General Potting Mix?

[Colunio]

I have been reading a number of books and online articles concerning what a good general potting mix could be made up from. One in particular, that I am thinking of using as a newcomer to growing orchids, is made up as follows:

6 Parts mixed size Bark
1 Part Horticultural Charcoal
1 Part Perlite or Pumice

Does this sound OK? If not, any recommendations as for a general mix would be very much appreciated.

[AnonYMouse]

I you have or are getting the ingredients, I wouldn't mix them all at once. Mix as plants require. I would stay >1 cc.

One other thing, properties of Perlite is pretty much the same but pumices aren't created equal. pH, water retention, treatment (some are heat treated to harden them) are some properties that differ in pumice.

[Leafmite]

It depends, too, on what you are growing and your growing conditions. I live where my plants must tolerate high humidity and, often, quite a bit of rain during the summer (along with unpredictable temperatures) and then a cool house during the rest of the season so I tend to find red lava rock or LECA to be a good medium for me, combined with basket pots. The warmer the temperatures, the less open a medium you are going to need. Some of the other factors that will also have an effect are: fan?, light, how good of a root system the plant has, the type of orchid you are growing, how often you enjoy watering, humidity.

[tucker85]

Your mix sounds like a reasonable one to start with. Like the others said, it will depend on the type of orchid, your environment, the type of pot and your watering habits. You can use that mix as a starting point and later you may want to adjust it if the mix is staying too wet or drying too quickly.