The reason is probably innocent ignorance. The criminal is not the grower (who I'm quite certain knows how to grow orchids well enough to sell) but the retailer - typically walmart, or a grocery store. Good job on the repot - hope it lives : )

I will give the retailer a pass on this, they don't care enough to do any re-potting, they get it directly from a distributor. Even Trader Joe, famous for the Dendrobium / Phal combo pack, uses bark.

I would be willing to bet that it was bought from a florist who often mess up orchids with inappropriate pots and green moss.

Our local grocery store recently received a shipment of Dendrobiums, the first orchids I've ever seen at this grocery store. The plants are all in bloom, and look quite healthy... but a closer look reveals that they are planted in a very mushy mix of potting soil and bark. And of course, they are way overpriced, and tagged generically!

I know they can't possibly stay healthy, swimming in this soupy mix, as they are... I, too, wonder who does this, and what the thinking is behind it?

Is the motive quick death for the orchid so the customer buys another?

It's probably Pro-Mix rather than dirt. Mostly Canadian sphagnum peat with a few additives. Many orchid nurseries and hobbyists grow their plants very successfully in this mix. Just need to be careful not to overwater.

cjwatson- I don't know if you're referring to jodik's post or mine, but other than the few pieces of bark attached to the orchid roots the rest of the mix was heavy, wet and dense. It looked like the worst kind of potting soil you can buy at the local garden center...I wouldn't even pot my normal plants in it. What does Pro-Mix look like when wet?

jodik- That's an expensive plant to have a store arrange a quick death for it. I don't know what prices are like down in the US, but florists and grocery stores charge WAY too much for their orchids ($60+ for an in bloom noid phal I saw recently). Other than ignorance of proper culture, as mentioned by Calvin, I can't see another reason for it though.

Tyler

Tyler, Pro-Mix looks like dirt, but it isn't. When it is wet, it looks like wet dirt. It's commonly used for mass-market Dendrobiums and Phals since it stays wetter longer and is so easy to pot up -- just rinse off the roots, jam it into a bigger pot and pour. In the very competitive orchid market, it keeps costs down.

Some dealers use it straight, others mix it with bark and other media. I've seen many big-box orchids down here potted in it for years.

The Pro-Mix lets the grower extend the watering period which cuts down on the time the plants need attention.

I've seen many "good" growers use it with success. I hate it but I hate all peat based mixes :>)

Brooke

I purchased a Phal from Stony Brook Orchids in NJ that was potted in Perlite and Peat which looks like regular potting soil.

Interesting. Growers that use this stuff must have significantly different growing conditions than the average indoor hobbyist. Most of the roots on my mother's orchid were mush.

That's the problem with any medium that is used by dealers; it may not work under your conditions. I can't grow orchids in sphagnum moss (with just a few exceptions that do well for me such as Paphs) so plants in sphag need to be repotted when I get them home. What worked for the grower doesn't automatically work for me. And what works for me may not work for you.

It just takes time to experiment and figure out what is best for your conditions. The commercial grower grew in what worked best for him.

Tyler - the retail price for poor looking Phals in my area is around $24 US, and the Dens I saw recently were about 10 dollars more than that.

The very first orchid I ever bought was a Phal... it cost me roughly $24, and was potted in soggy potting soil hidden with a top layer of bark. Needless to say, the roots were about gone by the time I noticed, and the poor Phal died a slow death of starvation because it couldn't intake any food or water. I tried to save it, but it was too late. I have since learned quite a bit, and the orchids I have now are all alive and well.

While this potting soil look-alike might work in hot or dry climates, where watering would occur more frequently... it's certain death to a plant in climatic conditions that don't call for watering that often. It also is quite compacted and doesn't allow for decent oxygen/gas exchange at root level. As far as I'm aware, most orchid types prefer a very porous, open medium to maintain healthy roots, and the slop I've seen used as medium can't possibly be healthy in that respect.

Why they do it? I don' know... it certainly doesn't make sense... unless the plan is to make more money by selling orchids that will die quickly, so customers will buy more.

It has nothing to do with hot or dry conditions regarding the media of choice by growers. It has to do if you understand the manner in which it dries.

I don't know of any true vendor of orchids who wants you to kill the plants. Usually this makes a very unhappy new owner and they won't repeat buy if they did not have success.

