Ok thanks for the info. Right now I have a mix from repotme.com that is mostly bark and a little bit of moss and I am having to water more. Kind of annoying. My orchids are inside my home with low humidity. Maybe won't be the best for my environment.

I have had the same experience as Shelia. Another thing to consider is how often do you need to repot due the plant growth. A big selling point for Orchiata is that it is slow to break down, which it true. I found that I needed to repot due to increased plant size too frequently to really get a good return on the Orchiata cost. So the regular bark was a better choice from a cost perspective .

I have the same issues with Orchiata mixes. Not generally recommend, but I will put the pot in a clear plastic saucer and let it sit in a little water for 1/2 day or so when the mix behaves this way. Be careful though, it can be a good way to rot roots if left too long or the media is already wet.

YMMV,

Bob

I have it. All grades of orchiata bark. I like it but I always mix it with sphag. And I add sphag dressing on the top. I agree though, bark need a little bit more water while fresh and new.

I agree with all of the above and I live in a very humid environment (Florida). Very hard to get it to hold moisture. I also mix with some sphag but as Darlene stated, my plants outgrow the media in a year and I don't feel the cost justifies using it any more.

I have many large bags and will use it up. I will then revert back to medium fir bark which has worked well for me over 20 years.

Jane

I was checking my Enc Nursery Rhyme this a.m. when I noticed once again how much this particular plant loves orchiata! For my climate, it seems like the best choices for orchiata are plants that need to grow with complete drying out before being re-watered. I love seeing those roots and when the plant is watered those roots turn a beautiful green!

You are right, Sheila. My Encylias like growing in wood baskets. They like to dry out.

Jane

ok so if your plant is outgrowing the medium, isnt that a positive? then obviously its thriving and happy so why would this not be cost effective? cant you just pot it up? if the medium lasts five years before breaking down, why would this deter you from

purchasing it again? im so confused about these replies

edit: i have phals and im considering purchasing orchiata bark

excuse the lack of punctuation for whatever reason this platform doesn’t allow auto correct from my iphone