Potting Media Sources

[Morja]

I come with one of the most basic beginner questions
After buying $$$ bags of premixed potting media from repotme for several years due to space constraints, I have a house now and I'm ready to mix my own stuff for my slippers.
I'm thinking just small bark, perlite and charcoal with some sphagnum dressing the top. That's basically what I have now. The bark in this mix is practically seedling size which made me nervous at first, but actually has worked out well thus far in my low humidity.

Where is a less expensive source for these things in the USA that is also not horrible quality?
Sphagnum is always painfully expensive it seems, though there are some cheaper options on Amazon (which I am duly suspicious of). Repotme is having a sphagnum sale now of grade AAA moss at 29 bucks for 8 quarts (when hydrated). I honestly don't even know if that's a good deal, I need context!

Thank you!

 

[Tom-DE]

Check Green Barn Orchid Supplies, They have everything and the price isn't too bad, shipping is at cost(that is what they say anyway).

and I've just found out you can get lots of orchid supplies on Amazon too.

 

[big923cattleya]

I quit Amazon because of their rising fees.

But for several years now, I have been using Green Barn. The prices are competitive and orders are filled quickly.
OFE International was pretty good at one time. They were in Miami. However, they had trouble keeping things in stock. This was why I went to Green Barn some 12-13 years ago.
Tropical Plant Products was a good source years ago but I rely so much on Green Barn, I no longer use them.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

I won't claim it's the cheapest source of supplies, but I buy orchiata, coco husk chunks, coco peat, and sphagnum moss from Josh's Frogs. I don't know the relationship, but there's some connection with the ST user littlefrog, and that's good enough for me. I deal with Josh's Frogs regularly for lizard supplies anyway (love my crested gecko), so it works for me.

If you're buying sphag in bulk, I noticed that Orchids by Hausermann is selling in bulk $165.00 for 22lbs (10 kg), and that seems like a reasonable price considering you're also supporting Hausermann to some degree. Can't comment on the quality, though. I was considering buying some just to see, since I can use it for things where it won't matter so much if it's crap.

Truthfully I try to avoid Amazon at all costs unless it's the only place I can find a particular product OR the prices there are so ridiculously much lower than anywhere else that I'd be a fool to pass it up. I find that looking around, I usually can find it cheaper elsewhere to be honest and Amazon sucks as a company.

Depending on the amounts, I may be able to help you out with whatever I have in my current supply. I know we've already chatted privately about my downsizing efforts and your potential interest in some of my plants, so feel free to reach out directly. The only thing I don't have on hand is the charcoal, and the reasons for that are because I don't find it makes any difference in my mixes and because it's difficult to source good quality stuff that's affordable so I simply don't use it anymore.

 

[Ray]

Back when i had hundreds of plants in my PA greenhouse, I probably had something growing in just about every media ingredient imaginable, as it allowed me to water literally everything at once.

However, since downsizing and relocating to NC with fewer plants and no greenhouse, I have found the use of LECA and rockwool cubes allows me to create whatever pot environment I want.

LECA is primarily for plants growing in S/H, but is also good for the dry end of the spectrum in traditional culture, shooting for super airy conditions - 100% LECA in a standard container. If I want the medium to retain more water, I blend in the rockwool cubes to whatever proportion I want. I find that 100% rockwool gets too compact and soppy for standard containers, but seems to be good when used in relatively shallow trays.

 

[clearsky57]

I am a huge advocate of buying in quantity, (if you have the storage) as the prices really do drop this way, and virtually nothing goes bad if stored correctly. One idea is if you haven't - join a local orchid society... Many clubs offer buying in bulk to save on costs, and share those reductions to their members. I personally know that companies like Orchiata, are harder to deal with as an individual for purchasing nowadays, but, they do offer club discounts, and you can certainly get in on "group buys" this way, and not have to buy 25 bags of bark for your self.
I taylor make my mixes, based on a long time of what works for me in my situation, and anyone that has been at it for a long time, will tell you, they have the perfect solution.. Most well known speakers, somewhere in their talks, will say " This is what works for me" So you have to realize, and cater to your conditions.. All that being said, you mentioned fine bark... I like small mixes but if you are repotting a couple times a year... (sigh, wish i could maintain that schedule) you can always tweek your mixes where you see something isn't quite working the way you want.
visually seeing good healthy roots means you must be on track..
good luck.

 

[Walter Meshaka]

I am a huge advocate of buying in quantity, (if you have the storage) as the prices really do drop this way, and virtually nothing goes bad if stored correctly. One idea is if you haven't - join a local orchid society... Many clubs offer buying in bulk to save on costs, and share those reductions to their members. I personally know that companies like Orchiata, are harder to deal with as an individual for purchasing nowadays, but, they do offer club discounts, and you can certainly get in on "group buys" this way, and not have to buy 25 bags of bark for your self.
I taylor make my mixes, based on a long time of what works for me in my situation, and anyone that has been at it for a long time, will tell you, they have the perfect solution.. Most well known speakers, somewhere in their talks, will say " This is what works for me" So you have to realize, and cater to your conditions.. All that being said, you mentioned fine bark... I like small mixes but if you are repotting a couple times a year... (sigh, wish i could maintain that schedule) you can always tweek your mixes where you see something isn't quite working the way you want.
visually seeing good healthy roots means you must be on track..
good luck.

I'm a heavy waterer, so I buy non-uniform in shape LECA in bulk from a local hydroponics outit for my semi-hydros and potteds.

 

[BrucherT]

Regarding Hausermann’s, I mostly use their products either stand-alone or as a base to which I add other components. I’m generally satisfied but I’m done batches lately I find myself picking through as I pot to pull out bits of nonbark actual wood, which rots faster and I just don’t like it. It’s not a problem, per se, because it’s easy for me to pull that stuff out. Just sharing.

I think Hausermann’s sphagnum is fine. It’s not golden and pretty and pristine like NZ sphagnum I use for Neofinetia; it’s got lots on stems, grasses and other inclusions. But it’s never caused me any problems. They mill some of it into their bark mixes. Here are photos of recently purchased Hausermann’s sphagnum.