Types of containers for potting media??

[Linnie]

Hello,

I find my orchid addiction growing enough now that I want to keep supplies of potting medium on hand. I recently bought a box of Ray's Prime Agra and I also have a bag of fir bark.

What types of containers do people use to hold their medium and do some of you have your materials all soaked and ready to go??

Do you use trash cans or what?

Thanks

Linnie

[ospylac]

I use a mix of containers depending on how much I have of the material. I use plastic milkcrates for bark slabs and sticks, rubbermaid bins and zip-lock bags for smaller quantities.

[Tony]

I use zip lock bags for mine.

[Linnie]

Thanks folks.. Do you have the medium rinsed and ready to go or do you just rinse as needed? Right now I still have the prime agra in a box and the fir bark in a zip lock baggie.

We're building an orchid room out of our unscreened porch that the hurricanes demolished and I'm trying to get ideas of what I need in the room.

Linnie

[Tony]

I store mine dry and water immediately after repotting.

[Ross]

I don't recommend storing fir bark wet or even moist as it can rot, or worse...

I use 5-gal drywall plaster buckets. You can get new ones with tops at Home Depot.

[Linnie]

I like the drywall plastic bucket idea. I will look at Home Depot. I guess I screwed up, I did soak my fir bark and them put it back in the plastic bag. It was just a small amount but I guess I better let it dry out . Thought I was saving some time...

Someone told me to make sure and soak coconut chips to get rid of the dust before I use, and I just thought I could do the same thing with this fir bark...

I think I am at the newby orchid stage where I just know enough to be dangerous.

Linnie

(Gee, how many times do we have to post to win that contest? I could use that money to buy more orchids!!)

Thanks

[Tony]

Some people like to soak their media before use, but I've found dry mixes are much easier to work with, so I pot dry and water immediately afterwards.

[Linnie]

Thanks Tony, I like that idea much better.

Do you have a preferred medium that you use.? Looks like you are just about 100 miles south of us here in Melbourne Beach.

I tend to water a bit too much and most of my plants are outside, but when we build the new room, they will be inside.

Thanks,

Linnie

[Tony]

I use a fine bark/perlite/charcoal/sphag mix for my Paphs and Phrags, my Brassias are in Sphag/tree fern or sphag/styro peanuts in baskets, or medium bark/perlite/charcoal in pots.