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Old 19-11-2007, 04:26 AM posted to rec.gardens.orchids
BruceM BruceM is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Mar 2007
Posts: 53
Default Den and Cattleya growing medium and water

Kekei - I was speaking in general when I should not have. My
apologies



"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
Catts, I usually use a mix of small bark, perlite, lava rock and recently
I've been adding osmunda fibers. I use small bark because I don't water
as frequently as I should, so my medium is more closed than many people
would do.

I don't have much luck with dendrobiums. It'll be interesting to see what
people suggest.

I didn't know Catts would kekei....

K Barrett


"BruceM" wrote in message
...
In your personal experience, what is a good medium for Dendrobiums and
Cattleya's?

I have several new ones and a few older ones. The older ones were
repotted in Better Gro Phalaeonopsis mix, a general purpose mix of Fir
bark (about the size of a quaerter), hardwood charcoal, and a bark like
peat material . BG had several other mixes for orchids, the big
difference being no Peat in the others and one had a smaller bark chunks.


The cats seemt to do okay in it. They grow, new shoots, Several Kekei's ,
no flowers on any of the older ones (on one sI have had 1.5 years ). The
dendroibiums appear to hate it. Most of them sit there, a couple have new
growth. The Phal's go crazy in it. Looking at the books, it seems this
should be a okay mix, but experience is always better.

Also, for watering: In general do Cat's and Den's like more water than
Phal's? I water them on the same schedule, and some are oky, other show
signs of needing more water such as wrinkled new growth, shriveled
pseudobulbs, etc