All Around Medium for Paphs?

[Cklinger]

About a year ago I started my collection, which is still small. I'll list out what Paphs and Phrags I currently have, but I have been thinking about just preparing potting medium for my Paphs when I'll eventually need to repot them. Is there a good combination of components that could suit "most" paphs?

For Paphs I have...
Paph. hirsutissimum
Paph. helenae
Paph. primulinum flavum
Paph. vogue wonder
Paph. woluwense

I only have a couple Phrags which are...
Phrag. longueville
Phrag. Franz Glanz

I also have a tank containing around 15 orchids

Any information is appreciated, I always enjoy learning more about paphs and phrags!

 

[masaccio]

I can't wait to see some of the replies to your question. I think the traditional school goes for a seedling-grade bark mix (bark, sponge rock and charcoal). I'm on the verge of ordering a bag, commonly available. I personally like sphagnum as a general purpose potting medium. I've been trying to understand why it isn't more popular. It dries out more evenly than bark mixes, and there is a big difference between freshly watered sphagnum and sphagnum even one day later, so there's less guess-work in watering. I think one of the reasons sphagnum isn't more popular is that it's not as easy to pot with. I saw a photo today (on this forum) of a paph. with a gorgeous root system, and I thought to myself, what would it be like to repot that plant in sphag. The nice thing about a small-grade bark mix is that you can mostly just pour it around the roots and with a little help, it settles itself. And really nice paph pots are on little legs that allow air to enter from underneath to keep the bottom from being too wet while the rest of the plant requires water. Another approach to a paph mix is a medium grade mix that allows a lot of air into the pot. But I've found that this requires frequent watering, like every two days.

 

[troy]

This is defenitely open to dispute, I use non organic potting mix except for rocks, pumus, and clay balls, that excludes breakdown of medium

 

[Cklinger]

I can't wait to see some of the replies to your question. I think the traditional school goes for a seedling-grade bark mix (bark, sponge rock and charcoal). I'm on the verge of ordering a bag, commonly available. I personally like sphagnum as a general purpose potting medium. I've been trying to understand why it isn't more popular. It dries out more evenly than bark mixes, and there is a big difference between freshly watered sphagnum and sphagnum even one day later, so there's less guess-work in watering. I think one of the reasons sphagnum isn't more popular is that it's not as easy to pot with. I saw a photo today (on this forum) of a paph. with a gorgeous root system, and I thought to myself, what would it be like to repot that plant in sphag. The nice thing about a small-grade bark mix is that you can mostly just pour it around the roots and with a little help, it settles itself. And really nice paph pots are on little legs that allow air to enter from underneath to keep the bottom from being too wet while the rest of the plant requires water. Another approach to a paph mix is a medium grade mix that allows a lot of air into the pot. But I've found that this requires frequent watering, like every two days.

The only time I use sphagnum is when I mount an orchid or pot Bulbophyllums. I like using it, however I do not know how much to use if I were to repot a Paph. with it. How do you know when to water next when you use a combination of sphagnum and bark? Also I'm interested in these kind of pots your talking about! Most of the Paphs I have are in Rand's Aircone pots which don't have legs but have a cone in the center to allow some airflow in.

I have half bag of seedling grade bark as well as a bag of perlite. When receiving the Paph. hirsutissimum I noticed that there is charcoal as well as crushed shells. If anyone has used charcoal and shells along with perlite and bark, what are your ratios?

 

[musa]

Sphagnum doesen't go along with my watering habits, so I grow all my paphs in medium (12-18mm) and coarse (18-25mm) Orchiata depending on the pot size without any other components, except a drainage of limestone - or granit gravel on the bottom of the pot. I have to water twice a week.

Michael

 

[masaccio]

Sphagnum doesen't go along with my watering habits, so I grow all my paphs in medium (12-18mm) and coarse (18-25mm) Orchiata depending on the pot size without any other components, except a drainage of limestone - or granit gravel on the bottom of the pot. I have to water twice a week.

Michael

Michael, would you mind sharing where and how you grow your paphs? Greenhouse or in your house? Artificial lights or natural light? Relative humidity? Thanks!

 

[Ray]

While it may be OK for comparing notes, how one person grows their plants has no bearing on how another should.

Consider the points written HERE.

 

[Ray]

Duplicate deleted

 

[NYEric]

While there is no definitive mix I think this combination of mixes works well.
On the bottom the pot, leca expanded clay balls or some hard inorganic media to act as dunnage and keep the organic stuff out of the water we inevitably have at the bottom of our plant trays. The main mix is medium orchiata, coarse perlite and/or leca for air-spaces, and charcoal to filter impurities. On the top I add some sphagnum and diatomite (yes I still have a little) to the mix to keep some moisture.

