# Prime Agra - Reuse or not?



## Heather (Sep 28, 2006)

For those of you who grow using the clay aggregate product marketed as Prime Agra - do you or do you not re-use it when you repot? The condition I'm most interested in is, when perhaps, you send a plant off bare root for another to grow, do you then clean and sterilize the media that the plant was potted in and use it again when potting up a different plant? 

Thanks, H


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## Ron-NY (Sep 28, 2006)

I reuse my Prime Agra. I put it in a pot of water and boil it but it would be possible to sterilize it in an oven as well. If I am repotting the same plant into a larger container, I don't sterilize it first, I just add more to the larger pot.


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## NYEric (Sep 28, 2006)

Generally, I dont re-use media. If it killed once why let it kill again. E.


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## Ron-NY (Sep 28, 2006)

Eric do you grow S/H? For what reasons wouldn't you reuse the medium?


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## NYEric (Sep 28, 2006)

What's S/H? I dont reuse media because if a plant died in it or needs replanting generally the salts from fertilizing, pathogens [virus, fungi, pests. etc.] may remain in the media. Why not use fresh stuff? E.


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## Ron-NY (Sep 28, 2006)

Prime Agra is an expanded clay pellet. It doesn't break down for it is inorganic and there shouldn't be a problem if it is sterilized prior to reuse. I never reuse organic mediums for your reasons stated plus others. S/H = Semi Hydroponic.


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## NYEric (Sep 28, 2006)

Thanx. All phrags S/H but w/ mixed organic/non organic media. E.


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## Ron-NY (Sep 28, 2006)

NYEric said:


> Thanx. All phrags S/H but w/ mixed organic/non organic media. E.


 What are you using in your medium and what makes it semi hydoponic?

See this article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-hydroponic_for_growing_orchids


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## NYEric (Sep 28, 2006)

I use a various mixes depending on what the plant is doing. I use coconut chips [roots love this stuff], diatomite [retains moisture], bark[just because], sphagnum moss [if lots of moisture is needed], agricultural charcoal [filters impurities], and aliflor (baked clay pellets) [if drainage is required]. I have all my phrags in growing trays w/ R.O. water pumped among the bottom of the posts. How does sterilizing remove salts from fertilizing unless you soak them out? E.


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## Ron-NY (Sep 28, 2006)

that is why I boil, the salts disolve in the water. With S/H the pots are flushed out on a regular basis and there isn't a large build up of salts to begin with. You must need to change your medium on a yearly basis with your culture. Did you see the link I added to my last post?


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## NYEric (Sep 28, 2006)

Yep, thanx for the info. I will change my medias more often than that. Do you use R.O. or distilled water to boil the pellets and doesnt boiling concentrate the salts? E.


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## NYEric (Sep 28, 2006)

As soon as I can I will send photos of the gowing trays and teh root growths w/ this method. E.


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## bwester (Sep 28, 2006)

I put mine in the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. That'll kill pretty much anything.


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## Ron-NY (Sep 28, 2006)

NYEric said:


> As soon as I can I will send photos of the gowing trays and teh root growths w/ this method. E.


 are they ebb flow trays? I find amazing root growth with this medium too. The best part is that it never breaks down so it never needs to be changed. Potting up is a breeze for the roots bind the medium together. I don't have a problem with root burn from salt build up, the pots are flushed at each watering.


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## NYEric (Sep 28, 2006)

Nope, they are the cheap tupperware type trays you get from National Wholesale Liquidators on Broadway near Houston St. I use R.O. water and a Fluval 1 in each tray pumps the water continuously. I have 6 trays full of Phrags and fertilize 2 trays at a time for a few days in separate fertilizing trays so I'm constantly moving and working w/ the plants. It's a little busy but I get to constantly check the plants. E.


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## Ron-NY (Sep 28, 2006)

You had a concern with reuse of medium and disease spread but you don't with multiple plants that are sharing the same water


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## NYEric (Sep 28, 2006)

Jason Fisher or one of the other guys at Orchids Ltd. questioned my methods but as soon as a plant shows a problem I pull it out. E.


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## Heather (Sep 28, 2006)

Ron-NY said:


> You had a concern with reuse of medium and disease spread but you don't with multiple plants that are sharing the same water




I wondered about that too. 

How long do you boil the PA for, Ron? That's usually how I pre-treat new PA. Also, FWIW, the plants who's mix I would be reusing are not sick or dead plants, just going to new homes and I'm short on prime agra!


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## bwester (Sep 28, 2006)

Wrap in foil, bake in oven at 500 for 30 mins. Way easier and kills some viruses that can survive boiling.


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## gore42 (Sep 28, 2006)

I don't usually bother to boil mine, but I do soak it in Physan for a while. If you used it long enough that you think salts might be a problem, Id either boil it or rinse it for a good while.

- Matt


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## Ron-NY (Sep 28, 2006)

Heather said:


> I wondered about that too.
> 
> How long do you boil the PA for, Ron? That's usually how I pre-treat new PA. Also, FWIW, the plants who's mix I would be reusing are not sick or dead plants, just going to new homes and I'm short on prime agra!



I boil it for about 20 min. Baking would bring it to higher temps if virus are a concern. Boiling will take care of bacteria.


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## SlipperFan (Sep 28, 2006)

I rinse my PrimeAgra, then soak it in a 10% bleach solution for a day or so. Then I rinse it well and let it dry before using it again. I don't see any evidence of salts on it afterwards, and the bleach kills any pathogens.


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## couscous74 (Sep 28, 2006)

I boil first because it leaches out any salts, then throw in the oven. Bonus part about the oven is that it gets the media dry again for storage.


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## Heather (Sep 28, 2006)

Cool! Thanks for the 411!


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## NYEric (Sep 29, 2006)

Sounds like a good solution. Unfortuantely NYC time distortion makes buying new media cheaper. E.


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## couscous74 (Sep 29, 2006)

NYEric said:


> Sounds like a good solution. Unfortuantely NYC time distortion makes buying new media cheaper. E.



Spoken like a man who hasn't bought PrimeAgra...


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## NYEric (Oct 2, 2006)

Prime Agra sounds the same as Aliflor. There's a really good source of supplies near NYC called The Potting Source. Prices are pretty good so material is cheap, time is expensive. Heck I have a cheap parking spot at $125/month. Some of my friends couldn't believe I pay to park, but then again they live in Wyoming. E.


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## ScottMcC (Oct 2, 2006)

PrimeAgra is similar to aliflor, but not identical. Here's a link to more detailed information: http://www.firstrays.com/PrimeAgra/compare2.htm


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## NYEric (Oct 2, 2006)

Thanx a lot for the info. I use the aliflor when I want the mix to drain out. My concern would be the irregularity of the surface retaining salts, so I will acount for that when I repot. E.


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## Heather (Oct 2, 2006)

Has anyone tried Ray's "new improved" Prime agra? 
I much prefer the weight of PA to aliflor, which seems very light to me.


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## NYEric (Oct 3, 2006)

Haha. I checked the invoice from the Potting Source and it turns out it is Prime Agra all along. The price doesn't seem unreasonable, maybe I'm just used to NYC pricing $7.00 for a hamburger, no fries, etc. E.


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