Potting Soil for Zygopetalum?
Login
User Name
Password   


Registration is FREE. Click to become a member of OrchidBoard community
(You're NOT logged in)

menu menu

Sponsor
Donate Now
and become
Forum Supporter.

Potting Soil for Zygopetalum?
Many perks!
<...more...>


Sponsor
 

Google


Fauna Top Sites
LOG IN/REGISTER TO CLOSE THIS ADVERTISEMENT
  #1  
Old 09-29-2023, 04:39 AM
Havoccity's Avatar
Havoccity Havoccity is offline
Member
 

Join Date: Sep 2022
Zone: 8b
Posts: 74
Potting Soil for Zygopetalum? Male
Default Potting Soil for Zygopetalum?

Would anyone here who has grown Zygopetalums in potting soil recommend doing so instead of in the usual bark/sphagnum mix? Asking because I saw MOG's video where she said her Zygos did much better when repotted in potting soil and I wanted a second opinion before trying it out myself.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 09-29-2023, 07:09 AM
Ray's Avatar
Ray Ray is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: May 2005
Member of:AOS
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 15,075
Potting Soil for Zygopetalum? Male
Default

"Potting soil" is too generic of a term to know if a particular one is appropriate.

Personally, I would not go that way.
__________________
Ray Barkalow, Orchid Iconoclast
FIRSTRAYS.COM
Try Kelpak - you won't be sorry!
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 2 Likes
Likes Roberta, SG in CR liked this post
  #3  
Old 09-29-2023, 11:21 AM
Roberta's Avatar
Roberta Roberta is online now
Super Moderator
 

Join Date: Jun 2008
Zone: 10a
Location: Coastal southern California, USA
Posts: 13,644
Potting Soil for Zygopetalum? Female
Default

Zygos like to stay damp (like Cymbidiums) but I sure wouldn't use anything like potting soil. Unless it has a very high sand content (very free draining) it's going to suffocate roots.
__________________
Orchids teach patience!

Roberta's Orchids (visit my back yard)

See what orchid species are blooming in Southern California(New page for OCTOBER 2024)
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-29-2023, 05:50 PM
Leafmite's Avatar
Leafmite Leafmite is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Sep 2010
Zone: 5b
Location: Ohio
Posts: 10,931
Potting Soil for Zygopetalum?
Default

I have grown them in potting soil mixed with perlite and pine bark and they did fine. I used a clear pot so I could observe the roots. The problem was that I had to use a pot that barely fit the roots and that meant frequently repotting (once they get going, they send out multiple new pseudobulbs, sometimes three times a year) and those roots crack easily. I am currently growing them in 1/4 inch lava rock and they seem to be doing well in that, too
__________________
I decorate in green!
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
Likes Roberta liked this post
  #5  
Old 09-29-2023, 07:33 PM
Keysguy Keysguy is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Lower Florida Keys
Posts: 1,278
Potting Soil for Zygopetalum? Male
Default

So, the real question that your question poses is....."I don't know. What's your culture regimen and growing conditions going to be that you can realistically supply"?

That answer will narrow down the possible potting substrates that would likely work but I agree with Ray, I doubt any of them would be "potting soil".
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
Likes Roberta liked this post
  #6  
Old 09-29-2023, 08:57 PM
KatieM KatieM is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Dec 2022
Zone: 9a
Location: Northeast Florida
Posts: 114
Potting Soil for Zygopetalum? Female
Default

I am zone 9a and grow all of mine outside. I was actually curious on this so I did experiment and I used the basic miracle grow green and yellow bag and I also used a very very fine oncidium type bark mix (seedling type mix). And lastly, I actually used a super fine cymbidium mix. As funny as it sounds and much to my surprise the one in the miracle grow actually bloomed the most and grew the best. They're all 3 the same type and in the same location. Doing that also allows me to not have to water very much. I do think doing anything heavier or more dense would definitely suffocate the roots. But as everyone says it's really about your environment as well. I personally would not put them in chunky bark. I get a lot of humidity and even here I don't think that would do very well. Take a look at repot me cymbidium mix that's kind of a nice in between. Best of luck!
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
Likes lambo1972 liked this post
  #7  
Old 09-30-2023, 02:38 PM
Keysguy Keysguy is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Lower Florida Keys
Posts: 1,278
Potting Soil for Zygopetalum? Male
Default

Mine are in a mix of fine bark, sponge rock and charcoal with a sprinkling throughout of sphagnum. (I'm talking maybe a half dozen pieces of sphag).

Seeing as you are in Canada, you could do it that way but I'd double the amount of sphagnum.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-02-2023, 02:15 AM
Havoccity's Avatar
Havoccity Havoccity is offline
Member
 

Join Date: Sep 2022
Zone: 8b
Posts: 74
Potting Soil for Zygopetalum? Male
Default

Thanks guys. I guess I'll stick to my usual bark-sphagnum mix for now. Maybe I'll try what Katie did sometime in the future, when my Louisendorf gets large enough to make a division.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-03-2023, 08:19 PM
Fairorchids's Avatar
Fairorchids Fairorchids is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2013
Zone: 7a
Location: North Plainfield, NJ
Posts: 2,817
Potting Soil for Zygopetalum? Male
Default

I have grown Zygos in spaghnum/bark mix (about 4:1 ratio), and they do fine.

I have also grown them in my Cymbidium mix, and they do just as well. My Cym mix changed about 3 years ago, since I can no longer get chunky peat (it should be available in Canada though).

Original recipe:
4 parts chunky peat
3 parts composted cow manure
1 part bark
1 part perlite

Now I use cedar mulch in place of the chunky peat. Works well, but I have to water more as it drains very rapidly.
__________________
Kim (Fair Orchids)

Founder of SPCOP (Society to Prevention of Cruelty to Orchid People), with the goal of barring the taxonomists from tinkering with established genera!

I am neither a 'lumper' nor a 'splitter', but I refuse to re-write millions of labels.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-09-2023, 08:35 PM
MateoinLosAngeles MateoinLosAngeles is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Oct 2022
Member of:AOS, OSSC
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 478
Default

Has anyone here tried to grow Zygos in full Kanuma? I have some with a bit of Kanuma added into the mix, and they seem to like it. It is acidic and inorganic, so I'm unsure about the longevity of the experiment, and I don't have "cheap" zygos to experiment with!
__________________
Add me on Instagram and let's chat orchids!
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
opinion, potting, repotted, soil, zygos


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Peresteria elata arrived in regular potting soil? Is that typical? ccole93 Beginner Discussion 4 04-17-2021 03:41 PM
Psychopsis in normal potting soil... Jeff214 Potting & Repotting 12 07-04-2015 02:02 AM
Can I use potting soil for Calanthe? Orchidreamer Potting & Repotting 2 10-28-2011 07:43 AM
African Violet potting soil for Pahps dannym4243 Cypripedium Alliance - Paphiopedilum 17 07-25-2011 06:40 PM
Coconuts for potting soil BURR Beginner Discussion 9 01-14-2008 04:50 PM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:23 PM.

© 2007 OrchidBoard.com
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.37 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Feedback Buttons provided by Advanced Post Thanks / Like (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.

Clubs vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.