal and perlite and I'm not comfortable with this because of uncertainty with water retention. The skewers guide me but I've found that there are times when everything appears dry but really isn't. I like the idea of a coir mix that retains more water and is very easy to tell the plant's water retention in it but, what kind of coir mix to use is another in-decision I have. I've read great results with the sphag., coir, coconut husks, coconut coir, peat moss, medium orchid bark (with charcoal and perlite), fir bark, etc. and combinations of some of these together. So now that I'm thoroughly undecided on which to use for repotting and taking into consideration everyone has different growing conditions (in/outside, GH, etc.),......... .........I'd be very interested to know what everyone here is using and why you've chosen that medium? What have you used that wasn't good for your phals and why, what were the results of the medium you switched from and the differences now? P.S. Sorry for the million questions, the attorney in me is coming out  Last edited by sandra; 08-13-2007 at 09:50 AM.      |
|
08-13-2007, 09:50 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| medium bark, usually the stuff my phals come in, i stick with  I try to use clear pots with phals as it means i can just look at the roots and see what there like. Since doing this, and watering by sticking them in a tub of water, for a few hours a week, I havent killed one (fingers crossed). For me, the trick is to keep them tight in their pots. Dont over pot them, i like half of the pot to be roots and half to be bark, means more watering, but means faster drainage and less chance of long term dampness causing rot. I would say this for all my orchids, even paphs, i like to keep as compact as possible, with half an inch of growing space for roots on each annual repot. i have stopped misting my orchids, it just seems to cause dampness to the top of the medium and the plant which isnt good. I have them indoors and humidity hasnt shown to be a problem yet. I think thats it for me |
|
08-13-2007, 09:58 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Sandra if you stuck to one potting mix instead of chopping and changing all the time maybe then you'll have some success. You change too many variables at once, not good practice. Everyone gives you good advice, but you keep going off on your own tangents all the time, please listen to the advice you receive and go with it instead of chopping and changing. Maybe then you'll start having some success instead of failures.
__________________ Anton On the box it said Windows XP or better so I bought a Mac. |
|
08-13-2007, 10:03 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| For what it's worth, I really like medium orchid bark and charcoal mix for my phals. |
|
08-13-2007, 10:56 AM
| |||
| |||
| Quote:
|
|
08-13-2007, 11:31 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Sandra - our growing conditions are on opposite ends of the spectrum (outdoor, humid, hot / indoors, dry, AC) but I use a mix of medium bark, charcoal, perlite and chopped up sphag moss on my phals. I use the same mix on all my plants and regulate the amount of sphag based on each plants 'moisture' requirements. |
|
08-13-2007, 11:39 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Sandra - I think you have probably read my "spouting off" about coir in numbers of threads already - if you are interested in trying I can give you further information about what seems to be working for me. If you like I can go into a bit more detail specifically on how to make it up and what I use. Many medias WILL work though - you just need to find what you feel the most comfortable with and go with it. I was excited to repot a number of plants again that had outgrown their pots in the past 13 months and see how good of shape the roots had stayed in - and grown. Like others have noted, I am also going to clear pots as I repot again - not so much because I want to see inside as much as it seems the roots stay in the pots a little better (?). Enjoy! mike |
|
08-13-2007, 12:21 PM
| |||
| |||
| Quote:
I'm using the clear pots as well! Ready whenever you are Mike and thank you! |
|
08-13-2007, 01:01 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Sandra - one thing I swear by for my Phals is that they are all in clear plastic pots. I can see exactly what's going on with the roots and moisture level. |
|
08-13-2007, 01:06 PM
| |||
| |||
| On the contrary Anton, I haven't done any changing yet. This is why I question others first...to make a sound decision. No tangents here unless you consider aim and approach a tangent, then I'm guilty. You seem to be assuming a lot. I haven't had any failures with my orchids and that's because I ask questions first and if I need clarification, then I ask again without anticipating false assumptions from others! So you keep taking photos and posting your website every time you feel the need to and I'll keep asking questions whenever I feel the need to....without having to correct you and your assumptions the next time. |
|
08-13-2007, 01:08 PM
| |||
| |||
| Quote:
|
|
08-13-2007, 01:41 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| OKAY Sandra - for good or ill I will make an attempt in the next few days to lay out my supplies, take a photo or two and give you a short treatise on my plan of attack that is working for me. If nothing else it will hopefully spark some additional insight and conversation by others that will be of some use. |
|
