That made me chuckle :coverlaugh:

Drink up!! Its for a good cause!!!:evil:

I have really wanted to try that, but for some reason havn't yet.:hmm After all, I live on an island made of lava rock!! All the free media I could ever want!!:biggrin:

I have approx. 170 orchids, mostly cats, my favorite. I use nothing but tree fern w/redwood chips. Drains well, doesn't breakdown easily and redwood prevent fungus. I usually only re-pot when pseudo bulbs start to creap over the edge of pot.

I also use pure lava rock on my cattleya's. For a year I used bark based orchid mixes. The center under the plant never completely dried out. There were always rotten roots somewhere. So far they have loved it. After a year with no blooming cattleyas I have my first in spike with a three new growths sprouting on the side.
I also use clay pots with holes in the sides for rapid drying. They have done so much better for me in lava rock. Its a different story for my Phals. I have watched them slowly dehydrate in lava, so I started added some moss to the mix. So far pure lava will be the way for me with my Dendrobiums and Cattleya forever. Until I change it.

I bought a ten wor tweenty pound bag from Home Depot for 3 dollars and broke some of the pieces up for ones that I thought needed a finer mix. Then I wash them before I use them and completely flush them pots with each watering with a hose pipe, because they say it can accumulate salts more than most mixes.

Hi Khill,

I live in FL too. And Since you keep your babies outside in the elements, and with our droughts; days, weeks, months with no rain- How often do you water your Catts in that lavarock?

As I might to the same :hmm
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With ALL my cats and cat crosses I use only tree fern w/redwood chips. I usually put about 1/3 or so aliflor to give some weight to the pot and provide good drainage. I use tree fern w/redwood as the redwood prevent any fungus in the root area. Tree fern allows for excellant drainage. I allow enough room for 2 years growth or if they grow to edge of pot before repotting either into a larger pot or divide. I also never use anything else besides clay pots. I really dislike plastic except for my phals, which by the way are not my favorites. Out of 180 or so, mostly are cats. I live in zone 8 and this is my procedure. I am sure other ways work as well.

For plants that are grown in five or six inch pots, I like to use one forty five percent medium bark, forty five percent medium grade diatomite and ten percent medium grade charcoal. For my phals, I use the same mix with the addition of about ten percent coir. I find that these mixes don't break down as fast as bark alone and I have been very satisfied with the results.

Hi Jkelee--

I water maybe once a week or so in the middle of winter--our dry season. Especially when we are having the cooler Florida temps.

Otherwise, I water twice a week or let the rain take care of it. Catts really like to dry out as much as possible before the next watering.

Medium (1/2"-1") granite chunks. Ever since receiving my first L. anceps in this medium, I tried a few others and it works fantastic..

I've been experimenting with a few different things, but I've had very good luck so far with using diatomite in my mixes. I've been doing som repotting this spring and many of the plants are going into clear pots with styrofoam peanuts at the bottom and a 60/40 diatomite/aged bark mix. I'd like to eventially find something inorganic that I can use to replace the bark, but i am sure more experimentation will ensue.. heh.
I've also got some plants I've just started in S/H and one that's actually now starting to put roots into the mix so I am excited to see how well that does. The prime agra looks like it would make for a great regular catt media too.
My thing this spring, however, is putting things in baskets. I am trying to refrain from going overboard with this, but I love the idea of orchids in baskets. I just stuck a bunch of plants into baskets with lava, cork, coconut and diatomite and I'm gleefully watching the roots grow!