I'd been curious about this, too. My husband, who wants to try every new
thing around, ordered the smallest amount available last week, and since he
wasn't making any move toward using it, I put some seedlings that needed to
go up a pot size in it Sunday.

The mix is part rock (diatomite), some fiber of some kind, and what appears
to be soil. It was moist when I opened the package. It was easy to use --
not hard to get the medium around the roots, but I decided to use it for
plants I wasn't too emotionally attached to.

They included a DVD with our order which is mostly advertising, but also a
clip of the distributor speaking to a southern California Orchid Society.
He mentioned that the Hawaiian growers all liked diatomite and were using it
(but he didn't claim they were using his mix). At any rate, at our meeting
Monday night, our raffle plants were from H&H, and they were in diatomite
and were all beautiful plants. They were also either catt crosses of some
kind or dendrobiums. And, as usual, I didn't win any of them :(

My husband wanted to try it with Paphs or Phrags -- don't remember which. I
think I'll wait and see how my seedlings do -- it's only been a week. I'll
post any results, good or bad, if you're interested.

IMHO, it will have to be awfully good to out grow the media I got from Ray
for s-h. I've had very good luck with that.

Scottie
Texas Gulf Coast


"francis marion" wrote in message
news:61Nmd.418235$D%.212191@attbi_s51...
Anyone here heard of, it or used it?

Their web page http://www.aussie-gold.com/ sure makes it sound like the
greatest thing to happen to orchids since sliced bread.

Any opinions?

Thanks,
Francis Marion

I'd been curious about this, too. My husband, who wants to try every new
thing around, ordered the smallest amount available last week, and since he
wasn't making any move toward using it, I put some seedlings that needed to
go up a pot size in it Sunday.

The mix is part rock (diatomite), some fiber of some kind, and what appears
to be soil. It was moist when I opened the package. It was easy to use --
not hard to get the medium around the roots, but I decided to use it for
plants I wasn't too emotionally attached to.

They included a DVD with our order which is mostly advertising, but also a
clip of the distributor speaking to a southern California Orchid Society.
He mentioned that the Hawaiian growers all liked diatomite and were using it
(but he didn't claim they were using his mix). At any rate, at our meeting
Monday night, our raffle plants were from H&H, and they were in diatomite
and were all beautiful plants. They were also either catt crosses of some
kind or dendrobiums. And, as usual, I didn't win any of them :(

My husband wanted to try it with Paphs or Phrags -- don't remember which. I
think I'll wait and see how my seedlings do -- it's only been a week. I'll
post any results, good or bad, if you're interested.

IMHO, it will have to be awfully good to out grow the media I got from Ray
for s-h. I've had very good luck with that.

Scottie
Texas Gulf Coast


"francis marion" wrote in message
news:61Nmd.418235$D%.212191@attbi_s51...
Anyone here heard of, it or used it?

Their web page http://www.aussie-gold.com/ sure makes it sound like the
greatest thing to happen to orchids since sliced bread.

Any opinions?

Thanks,
Francis Marion

Scottie,

Be careful trying direct substitutes of media, as they work differently for
everyone.

For example, a lot of people swear by the H&R medium, and there is no
criticizing their plants, but under my growing conditions and watering
tendencies, it is not good at all. Any H&R stock I intend on keep rather
than selling right away, I repot, and not necessarily into PrimeAgra for S/H
culture, just out of the H&R blend.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
..
"Scottie" wrote in message
ink.net...
I'd been curious about this, too. My husband, who wants to try every new
thing around, ordered the smallest amount available last week, and since
he
wasn't making any move toward using it, I put some seedlings that needed
to
go up a pot size in it Sunday.

The mix is part rock (diatomite), some fiber of some kind, and what
appears
to be soil. It was moist when I opened the package. It was easy to
use --
not hard to get the medium around the roots, but I decided to use it for
plants I wasn't too emotionally attached to.

They included a DVD with our order which is mostly advertising, but also a
clip of the distributor speaking to a southern California Orchid Society.
He mentioned that the Hawaiian growers all liked diatomite and were using
it
(but he didn't claim they were using his mix). At any rate, at our
meeting
Monday night, our raffle plants were from H&H, and they were in diatomite
and were all beautiful plants. They were also either catt crosses of some
kind or dendrobiums. And, as usual, I didn't win any of them :(

My husband wanted to try it with Paphs or Phrags -- don't remember which.
I
think I'll wait and see how my seedlings do -- it's only been a week.
I'll
post any results, good or bad, if you're interested.

IMHO, it will have to be awfully good to out grow the media I got from Ray
for s-h. I've had very good luck with that.

Scottie
Texas Gulf Coast


"francis marion" wrote in message
news:61Nmd.418235$D%.212191@attbi_s51...
Anyone here heard of, it or used it?

Their web page http://www.aussie-gold.com/ sure makes it sound like the
greatest thing to happen to orchids since sliced bread.

Any opinions?