08-13-2007, 01:55 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| my personal experience has been limited to removing the sphag and styrofoam peanuts that the phals come in, and replacing with Schultz's Orchid mix in clay pots, a combination of fir bark, coal, and perlite. the phals have all put on new growth, and the skewers seem reasonably accurate with regards to the moisture. the 3 most recent phals came with clear plastic inserts, and a straight bark potting mix. i agree that the clear plastic pots are great for visually checking the roots and moisture, with the added bonus of letting the roots photosynthesize! repotting time, i will probably be taking out some of the bark, and adding the coal/perlite mix, it's a great medium for my watering habits. |
|
08-13-2007, 03:02 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Potting Medium and Actual Pots... OK. I am reading all the posts on medium/pots etc. I am wondering if anyone has suggestions regarding the best practices for potting phals, dendrobiums, laelia's, oncids in Minnesota. I keep going back and forth with it all. They seem way to dry with the comercial potting mediums that I have Purchased, semi-hydro seemed OK for about a minute and now I'm scaired to even touch sphag. Then I thought...maybe it's the type of pots that makes a difference. So, I cut slits in the side of plastic pots for air circulation. I just lost a laelia that was doing well until I re-potted it in "probably way too much" sphag mixed into the regular comercial stuff (bark, small rocks, charcoal) AND stuck it outdoors when MN humidity was actually fairly high which is typically not the case as in fall/winter mos. (Not in direct sun. At least I knew that much.) So...any suggestions before I actually lose my mind along with a few more orchids? Shana |
|
08-13-2007, 03:55 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Quote:
These larger bark pieces seem to work well for catts. I also use them for the dendrobiums mixed with some coconut chunks. Everyone has their special formulas and it takes time to experiment a bit to get the right mix. If you're using a mixture with bark, the Schultz's potting bark is a nice medium size, although I have often snipped that into smaller pieces as well. My Phals and dens are all planted in plastic pots. My cattleyas are in clay pots with slits on the sides. I suppose any pot will work if you get the mix and the watering down pat. Once you find a good media mixture, try to stick with it and adjust your watering rather than changing the mix too much. You'll find the right balance. Good luck. |
|
08-13-2007, 04:02 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Hi Sandra, I use bark, charcoal and perlite for my medium-with the exception of one phal i recieved in coconut husks. It held moisture-even moisture- exceptionally well, but was breaking down. I potted that phal in bark and it suffered, I decided to pot in Sphag and would you believe it is flourishing now, lol. Bark though, makes me the most confident i will not overwater. I also use clear pots as I hear that phals can photosynthesize through roots, and all roots under the medium in clear plastic are bright green. The ones in opaque containers are white and do not "green -up" even when watering. In short, i guess if you get a plant in good condition, and want to repot try and mimic the medium-nothing wrong with experimenting too, goodluck |
|
08-13-2007, 04:29 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| I am also experimenting with a new mix for my Phals. I'm using fine bark, fine charcoal, perlite and tiny pieces of styrofoam with some well chopped sphag. Sharyn, glad to hear that you are using a finer bark mix as well. I found that even the medium bark was at times difficult to determine the wetness of the media. I'm hoping that this evenly distributed mix will help me better monitor my watering. |
|
08-13-2007, 04:54 PM
| |||
| |||
| I use fine bark for the phals also. I found that medium bark dried out too much under my conditions and worked better for catts. I use 2/3 fine bark, 1/3 chopped NZ moss. and some charcoal and perlite. Then I throw in a handful of clay pellets and diatomite for weight as the phals get top heavy. Because of ths I use plastic pots and keep them in clay pot sleeves. I find this mix allows me to water once a week, and in the deep winter, once every ten days or so. |
|
08-13-2007, 05:13 PM
| |||
| |||
| Sharyn, so far I have to agree that all the Shultz orchid mixes are the best. I recently discovered this and have wondered what took me so long. For the most part, my phals are flourishing in this. I always add extra perlite and recently started buying up every kind of medium out there but have held off on using anything I'm not sure about. I've got one phal that has become 'floppy' on one side while the other half is nice and firm. I bought some peat and might add this with my next round of repotting. I'm also looking forward to reading Mikes recipe as I know he's found all the right ingredients to keep the leaves firm. And....with the weather we're having now, it seems that the phals are requiring watering every other day while all my other orchids are going much longer inbetween which is what my biggest concern with all this has been. Thanks for your input here. |
|
08-13-2007, 05:25 PM
| |||
| |||
| Shana, all the information out there is what can make you nuts, I know, that's exactly what I'm contending with now.....this, that, should I?, shouldn't I?, etc., etc. Bottom line in considering what to use are the conditions in which we grow them in but the results are ultimately attainable with the same media....just adjustments that need to be made according to those conditions. Your laelia probably didn't respond to well to the sphag. Sphag. is great so long as you keep the moisture in control and realize the drying time is much lengthier. I have a couple of onc's in sphag. and they are loving it but being a nurturer of my plants, I pay closer attention to the drying times and have to control my urges not to water up until it's time to. Medium bark, charcoal, and perlite are what works excellent for my catts here in Florida. Catts can dry out and stay dry longer than most other orchids. |
