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Was this a good buy?

I was at Lowes about a week ago and they just recieved a bunch of cattleya's in little mesh bags. So of course I got one and while I was there I purchased a bag of orchid mix.

When I got home I opened that bag and Something just didn't look right. The plant was fine but the mix was just wood, charcol, and perlight. After potting up the plant with it I watered it and 5 minuets later it was dry.

I wanted to repot my Phal in this stuff but it refuses to hold any water. So should I? I read that cattleya's like to be dry but this is a little overboard right? Should I mist it more often? (the Phal is planted in LFS btw )
 
Most people soak the mix before potting things up. The water will run through it and not hold any water. The mix from Lowes is an OK mix. I have used it before, and I am using the shultz stuff now and I personaly do not like it. Just take the pot orchid and all and put it in a bowl and fill it with water just to the top of the pot so the bark doesnt float out and let it soak an hour or two. Once the stuff gets rehydrated it will be fine. Your Phal will do ok in it too or you can just repot it in fresh LFS. Both work fine, for may anyways.
 
That's the way most orchids like to be. It's disturbing for most new growers and I overwatered my first orchids because it didn't seem right for them to be so dry.
 
A lot of orchids are epiphytes, which means that they will only grow on say a slab of bark or something in the wild, their roots never coming in contact with soil. So, a slab of bark isn't going to be the wettest thing, and the soil ya got there should do just fine.

-Ben
 
Oh OK so I'll rehydrate the mix before sticking my Phal in it. I wanted to get a few more Orchids of different types so this mix should be kinda universal right?

herenorthere: That is so true, I've been watering that plant like crazy.
 
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