 

[Cklinger]

While there is no definitive mix I think this combination of mixes works well.
On the bottom the pot, leca expanded clay balls or some hard inorganic media to act as dunnage and keep the organic stuff out of the water we inevitably have at the bottom of our plant trays. The main mix is medium orchiata, coarse perlite and/or leca for air-spaces, and charcoal to filter impurities. On the top I add some sphagnum and diatomite (yes I still have a little) to the mix to keep some moisture.

With this combination, how often do you have to water? With the mix mine are in, they need watering around once a week, but this could be because I grow indoors. Does the diatomite keep moisture well? I have not seen it in use so I have no clue.

I appreciate all of these responses and I am making notes of possibilities that I could try out before I have to repot my Paphs.

 

[musa]

Masaccio, I'm growing in my livingroom on the windowsill (south) but mostly on a shelf with a mix of natural and artificial light. Each board has two flourescent tubes (36W, 120cm). The tubes are an additional heating as well. The pots are standing on a grid with water underneth. Humidity is about 40% in Winter (lowest is 25%) in summer it is about 65% (highest 80%). Temperature is always over 20°C In winter the range is 20°C - 33°C, in summer temp is between 24°C and 36°C (last summer was exeptional over 37°C). I grow my orchids with Aroids, which stabilise the humidity a bit by creating a kind of "climapocket in my plant corner.
I fertilize once a week 20-5-10 (~600µS), in between I flush with tab water (~240µ). In general I repot once a year, except the big plants.

Of course Ray is right, that conditions are hardly comparable, because there are so many factors, which one is not even aware of. e.g. I don't need any ventilation because my windows are old and don't fit well so there must be a constant but unrecognizable airflow in my flat, etc...

Michael

 

[masaccio]

While it may be OK for comparing notes, how one person grows their plants has no bearing on how another should.

Consider the points written HERE.

Thanks for the link to this, Ray.

 

[masaccio]

While there is no definitive mix I think this combination of mixes works well.
On the bottom the pot, leca expanded clay balls or some hard inorganic media to act as dunnage and keep the organic stuff out of the water we inevitably have at the bottom of our plant trays. The main mix is medium orchiata, coarse perlite and/or leca for air-spaces, and charcoal to filter impurities. On the top I add some sphagnum and diatomite (yes I still have a little) to the mix to keep some moisture.

That's cool. I have some aliflor. I'll try this instead of "peanuts."

 

[masaccio]

The only time I use sphagnum is when I mount an orchid or pot Bulbophyllums. I like using it, however I do not know how much to use if I were to repot a Paph. with it. How do you know when to water next when you use a combination of sphagnum and bark? Also I'm interested in these kind of pots your talking about! Most of the Paphs I have are in Rand's Aircone pots which don't have legs but have a cone in the center to allow some airflow in.

I have half bag of seedling grade bark as well as a bag of perlite. When receiving the Paph. hirsutissimum I noticed that there is charcoal as well as crushed shells. If anyone has used charcoal and shells along with perlite and bark, what are your ratios?

Life is too short to make my own mixesView attachment 14715 . I saw an appealing mix from Quarter Acre and ordered it. Blurb: "This orchid potting mix contains fine fir bark, fine horticultural charcoal, oyster shell, perlite and just a touch of AAA+ New Zealand Sphagnam... all excellent for healthy Paphs & Phrags!" Photo attached.

To help determine watering frequency, especially with bark mixes, I weigh plants on my kitchen scale, in grams, before and after watering, and log the weights on a dedicated page for each plant. Over time, this can be instructive. For plants in bark, there isn't that much weight difference between wet and needing moisture. 35-40 grams, so weighing helps. This, as opposed to sphagnum, a 4" pot of which can increase in weight in excess of 150 grams - much easier to judge as it dries. If properly used, the moss will still percolate out this amount of moisture in a relatively short time (3-4 days), helping to supply immediate humidity to the immediate area as well). I also log watering dates of every plant, and what I watered with. I guess not everyone would enjoy this, but it relieves me from remembering, and avoids putting a plant on an arbitrary schedule instead of giving it what it needs at the time.

If you want to try straight sphagnum: take more dry sphagnum than you think you will need from the bag. Put it in a large bowl. Add water gradually, tossing the sphagnum until it is evenly moist. Squeeze out any excess moisture and fluff it until you have a nice light, damp pile. Pot firmly, in clumps, not layers. A bamboo stake can help where fingers can't reach. I usually wait a day before watering the freshly potted plant. If you're potting a in a large pot, clay works fine. Smaller pots, plastic is best.

 

[Cklinger]

Life is too short to make my own mixesView attachment 14715 . I saw an appealing mix from Quarter Acre and ordered it. Blurb: "This orchid potting mix contains fine fir bark, fine horticultural charcoal, oyster shell, perlite and just a touch of AAA+ New Zealand Sphagnam... all excellent for healthy Paphs & Phrags!" Photo attached.

