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Orchid soil
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Posted by jasoncoco (My Page) on Fri, Nov 13, 09 at 23:05
| Would 80% pine bark fines and 20% sphagnum moss be good for orchid medium. Thanks, Jason. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Orchid soil
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| Any question of potting medium efficacy question is usually met with skepticism since potting medium is such an intimate aspect of growing (what mix works for one's growing conditions will surely kill plants in another). You don't mention your growing conditions, or even your location so we really couldn't tell you. What I CAN say is that I use essentially that exact mix (maybe a bit more sphag) for my phals that grow in a south window in the winter and outside during the summer in here DC. |
RE: Orchid soil
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| Well its for my mother. I bought her a new one because one of hers died.She keeps them indoors all year. The lighting is iffy. She really doesn't keep them by a window, but in a room with many windows. A sun room if you call it. I am in zone 8NC. THanks, Jason. |
RE: Orchid soil
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| It's so nice of you to replace your mother's orchid. In addition to terpguy's observations, first of all, don't use pine bark, it deteriorates too quickly. Use fir bark. And the moss would be okay if it were a phal. But it wouldn't be okay if it were a cattleya. What type of orchid is it? |
RE: Orchid soil
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| From what I've read, all conifer bark is high in suberin and lignin, the compounds that resist decay and maintain structure. I use both fir bark and pine bark, and I think both would make good, long lasting ingredients. I'm not a big fan of sphagnum moss because I can find other ingredients that work just as well and last much longer, but some people seem to really like it. Another thing to keep in mind is that particle size is just as important as particle composition. I tend to have problems with rot, so I recently had to switch my Phal to a mix of dime size and larger lava rock and pine bark. For an indoor plant receiving less than optimal lighting, I'd err on the side of caution and use fairly large particles that will still dry out in a reasonable amount of time. An orchid pot with several holes/slots around the sides will help as well. |
RE: Orchid soil
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Hello jasoncoco,
The mix is not only dependent on your location and conditions, but what type of orchid you are trying to make happy. What does your mother have?
Ann |
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