potting orchids

[jimisox]

Hello all, i have was at a bigger named home improvement store and saw potting medium for orchids with fertilizer in it saying it will feed them for 3 months. Is this ok to get for orchids and pot them in it? New to the culture and don't want to kill my little guys. Thanks Jimi

[Becky15349]

I think that would be okay - so long as the coarseness of the media is suitable for whatever orchids you want to pot it in. Actually, now that I think about it, would granules of time-release fertilzer really work for orchids, since they aren't soaked in water like normal plants are? Seems to me like it might be a better idea to mix fertilzer in water and fertilize that way...maybe its a better way to get the fertilzer actually into the plant, do you know what I mean? Just thinking out loud...

[ischel1]

You don't want to use potting media for orchids. A better media would be orchid bark, made especially for orchids. The spaces between the pieces of bark allow the orchid roots to breathe. Regular potting media will be too heavy and cause the roots to rot. Also Becky has a good point about the fertilizer. Liquid fertilizer would be better and the plants will make more efficient use of it.

[stacey8989]

Jimi, if you're buying the miracle gro potting mix for orchids, I'm not sure if that's the best medium to use. I bought some about 4-5 months ago and when I opened the bag, it looked like regular potting mix. I used it for some cymbidiums that were in bad shape, but I'll probably re-pot them again in the spring in bark.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Some cymbidiums and some phals will survive in that potting mix, but like the folks here have pointed out, it is better for the plant to be potted so that the roots can breath. I recommend using a liquid fertilizer if possible.

Cheers,
BD

[jimisox]

Thanks for the help, just thought I'd ask before shelling out that money. Iwill use the liquid fert. thanks....Jimi

[stacey8989]

Basically, the potting mix wasn't what I was expecting when I opened the bag. I was expecting to see some sort of bark mixture and that wasn't the case at all. The cyms are hanging in there in the mix, but I certainly haven't see any miracles.