What is your Favorite potting medium?

[Dave]

What is everyones favorite potting medium?

My favorite is sphagnum moss for my phals.

[twirly]

The expert says that a medium size fir bark seems to be preferable for most commonly grown orchid plants especially ephiphytic orchids. Terrestrial orchids like Paphiopedilum prefer finer bark mixes. Commercially prepared orchid potting mixes are typically a combination of coarse peat moss, redwood fiber, charcoal, osmunda fiber or tree fern fiber.

My own opinion is that the potting medium differs from orchid to orchid, because each type has its own needs and specific way of evolving.

[nicolo]

Hi - I just heard about this forum today. This is may fisrt post.

For me, Cattleya walkeriana, C. mossiae, most Cattleya hybrids, and Encyclias do very well in wooden baskets full of medium fir bark, but not when planted in pots. Epiphyte roots that like to dry out between waterings can smother and rot in pots. The baskets permit aeration.

The roots of C. jenmanii and C. iricolor seem to be less tolerant of wet or dry mediums. They do better for me if a layer of coconut husk chips is spread over the top of the fir bark. This helps to stabilize the mositure content of the medium, retaining mositure longer, but still letting air in.

I use coconut husk chips for Phalaenopsis, Zygopetalums and Pescatoreas.

Of all the common media I have tried, sphagnum moss has been the worst. It retains too much water for too long.

[Sunny]

my favorite medium is bark mived with spong rock. On the top of the pot (below aerial roots) I layer some New Zealand Spagnam moss to retain moisture. If I use pure spag, I have problems with the plant dryng out evenly.

I use white non melting packing peanuts on the bottom of large pots to help it dry out evenly.

[Gin]

My species Phals. are all in Spag. Catts. in hydroton pellets not in Semi Hydro . Paphs. are in Aussie Gold . A few Intergenitics with fine roots are in bark. Vandas and a few others in slat baskets with large bark tossed in . others are mounted . Gin

[Kev]

I just depends on the plant. Right now, I'm in love with lava rock for most of my Dends and a few other things. It's just the greatest stuff since sliced bread.


I mainly use bark for most things. Sphag just stays too wet for me.


Kev

My "favorite potting medium" would be whatever makes the plant happy. I've got lots of mounties (no medium there), phals and paphs are in bark mix with sphag, neo's in sphag. balls, catts and vandas in open baskets and some species are in a mix of chc, perlite, charcoal. I think it just depends on what works and your growing conditions. I'll make a change in a heartbeat if something isn't working though.

[orchidaddict789]

I like bark, which I use for most of my orchids. I started out with sphag when I was new to orchids. Discovered I watered too much and killed all of them grown in it. Now, of course, over the years, I've come to discover that if you are a habitual underwaterer, use sphag. Or if your air is really dry, use it. Or if you're growing seedlings. I stick to bark.

Of course, mix depends on the plant, the growing conditions, your growing practices, etc...

[jerrymeola]

My personal three favorites are hydroponic rock (AliFlor brand in fine size), mounting (I use imported grapevines, they do not deteriorate as fast as driftwood), and for Lady Slippers I grow them in vases of water with no other medium.

As a commercial nursery, I have to be able to handle all types of mediums as I can not specify an orchid I buy to be potted to suit me. I have to be able to repot into a medium suitable for my customers growing conditions rather than try to force them to change their habits.

All mediums work will and all orchids will thrive in anything if you understand the product and its strong and weak points. Some are easier for certain species of orchids.

sphag holds a lot of water - use it in dry conditions, use for Phals or other plants that do not want to dry out and reduce watering for other types of orchids. It is especially good for seedings. Another medium covered in sphag is a half compromise, holding less water but drying slower.

Fine bark, medium bark, large bark, coconut husks all do the same thing. The variation is that each supplies a different amount of water to the roots. Choose a size to suit the root size and adjust the watering schedule to match the products water retention. (it is not that hard - mostly just keep looking and you will begin to see the difference).

Seedling mixes may have up to 60% peat moss for heavy water retention. Seedings need a moist mix more than they need sunlight at this age.

Mounting, baskets, bare root growing are all slight variations on the natural tendancy of orchids to grow bare root on tree branches. They have great air circulation as the roots are exposed, but dry out very very fast. Daily watering when it is not raining is almost a necessity during growing season.

Whatever medium you use never let it compact. Air circulation is equally as important as water for healty roots.

[jenn]

I love Prime Agra (S/H medium) and sphagnum moss

[potato_masher1986]

I prefer bark, but I tend to stick with what the orchid was in when I bought it.

[ryanmor]

I like to use a bark/spongerock/charcoal mix for catts

I use bark mix with some sphag for phals

Fine bark mix for paphs

NZ sphag for oncidiums and intergenerics

I do have one Miltonia in s/h though

ryan

[Sallyd]

I just switched my 100 orchids over to semi-hydroponics with primeagra. So far I just love it. My orchids have never been happier.

[Orchidlady]

Mine are doing well in sphag or Tindara Mix. Sandy

[nerrym]

I use Medium grade of: fir bark, perlag (pumice) and charcoal for large orchids: phals, dens & paphs, and small grade of the same mixture for oncidiums, zygo, intergenerics and small catts