...anyone?

I would use it for larger bulbs, but not for young seedlings. Ordered some too to try it out. PLUS my clivia will/should enjoy it.

I don't have experience with clivia, but do have a few papilio as well as crosses. My first thought with rot is too much water (especially if accompanied with lower temps). So, if you adjust the water you should be ok. Actually, almost any mix that drains well will work if the watering is adjusted. The mix shown (looks like my orchid mix) might require a lot more watering - which is great if you water often. My experience with papilio is that it likes to be pot bound and offsets and flowers easily when left undisturbed. Houston Pat has mounted many of his papilio in moss with incredible results while others have allowed their bulbs to multiply in pots for years also with incredible results. Why? Because the method of cultivation was optimal for the potting/mounting method used. I grow outside in a much warmer zone then you, but do have a lowering of temps in the winter, accompanied by a dry season, which works well for me and the hippeastrum. I do watch for rot if I get a lot of rain during the cooler temps. Hope some of this information helps.

I have hundreds of Papilio.Some are in our sandy soil mixed with compost. Some are in pots.The ones I've lost to rot have been from too much STANDING water.Papilio love water.They will thrive if watered every day,as long as the water does not stay on the bulb or the roots more than a very few minutes. The roots can tolerate moisture far better than the bulbs. Like other Hipeastrum, papilio can go without water for weeks without much harm.The mix I've used the past few years is layered.I put unrotted leaves in the bottom two inches. That keeps medium from falling out of the pots holes. Then I put about six inches of pure high nitrogen compost in..Then a mixture of soil, peat, compost and sand. I spread the roots out and pour pure perlite on them,to fill the pot . That leaves the bulb sitting in perlite. This prevents rot and some weeds.Papilio sends its roots to the surface when they are not getting enough oxygen. only rarely do I ever see the roots in the perlite,using this protocol.When it rains every day during the hottest part of summer,papilio is naturally dormant but forced to keep going,albiet at a slower pace. That is usually when Papilio will rot and/or send roots upward.

I did forget to mention that I leave the top 1/3 of the bulb above the medium.

I now planted my papilio into ordinary cocofibre and it seems to be okay. I tried such a gritty mix once and had problems estimating the correct amount of water. But now I got some mix from a nice lady of the local botanical gardens for my H. aulicum. I'm utterly amazed, it thrives in this stuff and pushes new leaves on a regular basis.

They plant all their bromeliads and other epiphytes in it. It contains mostly of bark, then some styrofoam, beech litter, coal and sphagnum moss. I think it would work well on papilio - but I rather use my good old cocofibre. There, I'm pretty confident with my watering schedule ;)

I like the mix and think it is likely excellent for clivia and probably some orchids. Am trying it out on a papilio too .. took a long time for the mix to soak up moisture. We shall see … keep us posted on your end too.

dave