Uniformity of potting medium

[berniep]

G'Day all

Just a query for discussion. Do you use just one medium type for all your different orchids?
What pros and cons for using one medium?

I find I use the one medium for everything and would suggest this means I water and feed the plants on the same days. Am I doing it wrong using just one medium?

Will be interested to see your replies

Cheers
Bernie

[sunshine]

When I first started with orchids I used the regular orchid mix (bark, charcoal and perlite) on everything until I found this forum I still use this mix but by watching and reading what other people use for mediums has got me to experiment I have found out one medium does nor fit all

I will use coco chip bark and perlite when I repot my catts when there done blooming. Have recently got a nice phal mixture of small bark, perlite, hydroton,charcoal and chopped sphag that is working very well. Have switched
some of my water hogs over to s/h and the results have been amazing. These 2 are now in spike I just can't wait for these to bloom as their first time bloomers for me
Vuylstekeara ALOHA SPARKS 'RUBY EYE'
Milt. Hajime Ono 'Okika'

I now fertilize my chids regularly and have a noticed a big difference. Look healthier and happier. The medium doesn't always supply everything a chid needs to be healthy and happy.

Thanks geeks for enabling me in this new adventure

[katrina]

Bernie, I use different mediums for different orchids. I base it on the water needs of the plant. My moisture lovers have a lot of sphag in the mix, my catts and other 'need to dry' plants have a medium that drains quickly and dries fast and those in between have something slightly different still. Plus, I'm always trying new things. I like to experiment. You know....looking for that "perfect" medium. LOL! I do this for their health...and my sanity. For example...w/out sphag in the mix of the moisture lovers...I'd be watering several times a day. I don't want to do that.

Based on your photos, I think your 'chids look pretty darn happy. Are you have some trouble w/anything...or anything in particular? I ask because I don't believe there is any one way to grow these guys..or one medium that's best for everyone... and if what you're doing is working then I see no reason to change it.

[Hummer344]

I use two mixes. One thats pretty chunky for my cats and one that is a finer mix, with a little sphag for my onc's, phals,and paphs.

[Brooke]

I use Prime Agra on everything now that wants a quick wet dry cycle like some dens and catts. I am doing away with the large bark mix as I repot these.

I use sphag/tree fern mix on anything that needs constant moisture.

I use CHC mix that wants to be more moist but also needs some dry-er time.

I use a seedling bark mix on my paphs and phrags.

Many of my 'chids cannot be watered at the same time due to pot size or even if the same pot size, same species, dry at a different rate.

Brooke

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by berniep

Do you use just one medium type for all your different orchids?

Before I get to the specifics, I would like to start by saying that I have a particular "philosophy" of orchid mixes and that is that an orchid mix (or in this case, using one vs many mixes) is only as good as the extent to which it helps you create the conditions the orchid needs. you've probably heard me say, when talking about pots, that it doesn't matter whether you use plastic, clay, or even an old boot as long as you give the orchid what it needs. It's sort of the same with mixes. I've seen some things since moving here to Australia that have made me go WHA!?!?!?! I've seen orchids being grown in stones, wine corks, pieces of shattered clay pot, panty hose and bits of rubber. The bottom line is "whatever works," or in other words, whatever helps you give the orchid what it wants.

At this point the question becomes, "Can I give all of my orchids what they want by using only one mix?"

As everyone knows, I grow a lot of paphs. The conventional mix used for paphs consists of fine or medium bark, med or fine perelite, med or fine charcoal and something organic that holds moisture like chopped sphag, ground peat or something like that. But when I moved here to Australia, I saw that a lot of people here were growing paphs in what I'd describe as a really "dry" mix, usually bark, perelite (or Styrofoam beads) and maybe coir chunks, not a particularly moisture retentive mix. When I asked how often they water the typical reply was every 2-3 days. So in America the convention was to use a moisture retentive mix and water every 5-7 days while here many grow them in a very dry mix and water 2-3 times more often. The point of this story is: one orchid, one set of cultural requirements, but 2 very different mixes. The difference? In this case, watering frequency.

I am a very lazy waterer. I only like to water maybe once or twice a week. For this reason, I don't use just one medium. I use a moisture retentive mix for those orchids that need to stay a bit moist and I use a dry mix for those orchids that like to dry out. I also use a different mix for my Aussie natives, my cymbids and my disas, so I actually use about 5 different mixes, more if you consider something like pure sphagnum (in which I grow my pleuros and a few other things)

Originally Posted by berniep

What pros and cons for using one medium?

If I used the exact same mix for all of my orchids, I'd have a wild, wicked watering schedule. I'd have to use the mix that was best for my driest-loving orchids (to keep their roots form rotting) and then just water the moisture-lovers a lot more. If I used only one mix and watered all of my orchids the same I'd have a lot of dead orchids on my hands.

