Potting Coelogyne South Carolina

[Myrle Diefendorf]

My orchid given as a small pseudo bulb a couple years ago is finally putting out two bloom stalks. I didn't know what to pot it in so put it in bark, sphagnum and composted manure in an open cocoanut mesh basket. It gets morning sun on the back porch. What SHOULD I have potted it in?

[ALToronto]

Not sure about the manure, but the other two ingredients are good. Mine is in mostly sphagnum, with a bit of bark and perlite. It likes to be very moist.

The growths you see may not be flower stalks. New pbulbs look like sharp spikes initially, and I'm not experienced enough with coelogynes to tell a new pb from a flower stalk.

They don't like being disturbed, so you should leave it in its current mix until whatever new growths it's putting out reach maturity. And don't fertilize it with anything - manure has more than enough nutrients for the plant.

[Myrle Diefendorf]

Thanks, I probably burnt the roots off the poor thing. Oh well.