Experiment - Has anyone tried growing Adeniums in orchid bark?

6 years ago

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone has experience with growing Adeniums in orchid mix or a combination of such. This last Summer (now Autumn here in Oz) I decided to experiment with growing one of my Adeniums in a mix of about (60% cymbidium orchid mix and 40% cacti/succulent mix + a small amount of perlite) to see what it was like.

Our Spring/Summer was very hot with lots of heatwave conditions and we were having to water almost every day. Our plants were repotted twice through the growing season (September & January) as they had filled their pots with roots and were running out of nutrients in their usual mix. (Plants were bare rooted and then repotted) During the second repot I selected one to try the orchid mix combo.

This is what I observed at the end of the growing season - all plants flowered well and growth was about the same....but, the one in the orchid mix combo appeared healthier. Leaves were a beautiful rich, lush green. The plant had previously had a couple of smaller lower branches that had stopped growing and these had now grown well and had balanced the overall look of the plant. I also decided at the end of our growing season, to carefully lift the plants out of their pots to check on root growth to compare. The one’s in my usual succulent/cacti mix had filled their pots again with roots, but the soil mix was looking tired. The adenium in the orchid mix combo had also filled its pot with roots, but the roots were not as cramped looking as the others in the usual mix. The orchid mix combo still looked like it had plenty of nutrients left.

A couple of other observations - now that our weather has gone cold, I’ve noticed that the one in the orchid mix combo has been one of the last ones to start entering dormancy (eg: leaves turning yellow)

Also, when watering during Summer, the orchid mix stays damp (not wet) for a day or two longer then the other mix....but, I also noticed that after heavy rains the orchid mix felt evenly damp whereas the normal succulent mix felt quite wet. Both mixes still dried out well afterwards in the sun. (The orchid mix just seems like a lighter airier mix.) All plants have been healthy with no pest problems.

Has anyone else on the forum tried growing Adeniums in orchid mix and what was your observations - good or bad?

Featured Answer

jedobaTX9b

6 years ago

My mix is probably 60% potting soil, and 40% orchid bark mix. I live right on the coast and have very high humidity, but plants dry very quickly. I water daily and still have my pots in trays to hold extra water.

I grow under lights in the winter, so I have no problems with needing the mix to dry out. I usually get three bloom cycles per year on Obesum.

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Comments (8)

paradiseprincess51
6 years ago
Haven't tried this potting mix but sure does seem like an interesting way to go.. Did you pre-soak your orchid bark to soften it and remove harmful chemicals before combining it with your other mix components ( this is done before potting orchids).. Got lots of seedlings to experiment with so I might try this as well.. Thanks for sharing with us.
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Agartta
6 years ago
Rachel - I think I tried but then I forgot what pot it was lol. I did find it to dry slower, not good for winter if keeps pot wet longer.
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Original Author
6 years ago
Paradise princess, there is no need to pre-soak this orchid bark. This mix was purchased from a specialist orchid nursery near me, that makes their own mixes. The “Cymbidium” orchid mix is pre-treated to remove harmful elements while leaving within the bark structure traces of beneficial nutrients that the plant can take up as needed. It’s a very nice mix.

With my Summer heat, and constant watering, the succulent/cacti mix just doesn’t last the season anymore without an extra repot mid season. Hence my reason for experimenting with something new....For those with long hot Summers, this orchid mix combo, could be an alternative.

Agartta, this mix only stays damp 1 or 2 days longer then my usual mix....but I’d like to stress the word “damp” not wet. When I water, it drains well while holding moisture in the bark that is available to the plants roots as needed.

It will be interesting to see how it goes this Winter, but I’m not too concerned. I am going to try this mix again next Spring with another plant and on a couple of 12mth old seedlings as well so I can compare the difference. Will be interesting to see how the different seedlings perform.
Peter Newcastle Aust spider mite breeder
6 years ago
Great experiment please keep us posted
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User
Original Author
6 years ago
Jedoba, thanks for the input. Our Spring/Summer is always hot here with high humidity. My regular succulent mix dries out too quick, and with watering almost every day, the nutrients in the succulent mix are wasted by being washed away. Can I ask, have you been using your orchid combo mix for long and do you find that your plants seem healthier/better compared to other mixes???
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jedobaTX9b
6 years ago
I have used this mix since I started growing Adenium. I'm sorry, but I really don't have a reference to compare to. I could post some plants with the date they were planted if that would help.
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User
Original Author
6 years ago
Sure why not. I’d love to see photos of your plants. :)
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