Originally Posted by berniep

I find I use the one medium for everything and would suggest this means I water and feed the plants on the same days. Am I doing it wrong using just one medium?

I refer to my earlier statement, "whatever works." If your orchids are growing and flowering, and I know they are because I've seen the pics you've posted, then there's nothing "wrong" about it. Keep doing what works and keep enjoying your results. I suspect though that this has everything to do with the needs of the orchids you grow and not much to do with the mix you use. I think if you were not giving your orchids what they wanted you'd know it.

[berniep]

G'Day

The idea behind this thread was so we could compare ideas, which I feel this forum is all about, apart from it being a source of good general info for different types of orchids.
I use coco husk, perlite and charcoal on a bed of polystyrene, and I have fairly good results. Having said this I am going to have to look at the few paphs I have as although they are inherited specimens (big) I am not happy with their growth.
Anyway rather than prattle on I hope to correlate the information and get a few ideas from it.

Cheers
Bernie

[kmarch]

Bernie, is the coc you use ground up or shredded or in little cubes?

[Carole]

Brooke --

What is CHC mix? I've seen it mentioned before but don't have a clue what it is. Thanks much.

Carole

[berniep]

G'Day Kevin

In cubes, medium size.

Cheers
Bernie

[Ray]

Carole - CHC is coconut husk chips, which is sometimes used as a substitute for bark in orchid media.

My approach is to find the combination of medium and container (or mount) that gives the plants what they need, while allowing me to water everything at once, with no special treatment of individuals.

With an extremely varied collection, that can be a real challenge. Moving many plants into semi-hydroponics actually lessened that burden considerably.

[trinigirl]

Bernie, I also use a variety of medium.

For the oncidium types, I have them in s/h using hydroton, I have mounted a few for experimentation purposes.
For catt types I mount them on cork or hardwood. The large catt and encyclias are in clay pots with peanuts on the bottom and hydroton and little rocks mixed in with cocunut cubes medium.
My vanda types have their roots hanging free and the smaller ones are in baskets with coconut fiber.
My gongoras are in baskets with coir, my phals will be changed over to coir in pots after flowering. My dend are potted in plastic pots with very large coconut pieces.

I am not going to be using bark this year. I have found that it breaks down too fast and gets some sort of worm feeding on the bark. I do have a seedling bark mix I will use if I need to.

[syndywindy]

Besides hydroton, I have a few different mixes I use. For me it depends a lot on the root structure. I bought a seedling mix from Hausermann's that I really like, not only for my seedlings and smaller orchids, but also for some of the fine root plants. The mix is a very small chopped bark with sphag mixed in. It retains moisture really well so I only water every 7-10 days at most. I also have a mix of coco husk cubes with charcoal and perlite and also a medium/large fir bark mix that I add a bit of perlite and charcoal to. The coco husk mix retains some moisture but still drains fairly well and the bark mix drains quickly and dries out pretty quick. It's trial and error for me sometimes to see which plants respond to which mix and the conditions I grow in. I have combined the mixes on occassion also. While unrelated to different mediums, what I am finding is my orchids really respond to mounting. I would mount fore if I didn't have to spend so much more time watering them.

[Shannara]

When I first started with orchids I just used the potting medium they were in. For repotting I used to use either bark mixes or tree fern mixes. Once I started growing primarily Encyclias I kept using the bark mixes, but often ran into root rot problems. I like to spend time with my plants and often water them frequently, hence the root rot problems.

So then I switched to Aliflor mixed with styrofoam at the bottom and some charcoal chunks. Then I saw Stalite which is similar to Aliflor in that it does not break down, but it holds moisture better because it is more porous. So now my mix is Stalite and Charcoal for my Encyclia, Schomb, and Catt types. On some of the younger plants I still use either seedling mix or bark. Even on my Vanda's I am starting to dump some Stalite in their baskets, or sometimes I use coco fiber. For mounted plants I will use coco fiber. The only plant that is in more of a soil type mix is my Vanilla and it has been that way for years.

HTH

Shann~

[dounoharm]

i use different mixes for diff plants....but i try to adjust the mix so that i can water all plants on the same schedule.....so a big chunky mix for catts and a tighter smaller mix for the water lovers.....i still have to deal with the hanging plants daily however.....

[-k-]

Great topic Berniep! Lots of great shared information so far being distributed!
I enjoy making my own mixes (despite the mess it makes) but nothing out of the ordinary mainly consisting of fir bark, perlite, charcoal but I enjoy measuring out each component for the mix. The only time I deviate from this is with my Phals which get sphagnum in the mix as well. I also use hydroton for some Oncs which has been allot of fun and relatively maintenance free and allot cleaner (less messy) which is a time saver!

