Orchiada

[Katherine]

I scoured the forum and could find no information about Orchiada

I bought a big bag of Orchiada last week and used it to re-pot a few orchids.
Would it be a good medium for my Cymbidium? I saw the re-potting tutorial, but it says nothing about the medium used to pot it. I know it is a terrestial....
And does Orchiada work differently from other bark- based media?

Please tell me what you know, Thanks

[raybark]

First of all, it's Orchiata, with a "t", not "d". The name is derived from the fact that it is for orchids, and is derived from Pinus radiata trees.

Yes, it may be used interchangeably with other barks, only it will degrade far more slowly, supplies calcium and magnesium, is a lot airier, courtesy of the very uniform grading they do, and may need a little extra help initially absorbing water.

I recommend pouring boiling water on it, and letting it cool before use. Do not soak it, as that extracts the dolomite they use to stabilize the pH, and supply the Ca and Mg.

Cymbidiums really aren't "terrestrial", as in "growing in dirt", as much as "semi-terrestrial" growing in humus. They'll do great in it.

[nicki]

I wasn't aware of the dolomite in Orchiata. Won't regular watering eventually remove that anyway?

[raybark]

No doubt, but I have no idea how long that is.

I've got some catts that have been in Orchiata for about 2 years now, and I see no signs of distress, so it must still be OK.

[Katherine]

Thanks Ray, I knew I had spelled Orchiata wrong but didn't choose to go through the hassle of editing . We had a company rep come to our society meeting last week. He said to use the stuff straight from the bag. this being one of the advantages /v. having to soak other bark medium.
I liked the idea that you could go much longer without the need to re-pot,as it does not break down.

So here I sit with my Cymbidium soaking in a bucket of water to loosen the "mud" that is caked around the roots. There is this stuff the looks like decomposed sponge pellets in this old medium. Do you have any idea what that is?

I'll try to remember to post a picture, because I am not so sure that the p-bulbs are healthy. They are dark and not really firm. But then this is my first cym, so I know nothing. It is a BBS rescue.