To help determine watering frequency, especially with bark mixes, I weigh plants on my kitchen scale, in grams, before and after watering, and log the weights on a dedicated page for each plant. Over time, this can be instructive. For plants in bark, there isn't that much weight difference between wet and needing moisture. 35-40 grams, so weighing helps. This, as opposed to sphagnum, a 4" pot of which can increase in weight in excess of 150 grams - much easier to judge as it dries. If properly used, the moss will still percolate out this amount of moisture in a relatively short time (3-4 days), helping to supply immediate humidity to the immediate area as well). I also log watering dates of every plant, and what I watered with. I guess not everyone would enjoy this, but it relieves me from remembering, and avoids putting a plant on an arbitrary schedule instead of giving it what it needs at the time.

If you want to try straight sphagnum: take more dry sphagnum than you think you will need from the bag. Put it in a large bowl. Add water gradually, tossing the sphagnum until it is evenly moist. Squeeze out any excess moisture and fluff it until you have a nice light, damp pile. Pot firmly, in clumps, not layers. A bamboo stake can help where fingers can't reach. I usually wait a day before watering the freshly potted plant. If you're potting a in a large pot, clay works fine. Smaller pots, plastic is best.
View attachment 14717

That is an appealing mix! I book marked the page for in case I decide on ordering some. I think it's interesting that you weigh individual plants, it must take quite a while depending on how many plants you have. I usually check the moisture of my paphs every other day by taking out the tag and feeling it. If it's fairly moist I'll leave it, and when its slightly damp/dry I water the plant. The plants usually all need watering at the same time since most of them are potted in the same size pot.

I am just curious, do you grow in your house or in a greenhouse?

 

[Cklinger]

Also, I'm very curious if people have had any mounted paphs. My grandfather told me that at the Umpqua Orchid Society there was a mounted paph being raffled off. That sounded really intriguing but also difficult to care for.

 

[Junglejewel]

I've tried just about every media and different combinations and ratios of mixes, and what works best for me, bar none!, for all my Paph's, depending on the species, is a mix of 40-50% small orchiata (classic), 30-40% New Zealand sphagnum moss, and 20% medium perlite #3. The grow sky rockets and they flourish! And this mix last 2-3 years for me before breaking down. And all of mine are in this mix and planted in Rand's air cone pots.

 

[Cklinger]

I've tried just about every media and different combinations and ratios of mixes, and what works best for me, bar none!, for all my Paph's, depending on the species, is a mix of 40-50% small orchiata (classic), 30-40% New Zealand sphagnum moss, and 20% medium perlite #3. The grow sky rockets and they flourish! And this mix last 2-3 years for me before breaking down. And all of mine are in this mix and planted in Rand's air cone pots.

Interesting! Do you find that the sphagnum may keep to much water at times? in other words, what's the indication that they need to be watered?

 

[masaccio]

That is an appealing mix! I book marked the page for in case I decide on ordering some. I think it's interesting that you weigh individual plants, it must take quite a while depending on how many plants you have. I usually check the moisture of my paphs every other day by taking out the tag and feeling it. If it's fairly moist I'll leave it, and when its slightly damp/dry I water the plant. The plants usually all need watering at the same time since most of them are potted in the same size pot.

I am just curious, do you grow in your house or in a greenhouse?

Weighing doesn't take that long. I have my notebook open anyway so I can log other stuff for that plant. And you know, I do all this first thing in the morning, usually before coffee. Theres nothing worse than picking up a plant, putting it down, picking it up, shoving in a skewer yadda yadda when you're just trying to get done. I do some of that other stuff anyway, until I'm sure my baseline is good. I'll definitely try your tag idea, too. Nah, different pots, some clay some plastic, different shapes and sizes all around, different mediums, different light. I have a grow room, which also happens to be where I sleep (notice how I put that!) that luckily has a large picture window with a pretty nice, long ledge, by design. It faces NW, but it lets in a lot of light, supplemented with LED spots. Humidifier keeps that up all the time. Constant gentle fan. Have a second grow room planned so I can make one higher and one lower light without trying to make everybody happy in the same space. The lower light space won't have any natural light and will be mostly a paph garden. If I still want more room, first I'll have my sanity checked, and then I could put a greenhouse 10x16 or something on a stone patio next to the house. I'd probably have to supplement light in there a little bit too, but that could be fun. More control. Probably way too much info. Thanks for asking. It helps me think through things.

 

[masaccio]

I've tried just about every media and different combinations and ratios of mixes, and what works best for me, bar none!, for all my Paph's, depending on the species, is a mix of 40-50% small orchiata (classic), 30-40% New Zealand sphagnum moss, and 20% medium perlite #3. The grow sky rockets and they flourish! And this mix last 2-3 years for me before breaking down. And all of mine are in this mix and planted in Rand's air cone pots.

That makes sense. Sounds great, too. I'm making a permanent note of it. I haven't gotten into orchiata yet, but I did just order some cone pots. By the way, I was reading a random on-line commentary on paph culture. I think it was an Asian vendor. He said he believed that paphs like to be "tight" in their pots, so pot in the smallest pot that everything fits into. Comment?