Miracle Glo Orchid Mix.. I don't think so..

[ogus]

I went to a near Ace Hardware today and spotted Miracle Glo (or whatever..) orchid mix. I have so far been very happy with Schultz Orchid MIx, but out of curiosity I picked this thing up. When I opened it late tonight to see what it is like I was really disappointed that it is nothing like the Schultz stuff.

The mix is something I don't think I will use on any of my orchids.. It's more like potting soil made out of tiny bark dusts plus some perlites among others.

I am not sure what kind of air breathing orchid would grow in it.. Perhaps it's good for paphs? Certainly I have not had any trouble with my orchids in very coarse mix but this thing is certain anything but coarse for me.

I guess I wasted good ten bucks on curiosity.. I will mix that with my perlites / potting soil mix to plant some wild flower seeds..

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

This may really be a Cymbidium mix. Years ago, you could buy 'bark' or 'mix'. The bark was for epiphytes, and the mix was for semi-terrestrials ,like Cyms and Paphs. The difference was that 'bark' was pure chunks of bark, while the 'mix' had lots of small stuff mixed in to hold more moisture. Now days, since they started adding perlite and charcoal to 'bark', they started using the term mix for epiphytes, and the beginner has no way of knowing which is which.

The other possibility is that your new mix is something similar to what I put together for all my orchids, except a few standard sized Cymbidiums. Mine is 2 parts Canadian peat to 3 parts small perlite, with some oyster shell added to control PH. This mix works well, but you have to pack it in pretty tight. The mix has the advantage of drying uniformly thru the mix, when pack tight, and can be hosed out and replaced without any damage to the roots. So, you might want to experiment with some of your orchids. I find that my Dens, which are in very small pots, can suck this mix really dry in 2 days. I am watering my Stanhopias every day in this mix, but again, the pots, small bulb pans with many holes melted in the bottom, are very small compared to using baskets.

[jbigio]

I got the same mix at home depot and was just as disappointed. I did mix in some bark and more perlite and am going to use it with my regular mix for my Phrag's and Paph's. Cynthia my have a point as a test i think I will try it with a couple of plants and see.

[palito]

I use that MiracleGro mix in a few phals and oncidiums with great results. I use small pots only. I find it works fine, maybe better than spagh since it dries faster and it is very airy and loose despite the appearance. The negative part is that it contains slow release fertilizer, so you shouldn't use it for plants that need a rest period.

[slippery_biscuit]

I use Schultz for most of my potted catts and even some dends and oncidiums. The're doing good; I like the corseness of it. Hard to overwater. But like the other folks have said, keep it around and maybe it will have a use, as is or as a component of your own creation.

I bought some Aussie Gold Fine earlier this year, but it just didn't turn my crank. But (for me, remember) it works good when mixed with some fine bark and the odd sprig of sphag. A few finer rooted plants are doing well in that.

Isn't gardening fun?!?!?

[Bloomingal]

I bought Lambert's orchid mix today. I had a gift card for a local nursery and that's all they had. The components are:
sphagnum peat chunks, coarse bark, hardwood charcoal, and red basalt rocks, pH balanced and contains a light starter charge(huh?).
Is it OK to use ?

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Bloomingal

I bought Lambert's orchid mix today. ... The components are: sphagnum peat chunks, coarse bark, hardwood charcoal, and red basalt rocks, pH balanced and contains a light starter charge(huh?).
Is it OK to use ?

Hmm...interesting. Could be great for osme things. How chunky is it? Big chunks? Medium chunks?

[Bloomingal]

Definitely not big; I'd say small to medium depending what it's a chunk of. So far, I've only handled it dry, but I like the way it looks and it was easy to fill with. I think I was careful not to pack it but it was easy to fill btw the roots(add, shake, add, shake). And it held up my top heavy Den quite well(in a 4 inch pot). It's grayish colored.

[kmarch]

Small to medium chunks eh? May be good for Phals and Paphs, I used somethign similar on Cattleyas once but no red rocks and it was large-chunk.

[Bloomingal]

Hmm, the red rocks must be covered with the gray 'powder' because I don't actually see red rocks. So, since I posted I also potted up my Sogo Doll in addition to the Den. Emma White. I hope I did it right. Sulfur dusted the roots and will leave unwatered for at least a week. Both had been watered pre- potting.

[kmarch]

I must have been avign an overactive imagination because I see upon re-reading the posts that there was no mention of red rocks....the mind os going and I'm not even very old....yet.

[11Orchid126]

Bloomingal, could the red basalt rocks be similar to volcanic rocks?

Ogus, the mix sounds similar to Pro-Mix which is sold at most garden centers. Phals love Pro-mix and grow like crazy in it. The only drawback is that the mix needs to be replaced more often then a bark mix as it breaks down quicker. It also holds fertilizer longer, so fertilizing must be adjusted accordingly.

[Nancy]

The MiracleGro I purchased contains three months of fertilizer. I have my single paph potted in it and the plant seems quite happy. It may have its uses.

[FLaCo]

How do they fertilize it with their Osmoscote pellets?