What do I pot my orchid in!? Bark? Moss? Perlite? Out of the bag orchid mix?

[@lujainsair9194]

This is hands down THE BEST video on the internet about not only orchids, but also potting mediums and their qualities! 🤯🤯🤯 And I don't even live in Australia!!!!!! Thank you for all these amazing tips and information 💞 as well as the great camera work and editing 😊

[@helloplantlovers]

@@lujainsair9194 Well thank you very much!

[@mareikedaubert1139]

I am living in Germany. The only thing the hardware store carries in terms of potting media that is specifically for orchids is orchid bark. I guess that makes sense as the orchid most people will have is a Phalaenopsis. However, it also means that depending on what you want (and if you don't want to order from the internet), you may have to mix it yourself. Thank you for showing the "standard" Australian mix, very informative.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@missbehavesclass6405]

Perfect video about potting media for all orchids. And perfectly explained (and I'm a teacher, I know how easy it is, to make such an amount of information, confusing and all over the place). You can't tell yourself amateur anymore, with that potting media game you have. Very well done. 👍🏻😊

[@helloplantlovers]

Well thank you very much!!

[@annadaccione332]

Fabulous video, full of information and clarity on how to use the mixes. Thank you Mathew

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@007trudig]

A marvelous explanation. Thank you.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@louanncaron2543]

What an excellent and informative video ! Thank you.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@MyTinyBalcony]

Perfect. I also went through this with a fine tooth comb for tips and tricks. I have most of this already. But in addition, how cool is your FiL. He is such a sweetheart.

[@helloplantlovers]

He is - still going strong!

[@MyTinyBalcony]

@@helloplantlovers ❤️ well, I hope to soon be in Melbourne for a weekend. 🤔

[@patriciabardon]

Very intersting video. Thanks from Bordeaux, France !

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@kcbknitter]

This has been most helpful. Thank you so much. And, I love the wall color behind you.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@sandramynard1046]

Very impressed with your knowledge of growing orchids in Melbourne, so interesting that you have checked out their origins and then copy their environment here as much as possible. I have relied on advice from growers of orchids which have served well but hearing from a successful local is gold, many thanks 😊💕🌺

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching & your kind words!

[@dizzylizzy7582]

Incredibly handy video! Ty.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@Nilesedge]

Great video, it’s especially great to see a video from Melbourne so that the advice is perfect for my climate and what I can buy in the shops! 😊

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@bigboxorchid5770]

Nice veideo! Aside from those, I also use lava rock, leca, and pieces of clay pot. My enviroment is very warm and I water everyday.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnmickel2330]

A Great video--- all the type-- different orchids

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@amsturgill222]

Thank you. Very helpful for my first orchid ever…bought at a grocery store and needing repotted. phalaenopsis of course. I have much to learn and you explain very well. Appalachian mountains USA.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for finding me and good luck with your first orchid!!

[@steveburley5041]

EXCELLENT. SO INFORMATIVE THX SB

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@stamykoni1478]

Great video!!! Very helpful to know what kind of potting mix you use with different types of orchids . Thanks you Mathew for sharing this information with us 🌺

[@helloplantlovers]

Many thanks for watching it!

[@zula6436]

This was great ,Mathew 👍🏻. Thank you for sharing your advice and experience 🌷🤗.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@mt2766]

Many thanks, Matthew! Your orchids look so healthy! Bravo. 😍

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you!

[@psycheready6958]

So helpful, thank you so much!

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - glad it was useful!

[@maxineiles6806]

so happy i live in a similar place and it has been very useful TFS

[@helloplantlovers]

Oh great! Thanks for watching!

[@christinenorton2510]

Great info as always. Thanks Mathew.

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@cherylpenn4509]

Great video and very useful information. Much appreciated :)

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@OrchidAmateur]

Very useful, thank you 😊

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@brigitteweich3534]

Thank you for this informative video. We have very similar conditions where I live. It’s winter now and not optimum for repotting but I have some dendrobiums in plastic pots with loads of moss at the bottom and very coarse and chunky bark which I think is actually used to cover flower beddings and not for orchids. They also seem to just stay very soggy. I’m itching to provide them with proper growing media but not sure whether I should wait till spring in September. Thank you again for the video!

