[THOUTHCAW]

Can you post which s/h medium you like and maybe
why?

Any you don't like, or outright hate? Why?


Sunshine

[kathy]

Lava pebbles (NOT lava stone, huge size difference) are doing great by our Phals- very cheap, but needs a couple rinses to lower TDS. As is Hygrostone (only a couple month's trial tho)- cost effective and low TDS. Hygrostone retains moisture longer than lava pebbles. Haven't tried the others because the cost to pot our chunky collection in it would be a fistfull of car payments. If we had a hobby-size collection, I'd try other LECAs for sure. I stand by my previous statement that you can MAKE anything work if you try hard enough and/or throw enough money and time at the situation. Watering deeply is crucial to success with s-h. Don't just fill up to the holes in your containers.

-Ernie

[PlanTaleks]

Hydroton because I can find it locally, so no shipping charges

[ådrrraj]

I use a variety of leca style products and have to agree with Ernie that flooding the pots is a key procedure when working with stone based media. Ernie, wher do you purchase your lava pebbles in the Chicago area?

[kathy]

Quote:

[Gudronich]

Welcome from NYC! This thread will surely cause trouble!
I, personally, don't like any one "S/H" media. In nature you don't often find plants growing on any 1 media, I don't recommend it for long term growth.

[THOUTHCAW]

One thing I use that may not be considered by most as s/h
is top grade sphagnum.

I put it in the clay orchid pots that have holes for phals and
many of my rare ferns.

These pots are displayed and when the medium is dry(ing)
I put a saucer of water underneath until it is as moist as
I need it. Works great and the plants love it!

[Gudronich]

Yes, that would work well w/ a modest collection but....

[evammaUselp]

Quote:

[Smeaphvalialm]

I have a mixture of PA and Hydroton.....
When I repot anything I always clean the used medium and dump it all into a Rubbermaid tub. They all get mixed with one another, Thats OK with me, and the Phrags don't mind one bit. My phrags especially grow like crazy in P/A, so much so that sometimes they need moving into a larger pot. I have been doing this for about 4 years.

I have most of my plants in S/H, Catts, Oncidium, Zygo, Phychopsis, Paphs. I find it takes a little bit of adjusting my watering habit for paphs. They are not as thirsty as phrags. With many of the smaller pot, I just move the whole plant and medium into a larger pot. The roots do not get disturbed.

I have just a few plants in bark mix, all my vanda are bare root.

Marilyn

[xpllmr]

Hi, Sunshine, and welcome to the forum.

I agree with Rose's question. I'm not fond of sphagnum for a couple of reasons. It does seem to break down faster than some media, and when it dries out, its very hard to rewet. I find it hard to control the right degree of wetness.

I like diatomite chips a lot. They absorb a lot of water, don't break down, and let the roots breathe.

[THOUTHCAW]

Thank you all for your kind welcome!

I use a couple of types of the LECA and I don't really
have a preference. I have heard that it could really
matter - but I just haven't experienced it.

Some of mine is still separate, some is mixed together.
Again, I can't see a difference. I guess one is really not a
better product than another.

I use it to root Hoyas and let them grow on until they
out grow the container. I had one that didn't seem to like
it much.

I learned from Cal Lemke (Plant of the week) that any medium
that does not contain loam is nothing more than a type of
hydroponics because the media cannot hold nutrients.