# What media for cyps in pots?



## The Orchid Boy (May 20, 2013)

What kind of mix would you use for cypripediums in pots? An inorganic mix, right? I have 1 Cyp. reginae I want to try in a pot and it needs potted very soon. I only have PrimeAgra and small to medium lava rock for inorganic stuff. I also have charcoal, if that counts. And what kind of pot and how do you water and fertilize? I have shallow, wide clay pots.


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## monocotman (May 21, 2013)

*cyp substrate*

I'm not too familiar with what you use as inorganic media in the USA.
Lava rock would be too big. Don't know about prime agra. Charcoal would not be much use.
Ron Burch at 'Gardens at Posthill' may be able to help.
I use super coarse perlite (3-6mm) for all my plants plus maybe 10% orchid bark. We can buy it here in small bags at garden centres or large 100 litre bags from agricultural supply shops.
Whatever you use it has to be super free draining and that allows easy access for oxygen to the roots.
I 'overpot' all my cyps so there is a decent reservoir of water in the pots.
As this is not ordinary compost then this overpotting is fine.
Then feed - plenty of ordinary cheap white powder feed especially whilst the plants are just starting to grow.
Reginae can probably take half strength feed during this phase, maybe once a week, depending on the water quality you use. Rain water/RO water is best.
The idea is to produce as large a green leaf canopy as possible.
This will feed the plant for the rest of the season and help increase the number and size of shoots produced next year.
After the plan is fully grown the feed regime can be cut back and quarter rate used and later in the year, I use high potash feed, say from July onwards to help root growth,

Regards,

David


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## The Orchid Boy (May 21, 2013)

PrimeAgra is LECA, so I'm guessing that would be too course. I'd like to try an all inorganic mix, unless that's not a good idea. I could get peat, vermiculite, perlite, or sand. I have fine orchid bark and sphagnum...


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## Linus_Cello (May 21, 2013)

Ron Burch sells pre-mixed cyp media for pots (and outdoor beds)
http://www.gardensatposthill.com/website/StoreSupplies.htm

Raising Rarities also sells medium (and has a recipe):
http://www.raisingrarities.com/Cypripedium_Care.htm


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## NYEric (May 21, 2013)

Coarse perlite and chicken grit!  Love saying that!!


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## naoki (May 21, 2013)

David, do you use same coarse perlite based media for the deflasked seedlings, too?

Here is one recommendation which I thought helpful:
http://mailman.science.uu.nl/pipermail/trillium-l/attachments/20110419/1e1a3fea/attachment.pdf

I'm guessing primeagra is somewhat similar to seramis.

Here is another useful page:
http://www.gardensatposthill.com/website/cypripedium overview.htm

I couldn't find Soil Master, Soil Perfecter, turface etc. So I ended up using Perlite + CarQuest Diatomite with a little bit of Coconut Coir (not the CHC). I'm excited that some of mine started the second year growth.


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## The Orchid Boy (May 21, 2013)

I'm thinking a combination of some of these things would be good: perlite, PrimeAgra (similar to Seramis), chicken grit, oyster shells, gravel, course sand.


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## Paphman910 (May 21, 2013)

NYEric said:


> Coarse perlite and chicken grit!  Love saying that!!



Does it really work?


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## NYEric (May 21, 2013)

Trying it now w/ some Cyps downstairs.


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## Leo Schordje (May 21, 2013)

Perlite is easy to get in the USA, I think I would go with that suggestion. My last attempt at Cyps in pots ended because I used too small a pot and too much in the way of organics. My mix was essentially a Paph mix. Not the best idea. In addition I dried them too hard. 

When I try again, perlite will be the main ingredient.


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## eggshells (May 21, 2013)

How can you prevent the perlite from overflowing when watering?


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## NYEric (May 21, 2013)

Why are you floating the media?? I checked downstairs and the plants are fine except for one that was damaged and maybe got a little rot in the fridge. I potted them in the media in S/H type pots and then put the pots inside clay pots with sand between the 2 pots to make a zeer type cooler.


