WHY I LOVE ORCHIATA – OR ORCHIATA AND ME
UNSOLICITED-UNCOMPENSATED – and without request or reward I would like to share with orchid growers everywhere the news that I have finally discovered the best orchid growing media which I have ever used. Like most orchid growers I have experimented with most (if not all) orchid media out there – often with disastrous results!
Every time a speaker at one of the Orchid Society programs recommended something newer or better, I, like most of us, bought it, tried it and were
disappointed. We probably never realized at that time that the SPEAKERS were probably just selling it at the end of their program as a “marketing technique”!!
HOWEVER, my search for the best orchid media ended when a colleague introduced me to his “media of choice” – ORCHIATA. I tried it – I more than liked it – and I finally discovered the answer to my life-long, expensive, and frustrating search!!
I quickly found that orchids newly potted in ORCHIATA started growing luscious new, green and healthy roots within a few weeks (if watered often and discreetly).
To date I have observed that my orchids potted in ORCHIATA two years ago (my earliest experience with it) have a very healthy root system and the media is as solid and stable as the day the orchids were potted. This was in definite contrast to the orchids potted at the same time in a standard orchid bark mix (my control experiment) which was already disintegrating in our hot and humid Florida weather. I personally choose to mix a little aliflor (or hydokorrel) and a little sponge rock with my ORCHIATA for increased drainage, but the colleague who introduced me uses ORCHIATA straight. Whatever works with our own individual culture!
The information available from the distributors indicates that ORCHIATA is aged and weed-free, and that some Japanese orchid nurseries have orchids in the same media for the past ten years without the need for change. I cannot verify that yet based on my limited two years of experience, BUT – I can well believe it based on my own experience to date and I will definitely expect it and look forward to it!!
In addition, I expect that the slightly more expensive initial cost of ORCHIATA will more than pay for itself in money and time in the long run by eliminating the more frequent need for repotting of our orchids in the less expensive but far less durable and stable orchid bark mix currently available in the orchid supply market.
Paul Storm,
Meke Aloha Orchids – Home of SCHOMBO-WORLD
www.Mekealohaorchids.com