[@helloplantlovers]

Well, if there's a real problem you can re-pot an orchid at any time. If the medium is staying soggy I'd be tempted to do something about it if reducing the amount of water they're getting isn't working? Good luck!

[@brigitteweich3534]

@@helloplantlovers Thank you again for the advice! I think it might be my watering style, less is more!

[@helloplantlovers]

@@brigitteweich3534 Always!

[@richardlawton1023]

Thanks well said...,what about the various Coco chunks,fiber etc ..i use it in place of moss for some moisture retention in open free draining mixes

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@marycamilleri447]

Watching this video kind of makes me realise how complex growing orchids can be, I would be lucky to find all these different mediums to pot my orchids in, at best it's difficult to get bark for my phals let alone sphagman moss, I have been to garden centres and not been able to find sphagman moss,but have recently moved to new area,maybe in nearest big town/city I can find a garden centre that does!?

[@helloplantlovers]

Good luck in the search - I did use out of the bag orchid mix for a year with no ill effects!

[@tonypeters8298]

Perfect timing!!! I'm new to these critters and keen to have a crack at making my own potting medium. Oh, and coincidentally, I'm just up the road in Bendigo! Thank you!! Tony.

[@helloplantlovers]

Good luck! And thanks for finding me!

[@tonypeters8298]

@@helloplantlovers are you able to tell us where you aquired the small wire planter attached to the timber backing please?

[@helloplantlovers]

@@tonypeters8298 Bunnings! But you can get similar things from various on line orchid suppliers so have a look on Ebay too.

[@tonypeters8298]

@@helloplantlovers thank you.

[@Mateo_TX]

Love this video. Very informative. Thank you! Looks like I have to repot some orchids of mine. 🙃

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@TheOrchidSaGa]

Wonderful video again! I wonder if you could make a video about how you water your orchids?

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - will do!

[@restawhileyall1781]

Hmm, have taken note of a few things I'd like to buy soon. Matthew, please could you tell me if pumice stone is the same as scoria stone, because I have heaps of it around. Thank you once again for another detailed and helpful video.

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there - thanks for watching. Scoria and pumice are both a volcanic rock so will do exactly the same thing in an orchid mix. They are different at a mineral composition level but basically do the same thing in a mix as they are very aerating and light.

[@patriciadumas-simon3348]

Very good advice, but i live in the tropics and area is very dry, what do you suggest

[@helloplantlovers]

Alas, can't help I'm afraid as I'm not familiar with that environment. Best thing to do is find other orchid growers in your area through clubs and associations and ask around!

[@Gigi-pf6ik]

This is more than helpful! I live in northern NSW but could you share where I can purchase micro fungi and an the little wire basket on a piece of timber please? I also would like to request a video about any mini orchid. Thanks 😊

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for finding me! The wire basket on timber came from Bunnings. I buy my mycorrhizal fungi online here biostim.com.au/shop/myco-gold/?gclid=CjwKCAjw5s6WBhA4EiwACGncZba0z_3yCKsSdARLH-7EMUE-6ZGb1lsD6X51b6ot0eybASztzOyXmRoCQRkQAvD_BwE And this is a miniature orchid: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJe4qKR-qMSCZ5o as is this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/maTamKF6gtqdjKM Cheers!

[@Gigi-pf6ik]

@@helloplantlovers Thank so much! I can’t find the basket online but found the fungi. I love the way you talk and explain about orchids and just saw an article about your interior. Now I can see why I was very hooked because you have very creative backgrounds. I need to watch all of your videos and learn more about orchids. Looking forward to see your new living space in the future.

[@helloplantlovers]

@@Gigi-pf6ik Thank you very much!

[@mousekiss6477]

Where do you buy your bark? It looks so clean. I bought a bag of large bark from Bunnings and it came with pet fungus gnats 🙁

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there - I get it on line from orchid supply specialists. I get the ready made mix in a bag from Bunnings.