[katsrevenge]

I actually do use the same medium for all my orchids but my cymbidium. It's a fir bark. I used the bigger chunks on bigger plants and the smaller pieces for smaller plants. The cymbidium is in potting soil with bark and peralite mixed in.

Every pot has a skewer in it and I water as needed to keep things as moist or as dry as they like. As I like to pay attention to my plants I have quite a few houseplants and have a sort of schedule. So far, so good.

But, I also don't have a huge collection of orchids, I have mostly phals and I have limited access to different kinds of media.

[E-Jag]

Virtually every one of my orchids is potted in leca. This simplifies things so much for me - I seldom have to repot, only when the plant outgrows the container. And then I can reuse the leca because it doesn't break down. I water most of them when my thirstiest ones need it. It's hard to over-water in leca. REALLY hard. It allows plenty of air around the roots. And I'm not constantly buying bark which immediately begins to rot. I love the stuff.

[Brooke]

Carole the CHC mix is coconut husk chips, large perlite, charcoal and diatomite.

I thought about this thread yesterday as I watered and if I could only have one potting media it would probably be this mix. I love sphag but I think it would be hard to deal with in the huge catt pots.

I would love to be able to water one day a week but I can't figure out how to keep a masdie in a 1" pot as moist as it needs to be and survive until the catt in a 10" pot needs water.

Brooke

[BillC]

Hi Bernie, it is developing into a very interesting thread and I think a valuable source of potting medium information for all geeks and specially newcomers to the hobby. Perhaps the staff might consider making the thread sticky? Thanks for the input Bernie.

Bill

[Shannara]

You know I mentioned my preference to stalite earlier, but I just had to add that I am really starting to dislike orchid bark as a medium. I repotted 3 more plants tonight, in my efforts to move my orchids all to stalite, and all three had rotting medium and the roots were not doing well at all. There were little critters crawling and just an overly moist hidden environment going on inside those pots. I cleaned them up and actually had to pot two of them down a size to accomodate the small roots. Luckly all of them have new growth and I am hoping they will be much happier in a porous "non-decomposing" mix.

So, for those of you that struggle with overwatering, and root rot, I must recommend switching to some kind of aliflor or stalite mixed with charcoal. I hope by next month to have all of my orchids out of bark and into my new mix.

HTH

Shann~

[tansyflower]

I use media according to their water needs, so I can water all at once, usually once a week.

I have found that by using different media, along with the type of pot used, and the position I put the orchid in, I can water all of them once a week. I have just moved a lot out of terracotta (especially the bowl shaped ones) and into glazed pots or plastic.

I use mainly bark, with some coir. I'm thinking of trying water culture on a couple.

[Andrew]

The mix I use varies depending on the orchid although I try to keep things simple and use a single mix for similar types of orchid. eg one mix for Sarcs, another mix for potted native Dens another for Cyms, Zygos etc. As others have said, my main reason for varying my mixes is to vary the water retention so that everything can be watered at the same time. I try to minimise the number of ingredients in the mix and most of my mixes are simply different ratios of the same mix. I tend not to jump on the "wonder potting mix" bandwagons that are always rolling into town. I might occassionally try a new mix if a lot of people are having success with it, with the intention of changing everything to that mix if it works but I don't have the time to look after 10 plants in absorbastone, 10 plants in SH, 10 plants in horse manure, etc.

[zaeem]

Bernie HI!

Good advice.I have a problem with summer from 80 F--98f humidity 44--60%.

Winter cooler 60f-50f.Media available is coconut chips different sizes,charcoal in sizes and styraform broken down any size.I have no other options.This is similar to what I have seen when mostly plants imported from fareast,thai,singapore or Malyasia.Some werein moss sphagnum but they hold water too long I had lost many plants.

My little experience of 10 years was a learning curve.I think the media available to me works as the plants acclimitise,but control of weekly soak in summer is ok,but twice sraying daily adds freshness.the orchid shed covered with screen is ok but the floor is kept moist.Winter is different story as it can get cold!!

Extra care for phal,onc,gramma.,catesetum,blc,catts are desired on watering and light indirect sun.Vandas are out of my lists they are a failures.Any suggestion will be welcomed.

Thanks for allowing me sharing my views. [off topic removed to a new thread]
Regards,
zaeem

[berniep]

G'Day Zaeem

Your mix sounds very similar to what I use and the temperature are also similar.
I usually place the Styrofoam in large bits firstly in the bottom of the pots then add the rest without the Styrofoam as the main mixture.
I make sure the Styrofoam is big enough so as not to block the drainage holes and let water run through and to allow air in.
The other thing worth looking at might be air movement under and around the plants as our humidity is not all that high.
Hope this gives you some ideas, but if you read all the other members mixes I'm sure you will be able to work yours out.
Also you can find the necessary culture sheets at AOS | Members Only Area for each species.