Thanks,
Francis Marion

Without meaning to criticise the product in any way, I live in Oz &
have never heard of it. Since I'm no expert, that doesn't have to
mean much. But the membership of our orchid society includes
professionals, & there has never been any mention of it when potting
media were discussed. That's not to say the pros haven't heard of it,
of course, but nobody has cited it as being the answer to everyone's
prayers. The most common discussions centre on the relative merits of
peat/perlite mixes vs various bark grades & mixes. Further north
where it's warmer, mineral media like quincan & even blue metal come
into use.
I would guess that diatomite would have a high calcium content which
would resist acidification of the medium - provided the diatomite
isn't too alkaline for the good of the plants in the beginning?

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 18:47:30 GMT, "francis marion"
wrote:

Anyone here heard of, it or used it?

Their web page http://www.aussie-gold.com/ sure makes it sound like the
greatest thing to happen to orchids since sliced bread.

Any opinions?

Thanks,
Francis Marion


Dave Gillingham
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To email me remove the .private from my email address.

Without meaning to criticise the product in any way, I live in Oz &
have never heard of it. Since I'm no expert, that doesn't have to
mean much. But the membership of our orchid society includes
professionals, & there has never been any mention of it when potting
media were discussed. That's not to say the pros haven't heard of it,
of course, but nobody has cited it as being the answer to everyone's
prayers. The most common discussions centre on the relative merits of
peat/perlite mixes vs various bark grades & mixes. Further north
where it's warmer, mineral media like quincan & even blue metal come
into use.
I would guess that diatomite would have a high calcium content which
would resist acidification of the medium - provided the diatomite
isn't too alkaline for the good of the plants in the beginning?

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004 18:47:30 GMT, "francis marion"
wrote:

Anyone here heard of, it or used it?

Their web page http://www.aussie-gold.com/ sure makes it sound like the
greatest thing to happen to orchids since sliced bread.

Any opinions?

Thanks,
Francis Marion


Dave Gillingham
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To email me remove the .private from my email address.

Scottie wrote:
My husband wanted to try it with Paphs or Phrags -- don't remember which. I
think I'll wait and see how my seedlings do -- it's only been a week. I'll
post any results, good or bad, if you're interested.

FWIW, Antec grows their Phrags in diatomite, and diatomite is part of
there CHC mix for Paphs.

--Matt

Scottie wrote:
My husband wanted to try it with Paphs or Phrags -- don't remember which. I
think I'll wait and see how my seedlings do -- it's only been a week. I'll
post any results, good or bad, if you're interested.

FWIW, Antec grows their Phrags in diatomite, and diatomite is part of
there CHC mix for Paphs.

--Matt

And it loks like Paphanatics is growing their paphs in it too. Makes a mess
when you dump one of their plants over.

K Barrett

"Matthew Donadio" wrote in message
...
Scottie wrote:
My husband wanted to try it with Paphs or Phrags -- don't remember
which. I
think I'll wait and see how my seedlings do -- it's only been a week.
I'll
post any results, good or bad, if you're interested.

FWIW, Antec grows their Phrags in diatomite, and diatomite is part of
there CHC mix for Paphs.

--Matt

tbirdracing wrote:



I've been using Aussie Gold Orchid Mix for just over a year, and can
report wonderful results here in Southern California. There's some
interesting chat on gardenweb.com about it too. I'm not sure if it's
available outside the US but it's been available here for a while (in
fact it's made in San Diego). My orchids have never looked better -
great roots, new growths all over the place and this year I had the
best blooms I have ever had. They seemed to last longer too, but that
may have been my imagination!
Elizabeth




I have a bag which I haven't opened yet. Somebody bought a bunch
and was giving them away at cost. My only observations so far. 1)
Expensive!!! You don't get a lot. I can't imagine anybody with more
than a dozen plants being able to afford to grow everything in it. And
heavy, so unless you can pick it up locally it is going to cost a
fortune to ship. 2) it looks like a pretty standard peat based mix with
some rock (diatomite?) and other stuff thrown in. Again, I haven't used
it this particular one yet, but I have used a lot of peat mixes. A
friend and I wrote an article in Orchids (back before it was Orchids...)
about peat mixes. I think that was in 1996? Plus or minus a couple years.

Not knocking Aussie Gold, but unless the price comes way down, I'd
recommend making your own peat mix. Or buying bales of Promix HP. The
newest 'peat' mix on the block is a Scotts product which is based on
coir (coconut) fiber, not peat (perhaps this Aussie stuff uses coir
too?). Dick Wells (Hilltop) swears by this stuff, and he is the guy who
started me growing in Promix. Of course Dick adds a bunch of stuff to
it. I can send the recipe if anybody is interested.

