Miracle Gro Orchid Potting Mix
 

Hi! Have any of you guys used Miracle Gro Orchid Potting Mix? I bought it and it looks like soil, not chips. Can't an orchid rot in this?

I bought some and used it for the semi-terrestrials like my paphs, cycnodes and cymbidiums. I just repotted about a month ago, and everything seems to be fine. Haven't attempted it with the others, though.

Diane - this is another example of having to look at the whole picture.

If you are very careful to lightly moisten the medium, keeping it loose and airy, it can be OK, but if you water heavily, it will become compact and hold water too well between the particles, suffocating the roots. If your growing environment favors rapid evaporation and requires very frequent watering, it might actually be a pretty good choice.

I also went to the dollar store and purchased a large plastic colander that is dedicated to orchid media. I shake the dry media outdoors to remove any really fine particles then rinse several times. You can find colanders with different sized holes to match the size of the medium you happen to be working with. Since I was using the Miracle Grow mix for the paphs, etc., I skipped this step. But it may be an option if you plan to use it for some others. - Lynn

That is what happened when I used bark before. The bark compacted and made the roots rot. Maybe i should just return it.

Thanks.

Diane, I use orchid "dirt" mixed with phal mix about half and half. Most people don't, but I learned to grow by myself (trial and error) long before I knew about OB so I do things differently. I grow outside in south Florida where it is very hot 6-8 months out of the year and rains about 5 months out of the year. Some of the orchids just stayed parched even with rain and watering so I started adding this "dirt" to my bark to hold the water close to the roots a little longer. It has helped some of my plants (phals and dens). But this may be all wrong for your conditions. Good luck!

Hi Susie,
I live in FL too, and was curious as to What Orchid dirt is?
And Where do you get it?


I'm curious if you are speaking of what I currently have some of mine in as well.

:hello Well, like Diane, the first time I bought it I was surprised by it's dirt-ness. But I tried it with good results. One product you sometimes see at Home Depot is Grower Ron's Orchid Mix. It comes in a big yellow tub (which is excellent for storing orchid mix in!) I thought it was too much dirt, so I added regular Phal mix (bark) about half -half. Now I kind of mix up my own concoction depending on what plant I am repotting (and trial and error). It almost varies plant to plant, not just by phal, den, etc. What I like about it is the fact that it has organic matter broken down very small which releases nutrients to the plant until it eventually washes away. ;) I don't use a lot of fertilizer, so this dirt added nutrients that they responded to very well. In a basket, you have to cut some metal screen to hold the dirt in for a while. Otherwise it washes away after the first watering. In our very hot weather, bark alone seems to dry out too quickly. Moss becomes hard and I never use it. It works for me. :goodluck:

use Miracle Gro
 

Susie, you don't use it by itself? You always have to mix it with something else?

Thanks for the interesting posts! I'm a newbie with several phals purchased at a flea market from a nursery--the pots have a LOT of sphagnum and they're way too wet. I'm repotting with a commercial mix of fir bark, charcoal and a bit of perlite. It's pretty pricey. Does anyone know: can I use pine bark for some of the mix?

Should've also asked re phal potting medium....
how about cedar bark? cypress?

Andy and Diane - I may be giving you bad advice because I don't even know where you are. If you are an inside grower up north, I am sure what I do would kill most of your plants. :blushing: So keep that in mind. That is why it is good to put that info in your profile so it will show up at the top of your posts (location, zone). Keeping that in mind...
Diane - I always mix the "orchid dirt" with a chunky mix(ie phal mix). The roots need the air pockets.
Andy - I always just use the commercial phal mix (bark-perlite-charcoal) that you can pick up at any garden center.

Next you need to check with the expert growers here. They have a dozen other methods involving semi-hydroponics, mounted, lava rock, coconut husk, .. it is amazing. Probably best to find someone with similar growing conditions to yours and really pump them for info. Everyone here loves to share what they have learned. Just keep posting until you've got your answers! And always post pictures if you have them. :goodluck:

Thanks Susiep,
I'm in Orlando (well, Winter Garden, actually).... I'll work on my profile ;-)
Just built a shade room outdoors! For my first re-pots, I used Better-Gro phal mix. only at home depot 10 miles away, $5.60 for 8 quarts.

I've had good luck with the better-gro brand from lowes, and also with another brand from walmart. I bought miracle gro once, and didn't like it at all, like you said, it wasn't chunky enough.

I found several varieties of Better-Gro 'chunky' orchid potting mix at Wal-Mart today, at about $3.80 per 8-qt bag instead of the $5.40 I paid at Home Depot!

I have noticed that Walmart is much cheaper for the exact same item. Orchid hooks, clips, tie wires, wood baskets, pots, and mix is all cheaper.

I was going to write a similar post about miracle-gro orchid potting mix. I bought it and was very disappointed. I repotted my oncidium (Wilsonara Tigersette) nonetheless but I am quite worried.....

i know exactly the mix that you speak of. Definitely don't use it on your phals without mixing it. I lost a phal because i used that mix. Now i only use sunbulb's mix.

Claudia - I think you will find that your Onc. type isn't going to like this mix either. Keep an eye out for root rot. It leaves no breathing room for the roots and doesn't dry out enough between waterings, at least in my growing conditions.

I use the Miracle-Gro mix for my phaius and like hybrids, spathoglottis, and vanilla with fairly good results.

Claudia,
The cymbidium I had in the miracle gro mix died of root rot even though I was careful to not over water. I put it outside for the summer and it just got too wet, I guess.

I posted earlier in this thread saying that I liked better gro phal mix and another walmart brand. Those are still ok, but if you buy it from a big box store, I found that better gro special mix is best (lowe's).

But I recently graduated to higher grade mix (Medium Fir Bark Mix with Diatomite: MIXMFD, Paph & Phrag Fir Bark Mix MIXPP and Medium Coconut Husk Mix MIXMC), which I bought from Quarter Acre orchids (quarteracreorchids.com) I love this stuff, and this is a reputable store. I met the owner at an orchid show, and have bought from her eversince. It's more expensive, but he quality is superb.

Get rid of that stuff or you'll regret it. Get some better mix, it'll pay off in the end.

Good luck.

Claudia,
The cymbidium I had in the miracle gro mix died of root rot even though I was careful to not over water. I put it outside for the summer and it just got too wet, I guess.

I posted earlier in this thread saying that I liked better gro phal mix and another walmart brand. Those are still ok, but if you buy it from a big box store, I found that better-gro special mix is best (lowe's).

But I recently graduated to higher grade mix (Medium Fir Bark Mix with Diatomite: MIXMFD, Paph & Phrag Fir Bark Mix MIXPP and Medium Coconut Husk Mix MIXMC), which I bought from Quarter Acre orchids (quarteracreorchids.com) I love this stuff, and this is a reputable store. I met the owner at an orchid show, and have bought from her eversince. It's more expensive, but he quality is superb.

Get rid of that stuff or you'll regret it. Get some better mix, it'll pay off in the end.

Good luck.

I will get some new potting medium. Hoping that it will not be too traumatic for the plant to be repotted twice in a row!

Which type of Orchid Fir Bark should I get for a Wilsonara Tigersette (oncidium, thin roots)?
Would the medium one be good?

http://www.teasnursery.com/firbarks.jpg
http://www.teasnursery.com/firbarkm.jpg
http://www.teasnursery.com/firbarkc.jpg