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## monocotman (May 22, 2013)

Naoki - I do not grow deflasked seedlings but have heard that 100% coarse perlite is fine.
Eggshells - I top off the pots with about an inch of expanded clay balls -hydroleca - that stops the perlite from overflowing, looks better and seems to deter snails and slugs that love newly emerges shoots,
David


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## Dido (May 25, 2013)

seedlings are fine in inorganic, feed well with fertilizer it is important


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 27, 2013)

Leo Schordje said:


> Perlite is easy to get in the USA, I think I would go with that suggestion. My last attempt at Cyps in pots ended because I used too small a pot and too much in the way of organics. My mix was essentially a Paph mix. Not the best idea. In addition I dried them too hard.



Sounds like torture for a Cyp Leo! Small pot, high organics, and drying


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## Ray (May 28, 2013)

The clump of Cyp. reginae I purchased last autumn was basically a flat, round disk of roots about a foot in diameter surrounding the tubers with two central "eyes". I planted it about 3" deep in a pot about 14" in diameter by 8" deep, using a mix that is essentially 25% peat, 25% perlite, and 50% Orchiata bark - all about 3/8"-1/2" chunks. So far, it is growing quiote nicely, and I've seen no issue with rot.


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## monocotman (May 29, 2013)

Good luck - a mature clump will have plenty of reserves to grow even when things aren't perfect and it is possible to keep them alive for some time in less than ideal conditions.
However, over time (years), peat is usually death to cyps in pots. 
All the big plants you see posted growing in pots are grown in inorganics.
David


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## Ray (May 29, 2013)

Thanks, David.

I'm not going to disturb it now, but assuming I can keep it alive and unpot it for the winter, I'll definitely go inorganic from now on.


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## monocotman (May 30, 2013)

Ray -I repotted several cyps in late summer last year, as the weather got cooler and they were just starting to lose some colour in the leaves, but the plants and especially the roots, were still very active.
It was the best thing I ever did. I can see none of the usual transplant shock with them this year.
It may be worth a try,
Regards,
David


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## The Orchid Boy (May 31, 2013)

I'm ready to strangle a cat!!!! A extra freebie reginae I got and was going to try in a pot is now dead. One of our cats thought the perlite and LECA mix would make a good litter box. He dug it out and peed in there. It got burned and dried out and the pot stinks... The joy of having animals!


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## Ray (May 31, 2013)

Thanks again, David.

Right now I'm concerned about how to deal with days in the '90's.


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## The Orchid Boy (Jun 1, 2013)

The Orchid Boy said:


> I'm ready to strangle a cat!!!! A extra freebie reginae I got and was going to try in a pot is now dead. One of our cats thought the perlite and LECA mix would make a good litter box. He dug it out and peed in there. It got burned and dried out and the pot stinks... The joy of having animals!



At least it was an extra freebie though....... But I'm still mad at you cat!


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## Jim734 (Jun 1, 2013)

Spangle Creek had a number of different recommendations over the years, the mixes seem to have evolved. The last sheet I have on hand was basically an organic one. But that hasn't been successful for me and I am trying inorganic ones consisting of perlite (quite coarse), coir, chicken grit (#2), maybe some sand (silica). Additions depend on the species and the proportions too. More perlite and chicken grit for those needing good drainage (macranthos, tibeticum). For the lime lovers - crushed oyster shells or dolomitic lime (not sure how much - so I would be cautious there).


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## Jim734 (Jun 1, 2013)

Ray - it's important that the "eye" be just below the surface. See how it develops this season, if it is too deep you could have problems. The old guidance was to have the crown on a mound of sorts with the roots sloping downwards. There also was a recommendation to do repotting after flowering (sort of inline with how we treat tropicals) when the new growth is forming (it forms in cyps after flowering but it is underground). But I would be extremely cautious about doing that.


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## Jim734 (Jun 1, 2013)

One other item that seems to be recommended is Turface - some sort of material that is used on baseball fields. According to Repotme.com it's pure calcinated clay and is also prized by Bonzai growers.


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