Just my 2 cents here. I'm a firm believer in Physan, but if I were growing
inside, I'd rather put up with the smell of bleach for a few days than the
smell of Physan. And even outside, we occasionally wash down the grow areas
with bleach. As far as copper based products are concerned, I wouldn't
categorize myself as a *tree hugger*, but I imagine that any of us who
ardently love orchids, or any other plants, have at least a modicum of
concern about the environment. Copper has its place, but it's one of those
elements that does not break down in the ground. From what I know, it pretty
much stays where it lands. Chemists, correct me if I am wrong. Also, if you
grow Dends, be very careful with it. Dends will drop their leaves if treated
with a copper based product.

Semi hydro works wonders for some of my plants. I often wonder why I haven't
bitten the bullet and gone for it on a wholesale basis.

Potting medium? Orchids are not as fussy as we think they are. But, you need
to adjust watering, etc., based upon the medium you choose. I have been
growing Catts and Dends in plain old river rock or pea stone using plastic
pots for about 5 years. No problem. But I tend to *underwater*, so I am
gradually going to Aliflor or Primagra (sp?). Our Phals are in Aliflor now,
for the most part. We got tired of root rot. The exceptions are small plants
which dry out faster; those get spaghnum. For the plants that I have in a
CHC mix, we need to take into account how much water that stuff wicks up - a
lot!

There are as many ways to pot an orchid as there are people who grow them.
Two recent speakers at our society meetings illustrate this. Jeff Adkins
(Adkins Orchids, Fort Lauderdale) did a demo on repotting Dends. He used CHC
'plugs'. I would hesitate to use them for Dends; too much water retention
during our rainy season. But he grows great plants, so who can argue, except
that he has a more controlled environment than we do? And Michael Sinn
(Canaima Orchids, Ellenton, FL) is an undisputed expert on Venezuelan Catt
species. I bought two plants from him, a mossiae and a leuddemanniana, and
both are in baskets with spaghnum. That won't work for my grow area, so
after they bloom I will repot them into something more suitable for us.

Hmph. I guess that was a dollar's worth, not 2 cents!

Diana