Of course in any peat mix you will see a huge improvement in your
phalaenopsis blooming and growth. Until you kill the plants by
overwatering them... It is a bit of a learning curve. Easy on the
front side (plants take off quickly), hard on the back side (plants die
quickly after about a year, if you haven't figured out the watering
routine yet). And peat mixes work best in areas of the country where
you don't have cold winters (unless you grow under lights, where it
doesn't matter), since they can stay awfully wet in the dark dreary
Michigan snowmobile season.

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )

tbirdracing wrote:



I've been using Aussie Gold Orchid Mix for just over a year, and can
report wonderful results here in Southern California. There's some
interesting chat on gardenweb.com about it too. I'm not sure if it's
available outside the US but it's been available here for a while (in
fact it's made in San Diego). My orchids have never looked better -
great roots, new growths all over the place and this year I had the
best blooms I have ever had. They seemed to last longer too, but that
may have been my imagination!
Elizabeth




I have a bag which I haven't opened yet. Somebody bought a bunch
and was giving them away at cost. My only observations so far. 1)
Expensive!!! You don't get a lot. I can't imagine anybody with more
than a dozen plants being able to afford to grow everything in it. And
heavy, so unless you can pick it up locally it is going to cost a
fortune to ship. 2) it looks like a pretty standard peat based mix with
some rock (diatomite?) and other stuff thrown in. Again, I haven't used
it this particular one yet, but I have used a lot of peat mixes. A
friend and I wrote an article in Orchids (back before it was Orchids...)
about peat mixes. I think that was in 1996? Plus or minus a couple years.

Not knocking Aussie Gold, but unless the price comes way down, I'd
recommend making your own peat mix. Or buying bales of Promix HP. The
newest 'peat' mix on the block is a Scotts product which is based on
coir (coconut) fiber, not peat (perhaps this Aussie stuff uses coir
too?). Dick Wells (Hilltop) swears by this stuff, and he is the guy who
started me growing in Promix. Of course Dick adds a bunch of stuff to
it. I can send the recipe if anybody is interested.

Of course in any peat mix you will see a huge improvement in your
phalaenopsis blooming and growth. Until you kill the plants by
overwatering them... It is a bit of a learning curve. Easy on the
front side (plants take off quickly), hard on the back side (plants die
quickly after about a year, if you haven't figured out the watering
routine yet). And peat mixes work best in areas of the country where
you don't have cold winters (unless you grow under lights, where it
doesn't matter), since they can stay awfully wet in the dark dreary
Michigan snowmobile season.

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )

Hi,
This new mix works like a charm!!!! IT REALLY DOES WORK!!! All of my orchids that I've repotted have new shoots within 2 weeks and buds within 1 month.

I'm so convinced.....I became a dealer for Aussie Gold! What's great about this mix is that it is already made for you. There's no need to go running around or waiting for your different components to your mix to arrive.

For those who wait, you'll not win any ribbons at the orchid shows!!!

WOW !!!!

Steve
MN, USA

Claims like this obviously come from inexperienced growers or salesmen. The
majority of orchids won't put out new growth within two weeks because you
put it into the newest "wonder mix". If I repotted my entire very mixed
collection of orchids at any particular time, 90% of the plants wouldn't put
out new growth in two weeks regardless of what I potted them in.

-danny

"in5years" wrote in message
news:1102402915.12f5a2e3db31bac798fe4c7d40dac43e@t eranews...

Hi,
This new mix works like a charm!!!! IT REALLY DOES WORK!!! All of my
orchids that I've repotted have new shoots within 2 weeks and buds
within 1 month.

I'm so convinced.....I became a dealer for Aussie Gold! What's great
about this mix is that it is already made for you. There's no need to
go running around or waiting for your different components to your mix
to arrive.

For those who wait, you'll not win any ribbons at the orchid shows!!!

WOW !!!!

Steve
MN, USA

francis marion Wrote:
Anyone here heard of, it or used it?

Their web page http://www.aussie-gold.com/ sure makes it sound like
the
greatest thing to happen to orchids since sliced bread.

Any opinions?

Thanks,
Francis Marion


--
in5years

in5years wrote:
......................................
I'm so convinced.....I became a dealer for Aussie Gold!...............


So that basically makes your post an advertisement and there is no
reason to believe what you claim because you have a biased interest in
the product.

Steve

Hi,

No advertising here.........just expressing my opinion on how I was truely impressed with the product. Don't assume. Ignorance is bad for the soul.

All the best with you and your orchid growing!
Its a passion that SWEEPS you off your feet!

Happy Holidays to you!
Steve

Hi,

Just ask a few well known nurseries such as H&R Nurseries out of Hawaii. They use Diatomite with their orchids. Many nurseries do.

Just think that a nursery in San Diego was quoted as saying, " Why should my customers make their orchids live longer. I want the orchids to die so they can buy more orchids!"

Think about it.......most nurseries out in the world are out to make cash and then conservation.

*****All I can say is do your own research on anything you care to be interested in. The internet has all of the resources! Don't believe what other people say..........Trust what your gut and head say!!!!!

Happy growing!
Steve