Superthrive…….Yes or no?

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by Xraymond

I’ve tried using bark and had the same results but felt like I was still over watering. I feel like now I can put a little at a time because the moss is going to soak it up and then add more when needed. But what would you suggest or what has worked best for you. I do see how people use a mixture of both bark and moss. I’m just trying to provide the best environment for my orchids.

Those dark green leaves indicate underlighting. I suspected that already (overwatering in bark is hard to do) but this is visual confirmation. 2 oz. or an ice cube of water is a formula meant to reduce the worst effects of underlighting but the real solution is to add lights.

When you water you should aim to soak the entire pot and not hold back. A properly lit plant with adequate air movement will dry out in 3 to 7 days.

I personally either use all Sphagnum in the pot or not at all. If I use Bark then I mix it with other particulate media like Sponge Rock (3:1). Or I buy a pre-mixed orchid media suitable for the type of orchid I am potting. A few wisps of Sphagnum in a pot is not a crime but it means you have Sphagnum lying around and it is not as shelf stable as other kinds of potting media.

[estación seca]

Have a look here at a thread about growing Phals. From the left yellow menu choose Forums then Beginners. Near the top look for the sticky thread The Phal. abuse stops here. It gets repetitive after a while so don't feel compelled to read the whole thing.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Xraymond

I’ve tried using bark and had the same results but felt like I was still over watering..

What you observed may not have been a watering issue at all.

As roots grow, they “tailor” themselves to function optimally in that environment. Once grown, they cannot change. Move them into a different medium, and they are immediately sub-optimal, and will start to fail. How rapidly that happens depends upon the magnitude of the difference.

That’s why it’s always best to repot just as new roots are emerging from the base of the plant.

[Acuminata]

Originally Posted by Xraymond

I’ve tried using bark and had the same results but felt like I was still over watering. I feel like now I can put a little at a time because the moss is going to soak it up and then add more when needed. But what would you suggest or what has worked best for you. I do see how people use a mixture of both bark and moss. I’m just trying to provide the best environment for my orchids.

adding just a little water at a time is a good way to accumulate too much salt/minerals(causes root death) as you never wash them out as you would when watering to the point of water running out the bottom,using a clear pot helps you to know when the medium needs water but you should try to learn how heavy the pot is when it is too dry/needs water or let it pass

[estación seca]

Watering sphagnum moss is different from watering bark. When the top of the moss becomes crisp, splash on a small amount of water, maybe one second under the water stream. The water diffuses throughout the moss but leaves plenty of air spaces.

Sphagnum should't be heavily watered to the point of becoming soggy except with orchids growing fast and taking up large amounts of water. Phals don't grow like that.

[Acuminata]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Watering sphagnum moss is different from watering bark. When the top of the moss becomes crisp, splash on a small amount of water, maybe one second under the water stream. The water diffuses throughout the moss but leaves plenty of air spaces.

Sphagnum should't be heavily watered to the point of becoming soggy except with orchids growing fast and taking up large amounts of water. Phals don't grow like that.

I grow mine in well perforated pots that allow a more even drying,grow like weeds for me,water thoroughly approx 1x/wk,the only ones I micro-dose w/ water are recent imports w/ few roots,crispy top moss is overdue for water in my growing situation

[Louis_W]

I'd look into Semi Hydroponic. It may work really well for a person like you (and me). It's a culture method invented by Ray. You can see explanations on how it works on this board and on rays website:

Semi-Hydroponics™ Basics › First Rays LLC

I use this method with great success. Also ray probably is a too classy to suggest you look at the products that he sells, including kelpak, but some helpful products mentioned on this thread are available there. Check it out!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Louis_W

Also ray probably is a too classy to suggest you look at the products that he sells, including kelpak, but some helpful products mentioned on this thread are available there. Check it out!

Thanks for the good word, but I’m sure there are several here that have gotten sick of hearing me express my enthusiasm for Kelpak!

[Louis_W]

No way! My plants are all doubling their number of leads and that's all you!

Don't you agree that SH would be a good solution to the problems we are discussing here? The only downside is that they would need to get repotted again and go through that ordeal

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Louis_W

Don't you agree that SH would be a good solution to the problems we are discussing here? The only downside is that they would need to get repotted again and go through that ordeal

As I have no idea of the specific needs of xraymond’s plants or the growing conditions, I cannot say whether semi-hydro culture would be good or not. I’ll use my own situation as an example:

Before (PA, warm greenhouse, very humid) - Every plant I owned that I later moved to NC with me was in S/H culture and thriving.

After (NC, hot, humid deck in summer/intermediate and drier windowsill in winter) - Paphs and Phrags are still doing great, and while phals did particularly well in summer, their root systems suffered in winter, so I moved the first to sphagnum (which required changing every six months), then later into a rock wool cubes/LECA blend.