Growing orchids can be an easy task, especially if you only have the right orchid potting mix. That is the beauty of using a potting medium, the ability to change with the environment within which you are placed. You, therefore, does not have to sit tight for a garden to grow your beautiful babies.
Today we will learn about the great orchid potting mixes that posses great levels of air circulation and moisture, lots of drainage and much more. You also have an option of using a mix of your potting mix.Here are the best orchid potting mixes that can work marvels on you.
1. All-Natural Orchid Potting Mix
- ???? ALL PURPOSE MIX — Made with Charcoal, Sponge Rock, Pine...
- ???? ROOTS CAN CLIMB — Orchid Roots love to climb and expand,...
- ???? AERATION — Mix does not compact or suffocate orchid roots
- ???? DRAINAGE — Orchids do not require frequent waterings but...
- ???? HEAVY DUTY, RE-SEALABLE BAG — Perfect for storage or later...
This best orchid potting mix from Perfect Plants contains pine bark, sponge rock, charcoal, coconut chips and more which are all natural. This mixture will ensure that your plants get the delicate environment they require in order to grow. With this type of orchid potting mix, your orchids will grow fast and healthy as the roots develop and becomes firmly established.
The sponge rock is very light and absorbs while preventing your plants from being exposed to any wrong pH level. The charcoal element eliminates impurities which in the mix and removes bacteria from roots. The Coconut chips provides aeration and facilitate root growth of the orchid. Coconut chips, for example, do not break as easily as other chips.
Pine bark is some of the most important component in the orchid mix as it holds a lot of nutrients for the orchids. These nutrients are then readily available to the root of the orchid plants dropped on the potting medium. Moreover, their individuality consists in the fact that pine barks are a source of essential nutrients for the orchids.
That is why All-Natural Orchid Potting Mix by Perfect Plant is so loved by buyers. It is formulated for all color and types of Phalaenopsis and comes with all the nutrients mentioned above hand mixed in portions. If you don’t know which mix to begin with you can start with this one.
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2. Sun Bulb 50000 Better Gro Special Orchid Mix
- Multi purpose potting mixture for growing Cattleyas,...
- A Dynamic combination of western fir bark, hardwood charcoal and...
- Promotes healthy, strong growth by providing superior drainage,...
- Contains 4 quarts
This best orchid potting mix contains hardwood charcoal, western fir bark, sponge rock among others. This is a universal mix that is suitable for any epiphytic orchid and you can use when you are an amateur gardener or commercial grower.
These amazing orchid potting mixes are from a team of highly skilled orchid growers. This mixture in give you healthy and long lived orchids in your potting medium, according to cattelegory. In bathing, nutrition, drainage, and retained moisture in the work plane have been put into account in doing this masterpiece.
The perlite and charcoal make up for the drainage benefits that your roots will experience. One limitation of using this mix is that the large particles make this mix unadvisable for young orchids. But in general, for every mature orchids that you plan on repotting, this will be the perfect mix.
Do not let this mix sit with too much water so as not to end up with mold on the potting media. This mix can also be used on other succulents You can also add other species to the fertiliser mix for other succulents.
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3. SuperMoss Orchid Sphagnum Moss Dried
- Long-lasting Preserved Moss!
- Holds 10x its weight in water and can be used to amend tropical...
- Washed and Cleaned to Remove Dust and Small Particles
- Ideal for planting orchids and succulents!
- 5 Star Quality - Long Fibers
When it comes to orchid care, you want to get the best for your plants. You want your babies to feel like they are in their natural habitat. When it comes to the mix you need one that holds moisture or one with optimum nutrient content for your orchids, you always need the best.
This SuperMoss Orchid Sphagnum Moss provides your orchids superior quality treatment. The long fibre moss is what we would recommend as this contributes greatly to water retention of your potting mixes. Apart from the fir bark this potting mix has all that is good and on top of it can hold water 18 times its own weight.
You may use a soil conditioner for epiphytic and phalaenopsis orchids before applying the following potting mix. If you and your plants are used to hanging baskets for a window as well as house plants, this mix is for you. You can safely place it in your potting mix and be guaranteed of positive outcome.
Orchid growers will learn to appreciate that the Sphagnum provides water to your plants when they require it. They can also absorb as much water as they require and nutrients in the orchid potting media. It is also possible to decide to use this mix as a good soil condition or as the top dressing.
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4. rePotme Phalaenopsis Orchid Potting Mixes
- ✔ Comes in a High-Quality Resealable Pouch for Future Use – 2...
- ???? Excellent Phalaenopsis Orchid Mix - Drains Well, Protecting...
- ???? Made Fresh Every Day in Small Handcrafted Batches from the...
- ???? Makes a Perfect Gift for the Orchid Grower in Your Life
- ???? A Brand You Can Trust. Our Mixes are Used by Some of the...
This Moth orchid is also known as Phalaenopsis and is one of the most common orchids. Using this mix in your potting medium can advantageously be done if you have this type of plants. These types of orchids are among those that are easiest to cultivate on your own at home. It is a favorable mix for anyone who is beginning as a grower or choosing to be part of the club of orchid enthusiasts.