Cheers
Bernie

[Carole]

Thanks, Brooke. I've seen CHC before but didn't have a clue what people were talking about.

[FLBob]

I frequently experiment with potting mix, I'm always looking for the perfect mix.

Since most of my collection is cattleya alliance I will make a mix that is coarse, non-moisture retentive, and does not break down.

The main stays in my mixes are alifor, charcoal, sponge rock. I'm currently adding a bit of CHC to replace the bark I was using in my mix.

One local grower has been using dynarock and I've repotted and number of plants into it.
The only down side I've found to this medium is a reverse wicking (from plant to medium) if allowed to dry.

I use sphagnum moss on any plant that grows well wet.

[maria1971]

I use hydroton for most of my plants (Laelia anceps, catts, rupicolous laelias).
The renantheras go in big pots with river rock in them.
The phals go in moss with styrofoam in the bottom, as do the miniatures in my office.
Random species go in moss in small pots (i.e. my alamanea punicea, the angraecoids)
I've experimented a lot and find that this works best for me.

[Tarad]

Hi Bernie,
I have mostly phals a few paphs, masdies and a couple dracs. I have all my phals and paphs now inthe same medium after repotting everyone. I did it to save me watering at different times as I narrowed my orchids to those that only need watering every 7-10 days for the most part. I use to use bark, my phals jsut were not happy in that and have switched to coir,perlite mix. I had one phal in that for about two years and it has rebloomed and needs less watering.

[berniep]

G'Day All

I have found this very informative and when I have all the replies I intend to make a spread sheet of it, to see how it all falls into place. Next Spring I am going to do some experiments with different mixes and the same type chids to keep myself amused,
Thanks for all the responses!

Cheers
Bernie

[11Orchid126]

Bernie, when you do your spread sheet take into consideration the location, as different mixes seem to work better in different areas.

[lmartiny]

I've been watering a lot due to the heat and the Phals are parched. But I know others are getting too much. I too need to make note and make some changes. I also need to rearrange so the plants are grouped by need. I also now have insufficient lighting in the GH due to shade cloth for heat control.

[Schlyne]

all of my paphs and phrags go into repotme's paph/phrag mix. I bought this a while back and I"m very happy with it so far.

All of my Oncidium/Odont types go into s/h. I have one I got in some sort of peat mix which seems to be working really well, so I haven't moved it.

My gongoras went into s/h

My dendrobiums and catts go into bark and so does my Ida fragrans...I had that in s/h and it seemed that it was too much.

My cymbidiums will go into bark

my masdies have gone into S/h as in experiment, I had them in spagh, but I have serious problems with spagh as a medium. I'm still not getting enough airflow, or it's suddenly soaking up too much water on me in the wrong areas and rotting things.
My few phals are still in spagh, but I'm thinking of putting them in s/h instead. they're not holding enough water in bark in the winter, and I have the same watering issues with the spagh...I killed several phals this winter with rot and compacted spagh in the wrong areas

I've started to repot anything I get in coconut chunks fairly quickly, as I've noticed that the medium seems to be fine, but I've found orchids in there with half the roots gone.

[zaeem]

Bernie HI!

Thanks for the reconfirmation of my media! I grow them mostly in teracota pots with holes there is a lot of air movement(AS THEY HANG) and to large dens/ CYMB I add crocks to the mix i.e coconut chips as per size,charcoal,styrafoam.Water them weakly,and fertilize weakly (shultz).Summer here requires daily misting sometimes twice daily.Temp 85f-90f,humidity 50% or less.Shaded 50%.No other options for mixes Compost are available for garden,also bone meal.No one recommend these as bloom boosters??

Regards,
Zaeem

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Schlyne

all of my paphs and phrags go into repotme's paph/phrag mix. I bought this a while back and I"m very happy with it so far.

What does it contain?

[berniep]

G'Day Kevin

Here ya go Paph and Phrag Classic Orchid Mix

Cheers
Bernie

[Schlyne]

Originally Posted by kmarch

What does it contain?

Originally Posted by berniep

G'Day Kevin

Here ya go Paph and Phrag Classic Orchid Mix

Cheers
Bernie

I'd guess I've been using it for close to a year now, as I'm almost completely through the entire bag. (or maybe I have more paphs/phrags than I thought!). Some of it seems a little overkill when I"m repotting, but I can say it's a nice fluffy water retentive mix. Basically I bought this when I started out as I wasn't really sure what I should go with for my paphs and it looked good. I was suffering from "too many options!". Even the book I have gives 3-6 different mixes that different people use...so when I was putting in a pot order, bark and some other stuff I thought I'd try their paph mix.

Oh, my bulbos are sitting in S/H for the most part, some were in spagh and I have one that's mounted.

the only mounted orchids I have a couple dens and a dracula. Generally for me, if it loves water I put it in S/H.