[@melenelewis2955]

Excellent video Thank you! Do you grow paphiopedilums...,..if you do ....what mix do you use?

[@helloplantlovers]

I do - it depends where you are though. Like most orchids they need a light, fast draining medium so I use medium bark, perlite and charcoal. Here's the latest video on them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZSUp32jqNN5l9k

[@melenelewis2955]

Thanks

[@deborahblanchard9158]

I am in Townsville and it is good 2 have someone in Australia close 2 me that can give advice 2 do with our temperature fertilizer and potting mix

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for finding me!

[@volturnianlobster9350]

I went outside and found some saw dust, and a bunch of moss that I mixed up together and it seemed very similar to the sphagnum mix it came in, you think it will be good enough?

[@helloplantlovers]

No idea I'm afraid! But good luck with it!

[@volturnianlobster9350]

@@helloplantlovers that's how I be, live dangerously 😂

[@masondanshortyfaddoul2596]

Interesting how u use potting media for your zygos mattew, have few zygopetalum myself but Never tried half potting mix and half bark

[@helloplantlovers]

There's a lot of differences of opinion about what's best for them! The one I have in 50/50 is doing very well but yet to bloom!

[@jenjoy4353]

Hi Matthew, I see an Anthurium behind you. what sort of planting mix do you use for this plant? I have that struggles along its quite small and gets brown tips on the leaves.

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there - I have a lot of Anthuriums and for all of them I use out of the bag orchid mix. Brown tips could mean they are getting direct sun which they are sensitive to. Bright indirect light is essential and let them dry out well between waterings, especially in winter. Good luck!

[@chillipeppers8194]

what happens if you do not know what the orchid bulb/potato is my mother in law just gave me 3 bulbs of her plant one looks like a rock orchid other is big bulb yellow flower with orange stamen, based in NSW Australia

[@helloplantlovers]

If you know what what your mother in law was growing them in and they were happy, copy her! If not try a generic free draining bark mix. Good luck!

[@bbost3]

Bought an orchid for our recent local show, Leptotes bicolor. Currently the medium is just medium sized rocks, and the internet just suggests to mount it and never mention rocks haha. Any insight on the orchid or rock mixes?

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching - hmm - if you couldn't mount Leptotes bicolor then I'd be tempted to use a medium bark with LOTS of sphagnum moss, perhaps a bit like the video I made here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3S7oIR-Zbl7qKc It seems to like humid mossy environments. I do use pumice stone a lot in a mix with other things if the orchid is a lithophyte, or I just want a really loose mix and it's a plant that likes to be on the dry side. I also use pumice with moss for vandas in pots. So there we are - I wouldn't have thought of using rock with Leptotes bicolor though! Good luck with it!

[@allysorchids3598]

Glad you mentioned the paintings, I was going to ask 😆 Super interesting video, with lots of great info on what the different plants need, thank you Mathew! Can't wait to see the video about the vanda, very exciting. One question: The leaves on your Masdevalias look really healthy. Mine keep getting yellow and black spots and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Have you ever had this problem and what did you do to prevent it?

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi Ally! Thanks for watching! I think the most common problem with masdevalias is too much light - so that might be the first thing to look at? Black spots are usually due to sun burn. So saying they won't thrive in deep shade - mine get direct very early morning sun light and then dappled light. The other cause could be natural shedding of leaves; the leaves don't last that long and the plants are usually pretty vigorous sending up new shoots all year. So if they are older leaves I wouldn't worry, if they are newer ones then something is amiss and it's a case of elimination: is it too much light, too much-too little water, root issues etc etc. Good luck! I find they love Melbourne's weather!

[@allysorchids3598]

@@helloplantlovers Aha! I think this is actually the best advice I've ever had about Masdevallias, thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything! Very interesting about the sun burn but I think you're right, they might be getting some sun at the moment and leaf burns. Hmmmm... Will have to move them. Also good point about them shedding leaves quite a lot, but them producing a fair amount too. I guess they're not like cattleyas only growing a leaf a year! Anyway, thanks for the analysis, always good to hear feedback from other Melbourne growers!

