Can't find plain Pro Mix HP anymore ?

[Gilda]

My local garden store doesn't carry it..what I'm seeing online has Mychorrhizae or bacterium stuff...anyone used this on orchids ? Where can I find regular ProMix or an equivalent ? I use it potting my phals !

 

[Lanmark]

Try a hydroponics growing supplies store where they sell supplies for growing marijuana. These stores are popping up all over the place. Many of them carry Pro Mix HP.

 

[JAB]

What Lance said.
I got some Paphs from Odum's orchids that used HP. I assume because they are down in Florida, but up here HP won't be good for Paphs!

 

[John M]

My local garden store doesn't carry it..what I'm seeing online has Mychorrhizae or bacterium stuff...anyone used this on orchids ? Where can I find regular ProMix or an equivalent ? I use it potting my phals !

The ProMix here also has Mychorrhizae in it, now. As far as I know, the old stuff without the Mychorrhizae is no longer available. I didn't see any reason to worry about switching to the new stuff to pot orchids and house plants, etc. My understanding is that the Mychorrhizae fungus helps many plants to absorb nutrients, helping them to grow faster and be generally more robust and healthy. In fact, before the ProMix with Mychorrhizae came onto the market, I used to buy a product called Myke, which is a concentrated Mychorrhizae mixture that I deliberately added to my orchid mix and ProMix. Now that the ProMix already has the Mychorrhizae in it, I don't add Myke. My understanding is that the worst thing that can happen is that it may not help all plants. But, there's no need to worry about negative effects.

 

[Gilda]

Thanks to all ! Paphs I wouldn't use it on. I've seen Phrags grown very well in it. I've got one in Promix . An awarded Don Wimber I divided. I put the old growth back in the pot with the old Promix...it put up a new growth and bloomed ! It has two blooming growths this year. The div. I placed in bark mix bloomed well but got rot after blooming. Got the rot stopped and it has a small growth....

 

[naoki]

John, I haven't checked the species list, but there is little chance that those products with general mycorrhizal fungi contain anything compatible with orchids. They are completely different species. Lots of fungi for orchids are pathogenic to other plants.

 

[John M]

Naoki, yes...I have heard that. So, in the case of using ProMix HP with general Mychorrhizal fungus for orchids, you're not really getting any benefit from the fungus; but, there's no harm either. For orchids, for all intents and purposes, it's just the same old ProMix HP as before.

 

[naoki]

I agree with you, John.

Gilda, isn't it cheaper to mix sphagnum peat moss with perlite (and adjust pH with lime if you want) by yourself?

 

[Gilda]

Yes, it probably would. I find sphagnum peat alone extremely difficult to wet !

 

[abax]

Ball Seed makes an excellent potting mix that I'm sure
you can find in almost any garden center. I used to use
ProMix for flats of annuals, but found it very hard to get
damp all the way through and it hardened over time in
the flats and pots and water just ran down the sides of
the mix. Ball Seed is MUCH better.

 

[Erythrone]

Yes, it probably would. I find sphagnum peat alone extremely difficult to wet !

I add hot water when stiring.

 

[Gilda]

Hot water, not tried that , but I have used a squirt of Dish soap ...that helps some.

 

[NYEric]

Marijuana!

 

[JAB]

I think it prefers Cannabis as marijuana is derogatory.

 

[abax]

Hot water and dish soap does help wetting down ProMix,
but it's still a pain. Gilda, look around to see if you can
find Ball Seed. Do you ever get up this far on I-75?

 

[Gilda]

Hot water and dish soap does help wetting down ProMix,
but it's still a pain. Gilda, look around to see if you can
find Ball Seed. Do you ever get up this far on I-75?

Very seldom. Been two years !

 

[abax]

I'd send you a bag, but the smallest probably weighs 30-40
lbs. and the shipping would be horrendous.

 

[Gilda]

I'd send you a bag, but the smallest probably weighs 30-40
lbs. and the shipping would be horrendous.

Thanks, very thoughtful, but a trip to KY would be cheaper I'm going to try the new Promix.

 

[abax]

Good luck!