Is this airy?

[kentosaurs]

Just wanna share a picture of the media i use to pot my neps....Is it airy enough? I use a mixture of Sphagnum moss,perlite,burnt earth and a little bit of charcoal...Do you guys add more chunky stuff(perlite/pumice) in your media to have better drainage?

 

[Dexenthes]

I just use pure living sphagnum moss. I figure it must be airy enough by itself?

Your substrate looks plenty airy though. Judging by your plants I'm sure it works just fine!

 

[kentosaurs]

Hey dex, Well i don't have live ones and its not that easy to grow it here so i get the packet moss from NZ.....Its really kinda expensive....burns a hole in my pocket... Anyway have a nice new year

 

[swords]

It looks OK, how fast does water pour through it? I like a chunky mix for Highland plants similar to what you'd do for Pleurothallid orchids 50/50 orchid bark and LFS in a net pot (made of plastic mesh). An open airy mix seems more important to the HL plants than the lowlanders. Most of the HL Neps look to be growing epiphytically in moss on tree trunks and in "soils' that appear to be made of fallen twigs, leaves and live mosses. Whereas lowlanders appear to live in heath forests, grasslands and sort of boggy areas with wetter, heavier more compacted soils and will put up with pure LFS long term without much complaint.

 

[GrowinOld]

How "airy", well draining or moisture retentive of a media mixture I use, depends on how often I will be watering it and where it is located. If in a hot spot in a lot of light, I might use a mix that holds more water, for I know the sun (or hot lights) will dry out the media quickly.
If in a position where I may water daily or where things stay wet a long time, I will likely use a faster, better draining mixture. It all depends on your watering habits/schedule, plant location and conditions. It is not one size fits all.
In general the mix you have looks fine to start, and only you will know if it works into the future, and possibly needs adjusting. That is the experimenting, learning and experience that will make one a good and knowledgeable grower.

Good Luck!


And Swords: Good advice and sharing of knowledge!