and I am sure I will find it even more interesting as I read and re-read. It is about what goes on with water in our pots....http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/527353/
VERY Interesting article
Carol, you need to put a space in front of the http I think. It's not linking. Anyway, yes, I go back to this article periodically to read his great info. It continues, though why this part wasn't made into a sticky I don't know: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/719569/
AH, Stella, thanks so much!!!
Carol, that is very timely. I had potted up some rooted cuttings this week and tried a different potting soil component in my mix (1/3 potting mix, 1/3 large perlite, 1/3 fine orchid bark). The new soil was very soft and fine, but with chunks of perlite already included, which I thought would help the drainage. After reading the post you linked to I got to wondering if the difference in particle sizes would obstruct drainage as the fine particles packed in around the larger perlite and bark chunks. I unpotted all of the newly rooted cuttings and sure enough they were all sopping wet despite having been watered three days ago.
I repotted them all in 1/2 large perlite and and 1/2 fine fir bark, and I guess I will just have to bite the bullet and water more often as they grow larger and their roots fill the pot.
I would rather have a fast draining mix and water more often. I do the perlite, orchid bark, potting soil mix, but the type of potting soil is very important - too fine or peaty and forget it. I also use mostly perlite and orchid bark, with the potting soil being the smallest percentage.
Really interesting. Mark I switched to that formula as well, and indeed the watering chore does double. I have found that if you let the pots/plants soak in a watering tray for about 10 minutes it rehydrates the bark and you can actually skip a couple days in between waterings. Of course the smaller pots almost need it everyday. The roots seem to stay alot healthier for me and I have been getting alot more peduncles on my plants.
That was a very interesting discussion on soil for plants. I am gradually trying to work towards lighter mixes for my Hoyas after reading about how the most advanced growers pot them up around here. I find that it is a difficult transition, because when you have been growing plants one way for 30 years, and you have done extremely well with a particular method, it is hard to change. My biggest problem in moving from peat based soilless mixes like promix to mostly perlite and bark is that it is difficult for me to tell when to water. With the peat based mixes, just the weight of the pot or a touch with my finger, and I know it is time to water. I have not developed that sense with the much lighter mixes.
I know these light bark mixes work well though. I just bought a gorgeous Hoya macgillivrayi from a vendor on ebay, and when I looked at the mix that thing was in I was shocked. It looked like mostly bark with very large perlite combined with some kind of 1/2" clay balls that they use for growing orchids. The plant was huge, arrived in perfect condition and had been in a tiny 4 inch pot. Anyhow, I am definitely moving in the direction of barked based mixes, but it will not happen overnight.
Tami, that's good to hear. I dread watering anything everyday, though, except for cuttings. It does make sense that Hoyas would like this lighter mix, which must be much more like the leaf litter they grow in naturally in tree crotches than regular potting soil is.
Here is another interesting article on soil mixes: http://www.msu.edu/user/harveyb/mud.htm It talks about Orchids, but I think a lot of it would also be applicable to Hoyas as well. I don't think I'm going to give up totally on my peat-based-mixes just yet.
That MSU article is great....and that is the fertilizer I have been using now for about 6 months....I love it!!!
If I had a place where I could buy those clay aggregate pellets other than online, I would have them mixed in with my hoya mix right now. Great stuff, never breaks down, you can use them again and again....and they definately keep the soil in the root area from packing down and suffocating the roots.
One use for old clay pots: hammer them into chips to mix with your soil. Use heavy gloves, tho!.
Wow, the article reproduces on the MSU site is exactly the opposite of what people seem to be doing these days. I've heard so much peat bashing as of late! Somehow, I can't picture orchid growers lining up to transplant their epiphytic plants into potting soil, or "mud" as the author calls it.
I do like those clay balls. I wonder do they make a finer grade with irregular shapes, like a clay version of perlite? Might hold a little more water, reducing watering frequency if you were to use them as a planting medium but not strictly in a hydroponic sense, if you get my drift.
Before I mix in my fine orchid bark into my mix, I soak it for a couple of hours in water. There are some nurseries here, growing orchids, that soak their orchid bark with the water retension crystals...I may do an experiment trying that. If just the orchid bark were affected by the wetting agent...it might not be such a disaster!!!
Carol
I think you can get the aggregate in different sizes, but I am not sure if it is smaller or larger than the average size I have seen.
Breaking up the clay pots is a good idea, but probably not for me because I am so touchy-feely with my plants, always touching them and sticking my fingers in the soil. I'd be all cut up on watering days.
I hear you!!! However, it might be a good 'bottom layer' in the pot...(just thought of that and I think I will try it...it would give a larger pot more weight on the bottom so it would tip over so much...eh? See how great this forum is...stimulates the brain cells).
That's always my first choice for bottom drainage, broken terra cotta pots. I just don't have enough of them to use all the time. I'm really liking the pumice though. It's also larger and heavier than perlite and doesn't compress. All my succulents and my adeniums seem to love the pumice.
Great idea!!! I could use black lava cinders!