phrag flaskling mix....?

[MoreWater]

Has anyone had bad (or good, I guess) experience using a CHC-based mix for phrags fresh out of flask? I've got a bag of small CHC cut with sponge rock, charcoal, granite grit and chopped sphag....

This is my first phrag (mini)flask - quite fitting that I'm doing this right after my delurkment, eh? They are bessae/schlimii/other hybrids.

I've dealt with phal and oncidium type flasks before, and usually move them to either 100% sphag or straight into s/h. I've never had luck with a fine bark mix for young seedlings, and thought this CHC mix might be a good alternative...?

I also haven't decided whether I want to wash off the agar or not. If I try this CHC mix, I'll probably wash it off - the mix is pretty fine (but light and airy) and I can just imagine it combining with the agar to make a nice goop. *ewww*

Anyway, I've got to rig up a mini-gh first so I have stable humidity.... another mad apartment grower here. What on earth am I doing with flasks? :rollhappy:

 

[SlipperFan]

That sounds like a good mix. I made up something like it, with chc/small PrimeAgra, sponge rock & charcoal. So far the Phrag seedlings I have in it are doing well. After I took them out of flask, I put them under a humidity dome and gradually exposed them to air movement.

 

[Ross]

Almost all my deflasked seedlings, Paphs and Phrags, go into a small CHC mix with good results.

 

[MoreWater]

this is good news!

so now if the seedlings croak, I won't be able to blame the mix...?

 

[gore42]

I use CHC for my main potting mix for my grown paphs, but I've had really bad results using it in compots. Instead, I've opted for a more typical fine bark, perlite, moss mix. That may just be a result of my conditions; obviously some people seem to do fine with it. I tend to lose up to a quarter of my seedlings in CHC, especially the smaller ones... once I lost an entire sanderianum flask in CHC (though there were other circumstances as well).


- Matt

 

[Ross]

I need to add one caveat for using CHC with deflasked seedlings. It only works for me when the root development is good. On very small seedlings or ones with short, small roots, I fall back to using an extremely fine bark/perlite/charcoal mix.

 

[Rick]

I don't think most phrags care much about what they are potted in, but for my compots I use about 1/2 sphagnum (coarsly chopped),1/4 CHC, and 1/4 perlite.

There are a few species that prefer a slightly higher pH mix, and for those I'd use allot less moss, and probably add the charcoal.