That orchid show in Portland made me question everything about bark mixes

I watched a guy repot a phalaenopsis with just gravel and charcoal 3 years ago and scoffed until the same plant bloomed bigger than mine last week, so has anyone actually tested a no-bark setup with consistent results?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese17712d ago

Honestly I've been side-eyeing every bag of bark I own since I saw someone's orchid thriving in just leca balls and shame. Tbh maybe we're all just paying for a lie and the plants are out here thriving on pure spite.

west.alice12d ago

And honestly, @reese177 you might be onto something because I just read this article that said some orchids in the wild literally grow on rocks with zero soil or bark. Makes you wonder if we're just dumping money into fancy mixes while the plants would be fine with a handful of gravel and some attitude. I tried leca once and my orchid just sat there looking offended, so maybe it depends on the plant's personality. What's your current go-to potting mix for yours?