Favorite Cattleya Mix
 

What is your favorite media for large cattleya? If you have a favorite ingredient, list that, too and why you like it.

I like to put wine corks stacked vertically (side by side) in the bottom of the pot and then use large grade bark for the rest of media. I also use plastic pots with 4-6 large slits cut into the side. This method allows for fast drying. Since I grow outside, if we get a few weeks of rain, I dont worry because the media dries so quickly.

Thanks Steve, my best growing large catts are in large bark. I've always summered them outside and wintered them in my sunroom.

But now I have a greenhouse and I'm trying to find what works best in that growing atmosphere.

Good, large bark isn't as easy to find as it used to be. Seems like a lot of the mixes say they have large bark but it's usually not, compared to what I was once able to get.

That’s been a trial and error process for me this winter…I had Steve's problem to with the rain..I’ve come close to rotting a few.. when they say that there roots need to dry out in between waterings it means to dry them out completely …I’ve actually found out you don’t even need potting medium with cattleyas..they are extremely tough plants drought wise…The two I almost destroyed I’ve just left sitting in plastic net pots with no medium and just giving them a soak once or every other day depends on the weather and they are now regrowing new roots it just amazes me… one was down to just one little sad root and the other one just had little tiny green nubs…so for my own particular case I would say large bark and pots with lots and lots of holes for air and drainage…:twocents:

I use large grade bark mixed with epiweb. I prefere medium that dries very fast and with pure bark in large pot my experience is that the centre never dries enough. Or it is very hard to get a feeling when it dries out.

I try to get the Epiweb in the centre and bark outside.

/Magnus

wow, that's a great idea for the plants... but just imagine, some of us would end up attending the AA meetings after so much wine :rofl: and the worst is that we will not be allowed to say: "Hello, My name is XXX, I am alcoholic, but did it only for the sake of my chids!" :rofl:

anyway, a great idea ;)

I use PrimeAgra brand LECA in a standard plastic pot. Absorbs well, dries fairly rapidly, and is always airy without fear of decomposition.

However, just because something works well for one, it does not mean it will for another.

This is just to pass along a good website for potting mediums, I am not trying to promote or sell their products, it is just a place I have found that sells quality products and great customer service: Orchid Supplies - Orchid Mix - Orchid Pots - Orchid Fertilizer - rePotme.com Orchid Supply They have an assortment of potting mediums and wouldn't sell anything they wouldn't use on their own orchids. They also have a lot of information on their website that is good for beginners. And they even sell cork chunks so you won't have to drink all that wine just to get the cork...lol.

I use strictly lava rocks. Some of my catts are outside all summer in the heavy Florida rainy season, and it works well for that application. I need something that will dry out fairly quickly and not rot.

Great info! Would this apply to Cat hybrids?

LC, BC, BLC, ABCDEFG-C?

That made me chuckle :coverlaugh:

Drink up!! Its for a good cause!!!:evil:

I have really wanted to try that, but for some reason havn't yet.:hmm After all, I live on an island made of lava rock!! All the free media I could ever want!!:biggrin:

I have approx. 170 orchids, mostly cats, my favorite. I use nothing but tree fern w/redwood chips. Drains well, doesn't breakdown easily and redwood prevent fungus. I usually only re-pot when pseudo bulbs start to creap over the edge of pot.

I also use pure lava rock on my cattleya's. For a year I used bark based orchid mixes. The center under the plant never completely dried out. There were always rotten roots somewhere. So far they have loved it. After a year with no blooming cattleyas I have my first in spike with a three new growths sprouting on the side.
I also use clay pots with holes in the sides for rapid drying. They have done so much better for me in lava rock. Its a different story for my Phals. I have watched them slowly dehydrate in lava, so I started added some moss to the mix. So far pure lava will be the way for me with my Dendrobiums and Cattleya forever. Until I change it.

I bought a ten wor tweenty pound bag from Home Depot for 3 dollars and broke some of the pieces up for ones that I thought needed a finer mix. Then I wash them before I use them and completely flush them pots with each watering with a hose pipe, because they say it can accumulate salts more than most mixes.

Hi Khill,

I live in FL too. And Since you keep your babies outside in the elements, and with our droughts; days, weeks, months with no rain- How often do you water your Catts in that lavarock?

As I might to the same :hmm
~~~~~~~~~

With ALL my cats and cat crosses I use only tree fern w/redwood chips. I usually put about 1/3 or so aliflor to give some weight to the pot and provide good drainage. I use tree fern w/redwood as the redwood prevent any fungus in the root area. Tree fern allows for excellant drainage. I allow enough room for 2 years growth or if they grow to edge of pot before repotting either into a larger pot or divide. I also never use anything else besides clay pots. I really dislike plastic except for my phals, which by the way are not my favorites. Out of 180 or so, mostly are cats. I live in zone 8 and this is my procedure. I am sure other ways work as well.

For plants that are grown in five or six inch pots, I like to use one forty five percent medium bark, forty five percent medium grade diatomite and ten percent medium grade charcoal. For my phals, I use the same mix with the addition of about ten percent coir. I find that these mixes don't break down as fast as bark alone and I have been very satisfied with the results.

Hi Jkelee--

I water maybe once a week or so in the middle of winter--our dry season. Especially when we are having the cooler Florida temps.

Otherwise, I water twice a week or let the rain take care of it. Catts really like to dry out as much as possible before the next watering.

Medium (1/2"-1") granite chunks. Ever since receiving my first L. anceps in this medium, I tried a few others and it works fantastic..

I've been experimenting with a few different things, but I've had very good luck so far with using diatomite in my mixes. I've been doing som repotting this spring and many of the plants are going into clear pots with styrofoam peanuts at the bottom and a 60/40 diatomite/aged bark mix. I'd like to eventially find something inorganic that I can use to replace the bark, but i am sure more experimentation will ensue.. heh.
I've also got some plants I've just started in S/H and one that's actually now starting to put roots into the mix so I am excited to see how well that does. The prime agra looks like it would make for a great regular catt media too.
My thing this spring, however, is putting things in baskets. I am trying to refrain from going overboard with this, but I love the idea of orchids in baskets. I just stuck a bunch of plants into baskets with lava, cork, coconut and diatomite and I'm gleefully watching the roots grow!

:scratchhead: :scratchhead:



hi. forgive my ignorance, but is lava rock the same thing as volcanic rock? thanks. :scratchhead:

Yes, I believe volcanic rock and lava rock are the same medium.

I think Ray has summed it up SO well with his statement that just because something works well for him does not mean it will for everyone. My own personal favorite is 4 parts medium bark, 1 part coarse perllite, 1/2 part medium charcoal, 1/2 part medium tree fern. If I am potting anything larger than a 6" pot, I place an inverted net pot in the center of the pot to keep the center from staying too wet. I have found over the years that it is much easier to modify your growing mix than to change your watering habits.

I have found that seedling pots inverted in the center of the larger pots work really well also. You can stack them up to just the right height for the rhizomes on a cattleya and create great small air pockets throughout the larger pots.