One thing about these orchids is that they have to be wet. Hence, a potting mix that is right is porous and it can therefore absorb water. However, it shouldn't be wet. This specific potting mix has more ‘weight’ to it than most of the other potting mix on this list because of the Orchiata Monterey bark.
While fir bark is a wonderful addition, this potting mix contains the extra moss because this is what is well-tolerated by this type of orchid. This material is of good quality, fluffy, and is used in these mixes interlaced with the Orchiata bark to provide right drainage and aeration.
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5. Doter Orchid Potting Mix
- 【Organic Material All Natural】-- All of orchid mixes are...
- 【Long-Lasting and Ventilated】-- Mixing large and small grains...
- 【Suitable for Multiple Types of Orchids】-- Cattleyas,...
- 【Good Balance of Drainage and Water Retention 】-- Orchid Bark...
- 【Buy with Confidence】 -- We value our products and customer...
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What Are the Best Potting Mix Materials For Phalaenopsis Orchids?
Although many orchids don't need any special requirements, tropical orchids require some special treatment like more aeration to the roots. So first, Let look at few potting mixes like tree fern and charcoal that are suitable for growing cymbidiums and paphiopedilum.
Some of the most important ingredients for your orchids growth and vigor are tree fern, perlite, fire bark, coconut husk, sphagnum moss, charcoal and coal.
1. New Zeland sphagnum Moss
If you have orchids that are used to drying up, the Sphagnum moss is for you. For instance, the moth orchid is now known to require more moisture than any of the others. Therefore, getting a mix with this material will be good for you.
Make sure however that you do not apply this material in orchids that are not happy with an acidic ph. However, most of the orchid varieties do very well in this moss that is incorporated into other growing media. This material can be also applied for topping of different staking mixes.
2. Coconut Husk
If your orchids require extra moisture, this material is essential to have in your own potting mix. Coconut husks cold water for a long time and thus offer excellent aeration to the roots of the plants. Of these, it is important to make a note that you should first rinse the husks in water to remove any salts they contain.
The disadvantage of using the coconut husks is that they cannot be used for water drainage. Place them at the lowest layer to your mixture and blend them with another material that has excellent drainage. Some of the compounds you can mix it with includes pebbles and packing peanuts, among others.
3. Fire Bark
We've mentioned fire bark a lot while looking at our products above. This is because it is present in many potting mixes all over the world. Nevertheless, if you have orchids that require plenty of moisture, you should use pine bark chips.
The advantages are that they facilitate proper aeration of the roots. The other benefit of fire bark is that water drains well through it. This is some drainage that enables your orchids to grow even faster and you don’t have to repot over and over again.
4. Charcoal
Charcoal has a very long life and is 100% organic. The disadvantage of using it is that is not have that ability of holding water. However, it means that you can combine it with other materials to avoid this issue. When it is a major element, the mix becomes great for outdoor growing.
In this case, therefore, if you reside in a region that experiences high humidity then charcoal is best for you. It is available in a fine grind, a medium grind, and large chunks. You can also maintain the pH by adding some charcoal tobring the pH to your desired level. It eliminates unwanted elements leaving behind the nutrients likely to benefit your orchids.
5. Cinder
Cinder is great for the growth of your plant's roots. Course cinder is most often used as the primary substrate and may be supplemented with other products for example coconut husk chips and lava rock.
6. Perlite
If you have orchids that love water, use perlite as a material. The best orchid potting mix has perlite has major water retention. To its credit perlite only gets one aspect right and that is water retention. So it is advisable that you balance them with other materials in order to achieve a balanced mix.
7. Lava Rocks
If your goal is to get proper drainage, get the best orchid potting mix with lava rocks. This material helps to avoid root rot and maintains a healthy condition of your fresh mix. You will not have to worry about root decay. The downside of them being that they can be cumbersome and only holds fairly little water.
And depending with what you want, you’ll get them in different sizes. If you are preparing your own mix, you might as well buy the large ones for they contain larger voids. Another cool feature of this rock is that it becomes cooler as the environment cooling process is going on.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Should orchid roots be exposed?
Yes. It would help if you do not overcrowd the plants to the point of forcefully covering their roots for this may result to root rot. Air exchange is very important for orchid root system. Further, some crown thickness may be wiry and should not be trimmed off as this causes harm to the plant.
2. What does an overwatered orchid look like?
If the orchid has been overwatered, its petals will be soft and the color of the leaves will be wilted. If you observe that the leaves of your orchids are sloppy then perhaps your orchid is suffering from root rot.
Conclusion
Growing healthy orchids easily is related to the use of best orchid potting mix needed to manage the orchid plants. They are very specific plants that need proper drainage, good aeration of the media and adequate moisture level. Selecting the appropriate potting mix can go along way towards meeting these needs and encourage growth. Furthermore, for people who want to buy orchids, there are numerous options to order orchids online, where you can get many kinds of orchids delivered conveniently.
