You've already identified the problem with gravel - it doesn't hold water.
If you can keep up with the watering schedule, it should be fine.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info!


"Mark_OK" wrote in message
.. .
"Duncan" wrote in message
news:uUZ2j.58789$PE.45178@pd7urf1no...
The hydro pellets are superior in almost everyway. Unfortunantly they
are relativly expensive. Something else that no one mentioned is that
volcanic rock is often high in flourine.




My collection got upended by a tree falling on my shade house this spring
and scattering my precious LECA medium all over the yard. Some of the
plants I repotted I put in river gravel - it was about the same size as
the LECA - just to see how they would do. I know it won't wick but I sure
can't over water them! Everything thrived through the summer, maybe
because our yearly rainfall was double what we normally have here in
Oklahoma. When I brought the plants in for the winter almost all the
plants in bark medium had to be repotted due to the deterioration of the
medium. Excess rain again? So I'm trying to get away from bark medium. I
like the gravel but it makes the pots heavy. I've thought of adding sponge
rock to lighten them up a little. I've seen orchids in volcanic rock but
all I have found around here is the landscape variety that is way to large
and I don't think I can break them up into smaller pieces easily.

Anybody use gravel? Are there long range problems with it?



"BruceM" wrote in message
news
. Are there any advantages to Volcanic rock, other than it is cheap and
plentifull in Hwaii.

Cheap and plentiful - that's the ticket! Leaves more money to buy plants.

Mark