Hi Olya
I'll give you my EXPERT advice lol Have never been able to grow them directly in the ground even in enriched beds. Last year i went to an 18 inch tub with a 50/50 mix of Coir /perlite. had spectacular results with both growth and flowering this spring. All the leaves are green WITHOUT dead areas as is usual in the past. I have found the large flowered hybrids MUCH more finicky than the small ones such as "grapette" I fear it may hold too much water with the rainy season.??
They are growing in full sun. I could look and see the hybrid name if interested but is a large flowered solid pink.
Worked well with rhe common epidendrums (radicans) in a trough. At least 3 times the flowers as those grown with other methods.
Going to try it with some Phaius ,Arundina and some of those giant epidendrums .
Many people say they are easy but not for me lol.
Hopefully others will chime in they can produce an incredible display when properly grown. One of the few orchids with attractive leaves and so reasonable in price lol gary

Thank you Gary. I have tried growing them in the ground and I too did not have much luck...
I think I will try your suggestion and will grow mine in big clay pots. They sure are pretty ....

I had Phaius in the ground and the first two years it grew well but then started slowing down significantly. I now grow all in sphagnum moss - it is a lot of moss though to grow them in!

I have good luck growing them in the ground under oak trees,as long as they get some sun shining on them at some time during the day.

Spathoglottis took a beating with cold this winter... frankly.. am not too upset... more room. They would likely do better if potted (slightly under potted with room for a full years growth)and then the pot is lowered in the ground to about 1 inch above soil level. They really need constant moisture, but not sopping wet as they get fungus problem really quick. All the ones I've seen in full sun look a bit stressed. If you can locate a partially shady spot, I think, they would do much better. Mulch them heavy to keep weeds down and moisture retention up.
Your media sound good Gary, its pretty much what they need, lotsa moisture and good drainage. BTW they are heavy feeders when in growth, I would certainly add some nutricote(dynamite) around each plant. I'll have to go through my survivors and put them in ICU...

Thanks for the advice. I have tried a myriad of different methods and none are perfect so far. I do have one growing under the oak, kinda doing OK, but not thriving by my standards.

The ones in pots definitely fair much better.

I use dynamite on all of my orchids, indiscriminately.

I grow cymbidiums in coconut husk mix very successfully and I think I will give Gary's method a try next!

Hi
Cheapest I've been able to locate is 3 bucks a brick
Then had to mail order from an orchid supply just north of me. Found some at a pet store (use it for animal bedding) 7 bucks a brick!!lol
If you find a good source for it would you share since I have to mail order anyway.?? thanks gary

Olya, please tell me more about growing Phaius in sphagnum moss.Right now I have mine in bromeliad medium: 1/3 peat, perlite,pine fines. Do you think the moss would hold too much water in the S Fla rainy season?

Gary, I thought you were the one who sent us to Lowes to buy the bricks. I remember buying 2 for seed starter material. Of course they're still sitting here.

Gary, thank you. I do not have any coir right now. I bought coconut husk from Tropical Plant Products, and that is what I use for cymbidiums

Coffeemom, I low sphagnum moss and grow phals in it, in clay pots. I think plastic pots might not work...
For Phaius, I have them in tall clay pots - with peanuts or medium size rocks on the bottom, for drainage, and the rest is just sphagnum moss..I believe phaius tankervilliae in particular likes moisture... they seem to have fat beautiful roots when in sphagnum moss.

Coffeemom
Wasn't me lol. I mostly use crushed lava rock for epiphytes especially orchids. I started using the Coir for winter forcing bulbs and for gesneriads. Just started into terrestrial orchids if you don't count the ones I murdered over the years lol This is the first year I've had any successs at all and thats the media I've used .
I've used sphagnum on Phaius which worked well for tankersville but so /so for those with P flava background they have red /yellow flowers rather than the bronze purple of tanks. Somebody posted pix of Phaius growing wild in N Australia and they were completely surrounded with water, area described as a seasonal swamp.
I tried growing them that way but got rot lol.
Oh well that's the fun of growing orchids always something new to try??? gary

Thanks Olya and Gary. I'm going to play around with one of the tankersville and see what happens.
Phaius growing wild????? Unbelievable.

BTW Lowes had the bricks with their seed displays...if they still have them.

Coir brick follow up post link below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Coir Bricks at Lowes