[@helloplantlovers]

@@allysorchids3598 Very welcome!

[@faribaj.4619]

May I ask you what kind of water do you use for watering? And how you water all of your orchids? Your video about fertilizing orchids was so helpful. After giving up for a while I am back to my not very successful orchid project. And I found your channel. Thank you for informative video!

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching! I use tap water here in Melbourne, which is great quality! And I water every three days ish in summer and on a needs basis in winter. Good luck!

[@faribaj.4619]

@@helloplantlovers Thanks for quick response! I really appreciate it! May I ask about the hardness of water? I’m living in Hungary and the water here is pretty hard about 300 ppm. I mix it with Reverse Osmosis water in half ratio to have around 150 ppm. Some orchid growers use Epson salt. I don’t have it here. How can I be sure my plants get right amount of calcium?

[@helloplantlovers]

@@faribaj.4619 Hi there, sorry I have no idea what the chemical composition of my water is. All I could suggest is finding a local orchid group or society and find out how other growers manage watering in your region. Good luck!

[@faribaj.4619]

@@helloplantlovers Thank you for the tip! I will. Thanks for videos. I wish I found you earlier. Have a nice evening!

[@lisascenic]

“The gospel according to Matthew” Hilarious!

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@GurjeetKaur-z1g7z]

The plant that only has moss and what is the green material?

[@BrendonVS80]

Do you have a favourite orchid? Mine is my Maxillaria tenuifolia because of its gorgeous fragrance. The only fragrant one I own.

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there - no I don't think I do! But I do love fragrant orchids so you could say that's a preference! Thanks for watching!

[@BrendonVS80]

@@helloplantlovers Hi Mathew, I forgot what I wanted to ask you🙈 What mix do you use for your hard cane dendrobium? I use a combination of LECA balls and regular orchid premix (like the one you mention in the video)

[@helloplantlovers]

@@BrendonVS80 My hard cane Dendrobims are all Australian natives so they're in out-of-the-bag orchid mix!

[@BrendonVS80]

@@helloplantlovers thank you Mathew😀

[@sue5061]

you mention pumice is this the same as lava rock? and where do you buy fungi packet

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there, yes, they are the same thing. You can get Mycorrhizal fungi powder on line - there will be a supplier in your region. This is where I get mine from in Australia: biostim.com.au/shop/myco-gold/

[@margaritah2441]

@@helloplantlovers Hi Mathew, thank you for such an amazing and helpful video! Could you please tell me where do you buy your bark from, here in Australia? Thanks! 😊

[@helloplantlovers]

@@margaritah2441 Hi there - I get the brand Orchiata from Ebay here: www.ebay.com.au/str/loganhydroponics

[@EstyMyry]

What do you think about vermiculite ?

[@helloplantlovers]

Hi there - I've never used it so couldn't say. But essentially whatever works for you in your climate is great!

[@zlatamontgomery1593]

Micro Fidel fungi - I’m wish you put name and Picter.. Zlata Russian from florida

[@helloplantlovers]

You can find a brand where ever you are in the world, this is the one I use: biostim.com.au/shop/myco-gold/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlumhBhClARIsABO6p-yvwyezJfpUGqQcxSQpapuDFFw8k1EmgF0MBk0erbtiyfC-19YASNcaAnhZEALw_wcB

[@lindasimpson814]

You do not grow any catalays?

[@helloplantlovers]

I do.

[@sstokke8900]

❣️🙏

[@incifisenk9945]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼💚🕊☮️🙋🏻‍♀️

[@helloplantlovers]

Thanks for watching!

[@Lord_Nemesis8]

My orchids suffocate and die if I use moss bc they’re all indoor plants hence very little free flowing air so I’m using bark,perlite and hydroponics

[@Lord_Nemesis8]

I only grow Epiphytes so Terrestrials sound very cool

[@Lord_Nemesis8]

20 min and nothing about Epiphytes

[@amiekyte44]

What a fantastic video! Thank you

[@helloplantlovers]

Thank you!