Is this orchid in soil??
I just bought this orchid on clearance from Kroger and I’m wondering, is this planted in soil?? It doesn’t look like any mix I’ve ever seen an orchid planted in before and it feels really solid and like it’s kinda in chunks—I’m unsure if it’s soil or some kind of dark moss I’ve just not seen before! (I’m sorry if the photos are sideways as they’re shown for me, it keeps doing that for some reason!) #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #PlantAddict #PlantTherapy #PhalaenopsisOrchid #Phalaenopsis #OrchidLovers
0ft to light, indirect
4” pot with drainage
Last watered 3 days ago
17
@pinkmilk Orchids should never be grown in regular potting soil. Most popular indoor orchids are epiphytes, meaning they naturally grow on trees with their roots exposed to the air. Standard soil is too dense, suffocates their roots, and causes lethal root rot. Instead, they require a loose, highly porous, fast-draining potting mix that optimizes airflow. Epiphytic Orchids (Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Dendrobium)These types require chunky, bark-based mixtures to mimic their natural tree-dwelling habitats. Bark-Based Mixes: Usually made from fir bark or pine bark chunks. They create vital air pockets and drain water rapidly.Sphagnum Moss: Often blended with bark. It is highly water-retentive and works well for dry, low-humidity environments.Common Additives: Perlite or sponge rock (for aeration) and horticultural charcoal (to filter impurities and prevent salt buildup). Terrestrial Orchids (Cymbidium, Paphiopedilum, Phaius)These grow on the ground and prefer a denser, more moisture-retentive medium. They can tolerate fine-grade bark mixed with Canadian sphagnum peat moss, pumice, and added lime to help with PH balance. The American Orchid Society (AOS) generally recommends using a specialized, coarse, and well-draining potting medium rather than standard soil, as most orchids are epiphytes that need air around their roots. Ideal mixes often consist of fir bark, perlite, and sphagnum moss to balance moisture retention with necessary drainage.
@Ms.Persnickety this is great to know, thank you so much for all of the information!! It means a lot!
That does look like Sphagnum (spelling?🫣) moss to me. I had one just like that and I was told to take out as much of the moss as possible and repot in Orchid Bark. I use a brand called Orchiata- it’s expensive because it’s very small compared to regular orchid bark, but it worked for me. The photo shows the Orchiata Bark and regular Orchid Bark. Sphagnum Moss is great,but it can’t be packed tightly- orchids needs a lot of air to prevent root rot. Big ox stores and nurseries use moss so they don’t have to or can’t water often. But I’m no expert on Orchids, I only know what worked for me! I hope this helps.
@BigGraypine97 thank you so much for the suggestion, I don’t think I’ve heard of doing that before!! I searched it up and it looks so cool! <3
@MariansOasis @MusicalRedmint @smushface
I’m running off to work or else I’d respond! So I’m leaving some orchid people tags’ here 🌸🌻
I’m running off to work or else I’d respond! So I’m leaving some orchid people tags’ here 🌸🌻
Hi 👋 @pinkmilk and thanks for the tag @DreamMachine 😊. It looks like your orchid is in tree fern fiber which is a perfectly fine choice for epiphytic orchids. You don’t see it used a lot. Typically Phalaenopsis orchids from the markets are in bark or sphagnum moss. And both of those are good choices too. The key is your climate and or how often you want to water. I have most of my orchids in good quality bark. In coastal San Diego it’s humid and they get watered once a week. I have a few phals in straight sphagnum moss and they get watered more like twice a week. I have some immature anthuriums in tree fern fiber. I’ve found it retains water better than sphagnum moss. So good quality bark, not the 💩 from most chain stores, will retain enough water to keep orchids happy for about a week, as long as you’re not in a dry climate or have heaters or air conditioners running frequently. And just FYI for a phal, you can pack sphagnum moss in pretty tight, they like being snug. One of the orchid growers near me says, snug like a foot in a shoe 😂. If soil mixes interest you you can get very specific with the mixes from rePotme. I like theirs for the odd ball ones I have, like a Stenoglottis or Epidendrum. They do special mixes for phals too which I’ve tried but phals aren’t that picky so I don’t spend the money for specialized phal mix. Most of the orchids that are in big box stores don’t need all the special additives like sponge rock and such. But if you enjoy mixing up special mediums then do it and have fun!
@pinkmilk @MariansOasis Thank you Marian! I am back now. 🤪 But man, zooming in on this substrate I can’t quite tell what it is! If it was on the clearance at Kroger, it’s probably been there for a while and I was trying to imagine what old compressed sphag would look like, especially if maybe an employee took pity and [over]watered it. Taylor could you pinch 🤏 a bit of the substrate out and kind of crumble or pull it apart (without compressing it further, if possible) and take a pic on a white or light background?
I like your thinking Marian, but this doesn’t look like any tree fern fiber I’ve used. (Not that that’s saying much 😄)
And ooh didn’t realize that brand had such specialized orchid mixes! ♥️
I like your thinking Marian, but this doesn’t look like any tree fern fiber I’ve used. (Not that that’s saying much 😄)
And ooh didn’t realize that brand had such specialized orchid mixes! ♥️
@DreamMachine I’m not home right now, but if I remember I could try to do that!