Loading…
23
Shoutout to the $40 bag of "premium" orchid bark that was just wet cedar mulch
Half my phalaenopsis roots turned brown within 10 days because that stuff held water like a sponge, so now I squeeze a handful before buying any bag, and I'm curious if anyone else has a brand they actually trust.
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
the_lucas16d ago
The squeeze test is smart, I do the same thing now after getting burned twice last year. What I look for is whether it drips at all, because good bark should feel barely damp, not like you just wrung out a sponge. If the bag feels heavy before you even open it, that's your first red flag, since wet bark weighs way more than dry. I also flip the bag over and check the bottom, because a lot of the cheap stuff settles into straight mush down there while the top looks fine. These days I just buy the small bags from a local nursery where I can poke a hole in the side and feel it first, costs a bit more per quart but way less than replacing orchids.
3