Pro-mix Questions

[aliceinwl]

Has anyone grown orchids successfully in pro-mix (fine peat and perlite based media) and if so, under what conditions?

This seems to be the media of choice for all of the commercially available non-Phalaenopsis orchids. Often times when I buy one of these, I don't want to risk bud blast so I wait until the flowers start fading before I re-pot. No matter what I do, I get progressive root death and a fair number have been rootless wonders by the time I repotted them.

Is there a secret to watering these guys while in pro-mix? I have a really nice Sharry Baby in full bloom that I acquired recently in pro-mix. I want to enjoy the flowers so I'm not repotting. If possible, I'd like to maximize root survival until it stops flowering and I do repot it.

[Dollythehun]

There have been posts about this. I used it as a commercial grower, so I'm familiar with it. I wouldn't use it for any orchid, except perhaps terrestrials. There isn't enough air space between the particles. It could easily suffocate the roots.

[Ray]

Many years ago, Harvey Brennaise and Rob Halgren, then of Michigan State University, published an article in the AOS magazine about using such "mud mixes" for orchids.

Yes, it works, but you need a growing environment that leads to extremely rapid evaporation of the water, much like is the case for tightly-packed sphagnum.

As far as I'm aware, neither of them use it any longer. I used to add it to my Paph mix, but again, don't any more.