Considering a Gritty Mix for Paph

[glitchathon]

I have a Maudiae hybrid type Paph that is in Sphagnum Moss from Trader Joe's. I have never taken care of a Paph before but understand that they do not like drying out.

I have a Gritty Mix that I learned from Al at Gardenweb, that consists of:
- 1/3 fir bark (1/4" average length pieces)
- 1/3 diatomaceous earth or turface (1/8" average diameter)
- 1/3 granite grit (cherrystone #2 used for chicken feed) at average 1/8" to 3/16" size

From researching, the granite can be expected to hold 1/2 the amount of water that perlite holds so should help make it drain better. The Diatomaceous Earth is quite water retentive but does not compact nor break down as it is inorganic so I believe it may have the water retentiveness of peat moss or chopped sphag but with better aeration and longevity.

The pH is around 6 to 6.5.

I used this successfully with some tropical plants and find it easy to keep the medium slightly damp without holding excess water. The diatomaceous earth also retains enough water to last a few days even while staying nicely aerated. For my watering habits, this is a great mix.

I'd love to use this for as many plants as possible as I find it works great. Considering the needs of a Paph to stay aerated but moist and never drying out, it seems this is a possible good candidate for a Paph medium. But I never heard anyone use this kind of mix for it and wondering if I am asking for trouble with a mix with such fine particles? The thing is that I know a lot of people use a fair amount of peat and/or potting soil with Paphs so this may be a more durable version of that.

Thanks for any suggestions!