Should I or shouldn't I?

[articuno75]

I finally got my Aussie Gold Mix and repotted my Phal. My Mtdm. Bartley Schwarz 'Highland' is taking off like a rocket and has a spike. It's in Spagh only and I thought about going ahead and repotting it. Think I should or just let it be? I'm afraid of sending it into shock or something and loosing the spike/buds.

[mayres]

Wait until it is done flowering and then go for it! In the meantime - enjoy!
mike

[sandra]

I'm just the messenger but I have recently been reading about extremely disappointing results with the Aussie Gold Mix. I can't tesifty to it though. There's a great big topic going on about this on another forum. The mix tends to stay very wet and the manufacturers claim that you can't over water with this. Unless you've used this before and you've gotten good results, it may warrant doing a search of this product or ask around. Again, I don't know but the topic has welcomed a lot of negative comments from unhappy users.

[slippery_biscuit]

I'm going to go with Sandra and advice patience. I had (still have) some of the Gold, but have ended up mixing it with other additives. It just didn't turn my crank.

In my limited experience the store bought mix I have been most happy with is Schultze's. Anything I have potted in it has done well, from thick rooted catts to fine rooted oncidiums. If the shoe fits....
jjs

[articuno75]

My Phal was in the Schultz mix, but seriously I was watering it every 3-4 days, misting everyday. NO JOKE ! My apartment is dry. I'm talking Gobi like. I run a fan to circulate air, and in the winter I rarely even have to turn on the heat. How awesome is that !!! I bought the Gold to see if I can try and water less frequently. At least stretch it for a once a week span. Everyone is raving about the coir mixes, thought I'd give it a shot if it helps. Seems foam peanuts is the key for bottom drainage. I used just a small amount of medium grade coconut husk. With my apartment being the way it is maybe this will help with moisture retention. Now the Cattleyas are in the bark mix. I just divided/repotted them this last Sunday. Can you believe that the mix is already bone dry!? Unbelieveable.

[brookn]

Hi,

I believe that you and I bought the same plant at WM. Mine is in bark, with some sphag, perlite, and charcoal. I am watering every 2-3 days also. My leaves accordianed at first, but partly I believe it was the non-care that it had recieved at the store that really did it. I find that mine likes to just go to the sink and take a shower, I actually just did that a few minutes ago. It doesn't seem to mind being wet at all, and is growing like a weed. I let it just start to dry out then water it again. I find the bark mix does dry out faster, but it doesn't bother my Catts at all, and really is not bothering the Mtdm either. I think the Mtdm. is just a thirsty plant no matter what, mine is almost twice the size it was when I bought it . I don't mist mine, and as long as I give it a good shower, it does not seem to bother it. The Aussie Gold might be okay for this particular plant if it retains some moisture. I am not sure how long it has been since you got it, but the only consideration I would suggest is if it was recently potted to the bark (last 2 or 3 months) that you give it through the winter until you repot it, as it is still likely just getting used to being in your home, and the mix it is in.

[articuno75]

I bought it and another Phal back in May I believe. As soon as I got them I took them out of the Moss that they were in cause they looked funny. Well lucky for me that I did Cause some of the roots were bad. I bought the Schultz orchid mix and put the plants in it instead. Well one of the Phals died, cause unknown, but I think it was due to the conditions it was in. (Bad medium, over watered, people with no clue...yadda, yadda.) The other, which is the one I still have, is doing very well other than the fact I have to constantly watch it with a microscope. The Mtdm. is still in the same sphag moss that I bought it in. (I did put a little bit of bark mix into it.) I was going to repot and put it into the Aussie Gold, but with it's spike, I think I'll take Mike's advice and just wait. I'm too chicken and just scared I might shock the plant into losing it's buds if I mess with now.

[brookn]

I would definitely repot when it is done blooming then. They tend to way oversphag those WM plants. I have a couple of phals that I got there also, it took them a long time to adjust to the bark. One of them was so happy in the tight sphag that it came in, I put it in more sphag, the root system was very huge on it.
After I got done watering mine today, I gave it an "inspection", and it looks like it is starting a spike woo hoo. I am not sure, cause I have no clue what it is supposed to look like, but I am leaning toward spike. I can't wait. I was so worried that it was not getting the culture that it needed to be happy, so cheers to my happy plant, and yours too.