Repotting help needed Monnierara Millenium Magic ‘Witch Craft’ AM/AOS

[lijun]

like hairy and beige-ish?

[kspalding]

Does it look similar to this?

[silverstoli]

No, it is a funky green and just crumbles into tiny pieces, almost like sand.

[kspalding]

Yeah its the same stuff only diff color. They come in green, white, brown.... Its in alot of soils and if I remember right its actually a food that dissolves little by little as u water. The white version I showed above does the same thing it crumbles if you squeeze or roll it around with your fingers. Its completely safe.

[lijun]

If it's zeolite,.. i'm kinda looking for that as potting mix. Just to try on one orchid. Found one who sells in medan for 35 usd per ton. Like,. Who wants to buy a ton,..

[78Terp]

I'll split it with ya!

[silverstoli]

Is the zeolite the same stuff we use in aquariums? I use to have a little bag of it in my saltwater tank. It was supposed to help remove ammonia and I think it also removed chloramine, but not sure. That was many years ago. You might try checking aquarium supplies, that way you might not have to buy a ton!

The green stuff I was talking about is like the oasis floral foam they use to hold water in cut flower arrangements. It was not perlite. It seemed to have been about a 1" cube of the stuff. I have found it in two of my plants.

[lijun]

yes , it's also common to clean water, there are synthetic and natural ones. i didn't think about aquarium shop before, thanks mary for suggestion. don't know if aquarium uses natural or the synthetic, i think i better find out about it. natural ones has 50 types.. the most common ones could be used. it absorbs nutrient also keep nutrients in the pot and distribute it to roots. i'm still learning about it but so far what i've read, all say it's very good tio use. maybe someone here have used it. i read it's common for orchid nurseries in asia to use it too. it is also used for other plants.
the floral foam to hold plastic flower, i did think about using it while looking for drainage for bottom of the pot mix. it does hold water but don't know the chemicals used to make it, also it breaks into sandy type of materials... but i think there are more better options than that, but if it's already there, it probably don't hurt much. but others may think different, if somebody knows more about it.

[Wade's Orchids]

Congratulations on your success. May you have many, many more. I agree totally with Zain. I am amazed over and over how resilient orchids are and how much they just seem to WANT to grow! I think that is why I grow orchids. I am continually amazed at every turn.

[silverstoli]

Thanks Wade. Last night I repotted a rescue from a big box store from the clearance rack. It was in a large pot with a pothos. The pothos was in soil, the Phal was wrapped in moss. They were jammed in next to each other. They were both sitting on top of a bunch of styrofoam chips. It was a good thing because there was almost an inch of water in the bottom of the pot. It had more viable roots than I expected. One of the roots had soil on one side and moss on the other side. It was actually quite fat and healthy. I repotted in a mix of bark, charcoal, LECA, and moss. Hopefully it will enjoy it's new pot and environment.

Funny story, they had just watered all of the Phals and all of them had a lot of water sitting in the crowns. My daughter and I walked around and tipped them to let the water run out. We couldn't just leave them like that.

Today I am going to divide my Beallara Wine Spots. It is seriously overgrowing it's 4" pot. I waited until it's blooms started wilting. It has been blooming since April when I bought it.