Is this mix okay??

[Musika]

I have had my 2 of my orchids for a little over a year, and re potted them. Wich I should have waited I guess. Anyways I was having a hard time find some straight answers about what moss or bark to get and from where so I just bought Miraclegro Orchid potting mix.
Is this okay??
Now they have been in the Miraclegro for about 3 months and seem to be doing fine. But I have a hard time telling when they should be watered. Should I repot them with a different mix and where is a good place to get it??

[syndywindy]

Hi! Welcome to the forum. When I first started with orchids, I used Miraclegro Orchid mix and it was fine. NOw that I am a bit more experienced, I find that the miraclegro is not chunky or airy enough for my liking. I would just watch your watering as if I recall, it retains moisture pretty good. If you are looking for good orchid medium, I'm sure there are orchid growers in your areas that would sell it. If not, Repotme is a great source on line for all sorts of orchid supplies.

[PhalNewbie89]

Also, if you have a Lowe's nearby I got my sphagnum moss from Lowe's. I have used the Miracle Gro before and my plants seemed to really like it.

[dounoharm]

i wouldnt buy lowes sphagnum, it is really a second quality....i order only new zealand sphag, it is worlds better, cleaner, and long fibered....repot me or kellys korner are good places to buy mediums....but i think the growing mix you have from miracle gro is sufficient if you dont overwater, musika, if your plants have been in it for 3 months without problems you are doing it right! gl!

[PhalNewbie89]

Lowe's moss may not be wonderful quality but it seems fine to me. Have found that it is quite twiggy but the strands of moss are quite long and sometimes a pain because of them being so long. I have quite enjoyed it and would say it is much better quality than miracle gro orchid mix.

[Phalcycle]

What type or orchids do you have?
I have never used this mix, but I've heard people say that this was meant for terrestrials such as cymbidiums

[Musika]

I planted my 2 phalaenopsis in it 3 or 4 months ago and they seem to still be alive. LOL

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Musika

I have had my 2 of my orchids for a little over a year, and re potted them. Wich I should have waited I guess.

Well it deppends on what kind they are. Some orchids need to be repotted every year. others can go several years before being repotted. What kind of orchids are you talking about?

[Phalcycle]

Originally Posted by Musika

I planted my 2 phalaenopsis in it 3 or 4 months ago and they seem to still be alive. LOL

If this mix works for you, then so be it.
Some have had bad experiences with it, and some have excellent results

[katrina]

Originally Posted by PhalNewbie89

Lowe's moss may not be wonderful quality but it seems fine to me. Have found that it is quite twiggy but the strands of moss are quite long and sometimes a pain because of them being so long. I have quite enjoyed it and would say it is much better quality than miracle gro orchid mix.

Nancy -- You'll find it doesn't hold up well. It gets icky (technical term) in less than a year. Ask me how I know this.

As for the Miracle Grow...it's a peat based mix and many commercial growers use peat based mixes for phals. Just watch the watering and know that it can compact quite easily so keep an eye on that as well. If I were to use it, I would "cut" it w/some chunkier bits...charcoal, leca, large perlite...anything that would open it up more.

Mike (Mayers) uses a coir (similar to peat) based medium for all his phals and he's had excellent results.

[Daethen]

Well, I got some seedlings a year ago and had put them in this stuff. Many of them died off. Those that had survived I repotted yesterday. It looked like they had grown many roots that were very thin and had died off then grew new and they died off. They have been struggling. Now they are in a chunky mix and I expect some improvement. I planted one large phal in it at the same time. It managed to start on leaf but that was about it. It has not flowered and when I unpotted it yesterday, there look to be no new roots and a few had died back. It is also in the chunky mix now so we shall see!

[NewtoOrchids]

This is outside our house and I was wondering if it would be ok to mix it with the miracle gro orchid mix. If I can, I should probably soak it first?