Now let's hear what everyone likes to use for phrag medium and WHY!

I am an S/H kinda girl when it comes to phrags. All of my phrags are in S/H except for my long petaled ones which are in bark. But I will probably move them to S/H eventually.

I primarily use Prime Agra for all my s/h needs but I also use hydroton and diatomite.

I use the same primarily bark mixed with stone and charcoal. Actually, I grow all my slippers Paphs and Phrags in bark mix, so my slippers are not that hard to please. :Grin:

I don't have any phrags...yet but when and if I do I would also use bark mix. as I do with my paphs.

I try to use non-organic media, so I don't have to worry about repotting and rot quite as much, and so I can minimize root loss when I do have to repot.

I've grown Phrags in bark mix, but also in a perlite/charcoal mix (compacts too much), and in small pebbles of lava rock (good results with this). I'm currently trying a brand of very small-grained rubber mulch, which strikes me as a fundamentally bad idea, but nevertheless seems to be working quite well thus far.

I use 45% diatomite 45% bark and 10% long fibered sphagnum.

I use bark and chacoal also and I like very much.

I use moss on all my phrags. I have been repoting and mixing moss and diatomite to see how they like it.

I don't have any phrags...yet

Ooooooo, we gotta fix that! Enablers UNITE! :poke:

I'm currently trying a brand of very small-grained rubber mulch, which strikes me as a fundamentally bad idea, but nevertheless seems to be working quite well thus far.

Rubber mulch? I have never heard of this! I am intrigued. What is it called and where do you find it? What does it look like? :?:

I'm currently trying a brand of very small-grained rubber mulch, which strikes me as a fundamentally bad idea, but nevertheless seems to be working quite well thus far.

Is it made from recycled rubber tires? If it is then I think it is very environmentally friendly and I'm all for it.

I don't have any phrags...yet but when and if I do I would also use bark mix. as I do with my paphs.

Yes, listen to Teresa and go get a Phrag or two.:poke: Try a hybrid first like a Grande, those plants you can never kill and they grow like weeds and if you want to try an easy species get a longifolium, those are also very easy and they grow like crazy and it is one of the primary parents of Grande.

Thnx Teresa and paphraguy...A friend is offering me a grande seedling...woohoo...This forum is so very addictive! hehehehe.

I have some of my Phrags in S/H PrimeAgra, Diatomite, and Rockwell Nuggets. At one point, nearly all my Phrags were S/H PrimeAgra, but when I repotted them this Spring, many were not doing well in it, so those I switched to Diatomite + coconut chips + pearlite + charcoal. Those seem to be doing much better now, many with new growth.

Guy,

If you want to try an easy fast growing red Phrag, I have an Inca Embers division that you can have for free but you would have to pay for the shipping. It will get big very quickly, so if you have the space and you're interested, just PM me.

I have some of my Phrags in S/H PrimeAgra, Diatomite, and Rockwell Nuggets. At one point, nearly all my Phrags were S/H PrimeAgra, but when I repotted them this Spring, many were not doing well in it, so those I switched to Diatomite + coconut chips + pearlite + charcoal. Those seem to be doing much better now, many with new growth.

Good to hear! I have been experimenting with putting phrags and paphs in a combination of organic and non organic mediums and it seems to be working great. I have tried hydroton/sphag, hydroton/sphag/bark, hydroton/diatomite/bark. I really want to try one in straight perlite or hydroton/perlite. I guess I will have to go get more phrags to do so :poke:

Thnx Peter. That is very generous of you...PM sent. Sorry Teresa...to stay on topic I'll be using bark mix...thnx for all the information you folks have provided...:worship: :bowing: :worship: :bowing:

I use LECA for all my Phrags in s/h or modified s/h(use a saucer for a res).

I have been using a mix of 40% CHC, 20% Diatomite, 15% charcoal, 15% perlite, 10% roughly chopped spagnum moss with great success so far ;-)

Orchids Limited small bark mix

Thnx Teresa and paphraguy...A friend is offering me a grande seedling...woohoo...This forum is so very addictive! hehehehe.

I'm getting my first one very shortly. Most likely a Wallisii. I really want to get a Lindenii though (it's Peter's fault he got me drooling over his) , but its to much for my my first/experimental phrag

At one point, nearly all my Phrags were S/H PrimeAgra, but when I repotted them this Spring, many were not doing well in it, so those I switched to Diatomite + coconut chips + pearlite + charcoal. Those seem to be doing much better now, many with new growth.

Can you tell us which ones they were?

Peter is a very good enabler...I have also fallen in love with the long petals and it is all his fault...hehehehe...Pete's grande is its way to my house...woohoo:Party: ...thnx!

sorry about spelling - but where you are and how you grow them is important to what you grow them in .
I live in Fremantle western australia and until 12 mths ago I grew my phrags in a mix of small bark ,pearlite and mulch mix, they did fine and flowered - but 12 months ago coir expanding fibre became availible here and I potted a few into it and they didn't look back .now my whole phrag collection is in it the caudatum type have a little more perlite added - one thing I must add to this is I grow in a glasshouse - but naturally here we DO Not have any real humity here so the only humidity they have is what is in the glasshouse - there are so many factors one needs to look at -firstly what the plant has in nature - then compare with what you have and try to work out something in between . -- the results are truely worth it .its not that hard -------------Phrag lover billie

- but where you are and how you grow them is important to what you grow them in .
-------------Phrag lover billie

Hi Billie,

That is so true and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another, so the best way to find out what works is to experiment, experiment, experiment.:D