Potting mediums for Dendrobiums and Catteleyas

[Anne H.]

What is the best potting medium for Dendrobiums and Catteleyas? I've read several of the other postings and I'm confused over the best one to use.

[tom499]

Hi there, the reason it varies so much is due to everyone having different growing styles and habits

The size of the plant will also come into it.

If you water your plants alot you want good airy mix which will dry fast, vice versa of less heavy waterers.

Large rooted plants will want big chunks of medium, while thin rooted plants need smaller pieces.

Catts and dens are more on the side of thin rooted, but both like to overgrow the pots and have roots out in the open, so i personally would use medium bark pieces, and mix in some perlite for the catts.

Overall, bark is a safe option. Make sure it is ok for orchids though! using any old bark for paths etc will not be good atall.

bark will last a year or two, depending how much you water it. Make sure you give it a good soak before potting, as you dont want to water much after potting, to trigger the plant to growing new roots.


If you have concerns about when to repot there are a few posts which give good answers when to pot is abit more solid, what to use can be very widespread.

[linda_shel]

Both Dendrobiums and Cattleyas work really well in semi-hydroponic(s/h) but that is a whole new subject.

[Anne H.]

I've recently re-potted my phals in the coco-gro, perlite, and hort. charcoal that mayres recommended in another posting. Is this considered semi-hydroponic? Would my dendrobium and cattleyas like the coco-gro mix also?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

What ever you do, don't use moss for Dens. Most Dens like to get close to dry fairly fast, and during their dormancy, they particularly like to dry fast and stay dry for awhile between waterings. Moss holds a lot of water and takes a while to dry.

Bark is good for a beginners because it is fairly easy to find. Check out any prospective package of bark by squeezing the bark thru the bag. If it is hard as a rock, it is good stuff. If it is spongy, move on to a different store or nursery.