This basic mix is from(and used by) our local Gesneriad chapter VP, Brian Connor. I am, however ,going to change a few ingredients:
1 hyrdated brick coco coir
8 Q coarse Perlite
8 Q small grade diatomite
1.5 Q coarse horticultural charcoal
5-6 TBSP dolomite lime
5 TBSP bone meal
2.5 TBSP Triple Phosphate
1/2 c green sand
3/4 c moo doo(cow manure) or bat guano
I am not going to use the coco coir or the diatomite when I buy these items for my batch. The coir is reported to hold salt and ruin your plants. Diatomite holds fertilizer salts and it is not easy to get it out- who wants that? So, to replace the coco coir, I will use Canadian Peat Moss and to replace the diatomite, I will use either Pumice or Pea gravel. (check out this site for unbelievable media that can be used for streps(and orchids, of course!): http://www.repotme.com/
Brian is going to bring me a small baggie of his mix to our AV club meeting next Monday. I'll try one strep in it and see how it goes.
Strep Wicking Mix- Going to try a couple of NOIDs in it
I love orchids so I am loving this new site.....thanks
If you can find something that grows streps thats wonderful. I've killed a lot of them, I just can't get the mix right. You are right about the coir, a lot of people lost plants using it, I would stay clear unless it has worked for you already. That is quite a laundry list of additives you posted! I wonder how many people acutally use all those ingredients in their mix?
tish
All I know is that back in the old days when I grew (talking about mid 70's to late 80's,about 14 years total),everyone had a zillion ingredients in their mix.Most included lime,bone meal,super phosphate,manure and many others.There were not too many complete mixes around,just Black Magic and a lot of people used Hyponex,which seems to be a very differnet product now.Everything had to be baked or sterilized in some way.
It is a lot different now.You can buy a sterile mix,add perlite,vermiculite,charcoal,etc,to make it lighter or richer depending on what you are growing.As a general rule Streps. like a lighter mix,especially if you are wicking or have a heavy watering hand.
I know lots of people use Coir,but I have not tried it yet,nor green sand.
I guess the trick is to find what works for you and your growing conditions.Through the years I have tried so many things....many more than are listed here,but not every Gessie responds to the same mixture.
Experiment....but not with every plant at once!!
Lynn
That is great idea and advice to only try a couple. Hate to say expendable, but.....well. If a plant doesn't do well in new growing medium, you can usually switch it back and it will recover unless its rotted.
I was growing houseplants in the 70's and I remember potting soils having more sandy, dirty, like mix, not so much peat like today...seemed more soil than soil-less i guess is what I mean. I was in my teens back then and had a couple plants in the window and some terraniums- sand art was big then! So I wasn't really into potting soil mixes. I actually didn't know about adding anything extra to the mix, not even perlite until 2000+, ha.
To learn where all the parts of the world and different growing conditions gesneriads grow in, its surprising we can grow so many as houseplants!
tish
Ok, so last weekend, I finally got around to potting my NOIDs in the mix I got from one of my AV club members, Brian. Here are some shots of one of them(with a bloom stalk forming!)
...
They all seem happy so far. If they do well for several more months, then I'll be convinced to try a handful of my named varieties in it.
I'm hoping someone will be able to help me ID these NOIDs at they bloom. Should be fun!!!
Shanika,
They look great!! What kind of mix did Brian suggest?
Our Strep. ID expert (Jim) is not here right now,but we will try and help.
Hi Lynn!!!
The mix is listed above in the first post. He gave me a large ziploc bag half full back in October. I'm just now getting around to using it!
DUH....Don't know why I didn't see the mix above LOL.