Orchid Care OrchidTalk Orchid Forum Links Nursery

Welcome to OrchidTalk Orchid Forums


The Friendliest Orchid Community on the Internet!


  •  » Learn to Repot your Orchids
  •  » Learn Orchid Care Tips and Secrets
  •  » Find the perfect Orchid for your Growing Environment
  •  » Chat with Orchid Growing Professionals

OrchidTalk - "Bringing People Together to Grow Orchids Better!"


Let us help you grow your Orchids better; Join our community today.


YES! I want to register an account for free right now!


Register or Login now to remove this advertisement.

Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: potting mixes

Click here to increase the font size Click here to reduce the font size
  1. #1
    Real Name
    John Lapointe
    My Grow Area
    Windowsill
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Haven't met one I don't like
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Marthasville, Mo. USA
    Posts
    28

    Default potting mixes

    relative newbie, pros and cons of organic verse inorganic potting mixes, time to start repotting some of my first Phals, up to 180 plants now i can see repotting is going to be an expensive proposition, would inorganics keep me from having to repot, right now i use msu fertilizer, would i have to change fertilizer, would i still use coarse mix for bigger roots, medium for medium rooots and fine for fine roots, still on the steep side of the learning curve, thanks john lapointe

  2. #2
    My Grow Area
    Outside 24/7
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Vanda, Phals & Dendrobium
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Bangalore,India
    Posts
    7,119
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    Choice of media is a choice based on lot of factors ( watering frequency, relative humidity, your grow area micro climate). Choice of media just one the factors in orchid growing. Given that you have about 180 plants, you can try a similar looking phals may be 2-3 in organic and inorganic and observe them and then decide what works in your environment.

    Coming to coarse, medium and fine media. I use same media for all my Orchids and they seem to be doing ok.

  3. #3
    Real Name
    Ray Barkalow
    My Grow Area
    Porch/Patio.
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Oak Island NC
    Posts
    2,103

    Default

    Concerning the fertilizer, it really doesn't matter much, as the plants get very little nutritional value from organic potting media - unless, of course, it is decomposing, in which case, you'll want to change it anyway.

    There are two extremes in potting media selection: 1) use the same one for everything, and adjust your watering for each individual or small groups of plants with similar needs, or 2) adjust the medium, customizing it as needed, so you can water everything at once. And of course, there's any number of variations in between.

    Concerning the use of inorganic media, while they will require less frequent replacement, none are truly "permanent", as they do absorb plant wasters and fertilizer minerals, eventually concentrating them to a degree of toxicity. The use of pure water, low rates of fertilizer addition, and frequent, thorough flushing can extend that tremendously.

  4. #4
    My Grow Area
    Sunroom
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Vanda (Neofinetia) falcata
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Fort Wayne, Indiana
    Posts
    178
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    I have evolved over these many years to Raybark's #2: "adjust the medium, customizing it as needed so you can water everything at once." My evolution comes from getting different orchids, after I got over buying and rescuing big box store cast offs like Phalaenopsis. Different orchids seemed to require different potting style.

    For Phalenopsis, I have half of my plants in New Zealand Sphagnum Moss and the other half are in bark mix. In either case I pot them in clear plastic pots with slits allowing for air exchange and moisture evaporation. The plants in moss are not watered as often as those plants in bark. I live in Fort Wayne, Indiana so in the winter time it is critical that my plants have good air circulation, good relative humidity, and warm fresh air. In the Summer, when these plants go outside I have to pay close attention to moss potted plants as if it rains too often, these plants can suffocate with too wet moss and not enough air/dry time. The bark mixed plants--no worries.

    My bark mix: Orchiata medium size, equal sized sponge rock or grow stones, charcoal, and LECA.

  5. #5
    Real Name
    Jack
    My Grow Area
    Outside 24/7
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Bulbophyllum and the rest!
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Cooper City, Florida
    Posts
    7,614
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    With the amount of orchids I was getting I went to mounting as many of them as I could, cuts back on the amount of media and time to repot every 2 years. Yes I have to water my mounted plants more often but that was one of the reasons why I put an irrigation system in.

    For those I do repot every 2 years I make my own media mix to fit the requirements for all of them.

Similar Threads

  1. Bulbo re-potting help
    By krkovec in forum Genus Specific
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: July 16th, 2010, 03:05 PM
  2. potting advice, please
    By brit6v in forum General Orchid Culture
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: November 13th, 2009, 08:23 AM
  3. Potting my Neo
    By orchid lady in forum Semi Hydro / Lights / Greenhouses / Accessories
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: September 9th, 2008, 07:24 PM
  4. Re-potting
    By orchid lady in forum New Growers: Ask the Senior Members
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: July 24th, 2008, 06:33 AM
  5. potting ON?
    By kewpie in forum General Orchid Culture
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: July 10th, 2004, 09:38 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
OrchidTalk --An Orchid Growers Discussion Forum brought to you by River Valley Orchidworks. A World Community where orchid beginners and experts talk about orchids and share tips on their care, cultivation, and propagation.