Buying from big box store type places, good luck. The bulk type vendor still put the plant into a media that worked for them and their watering schedule but the stores receiving those plants don't have a clue.

You can get better plants, usually cheaper, from a true orchid vendor and if the plant has a health issue, they vendor will try to correct the situation. A happy customer spreads the word :>)

Brooke

Its all going to depend, from the sounds of it, the original grower probably grew their plants in more light and heat with plenty of air circulation, so they need a mix that retains more moisture.

The other thought process to them is that the people that buy them just because they look pretty, wont know how to water them properly and will more then likely forget about them, thus only having to water once every 2 or 3 weeks.

Most of these NDL plants, the growers dont plan on the majority of people keeping these plants, you'd be amazed at how many people throw them out after the dinner party or when they are done blooming. So the growers dont really care. Tis is one of the reasons that plants with no lable arent worth much, UNLESS you know what they are or how to take care of them, OR you live in a place where you can take them and tie them to your tree.

I grow my phals and dens in sphagnum with nutricote added to it. my phals are grown in 50 - 60 % sun, while my dens in full sun so they need more moisture to keep them going, they get watered every day from march till dec, ok, nobile dend till oct, lol. I do think its horrible for the plain potting mix though. hope your plant makes it though.

What you might want to do is get some dip and grow from charleys greenhouses, or any distributor that sells it. One capfull per gallon of water, and soak the plant in it for 10 - 15 mins, or any plants that have a scarce root system, the stuff is amazing.

Good luck
John

i was reading this article a couple of days ago which may explain the dirt and i think backs up what cjwatson is saying:

https://www.msu.edu/user/harveyb/mud.htm

i thought is was quite interesting. dont think it would be good for me because i am an overwater addict.

sue

The article does explain why growers would want to use such a medium, but it also states that a peat based medium "may be less forgiving of poor conditions than other media"... Lord knows the average home plus the average consumer equals poor conditions.

The mass plant market is aimed directly at the average consumer, and in some cases, the tags on the plants indicate that they should be tossed after blooming. It's nothing more than a money game. The article also mentions that growers can get a salable crop, from flask to bloom, much quicker by using a peat based medium.

Those with decent knowledge or decent growing conditions would adjust watering and other culture if they used such a medium... but most people who purchase orchids "because they like the flowers", have no clue how or when to water properly, and many probably don't even know the plants can be re-bloomed.

There's a big difference between growers and collectors like us, and the average home owner who just wants a nice centerpiece for the dining room table, and doesn't mind spending the $30, or so, to get it. They also don't mind pitching it in the trash after the last bloom is gone.

The mass orchid market is no different than the market for fall Mums, Christmas Poinsettias and Amaryllis, Easter Lilies, etc... it's not about selling a healthy plant to someone who will continue to care for it properly for years to come... it's all about numbers.

Those of us who know better shop differently... we also grow differently.

Given what I know about perched water tables, proper drainage, and the relationship between container grown plants, growing medium, water, fertilizer and other cultural necessities, I don't think it's the best medium for my purposes.

No one is trying to get you to switch to a peat based product, it is what works for some growers. I hate peat, it is also non-renewable media that once collected, cannot be replenished.

While true that many people will enjoy the blooms and then toss the plant when it dies in their possession, other people will become fascinated with the thought they can rebloom something that is considered "difficult and picky". When that happens, you have another orchid addict born.

Many people can grow in the peat based mix quite successfully - yes, even orchids. It is understanding what is going on inside the pot and what works best for you.

Brooke

In spite of the fact that my very first orchid died, and in spite of the fact that the roots rotted away in soggy potting soil hidden with a layer of bark, I have persevered and become as addicted to orchids as I am to Amaryllids.

I'm not swayed the least by anything other than science and experience when it comes to growing plants... of any kind. I have discovered what keeps potted plants healthy below soil level, and now, simply must adjust a bit for orchids, since I'm not an old hand at growing them quite yet.

What I'm saying is... and it's the same for any product with a price tag... it's all about the money. It's not about what's best for the product or consumer... and that's a shame.

Some people will have tremendous luck growing in a peat based medium... some have great luck growing in clay pellets... others in moss... it's all relevant to what works for the individual and the environment they have.

I hope others who have the same first experience I had, are not so disillusioned as to never try another orchid. That would be the real shame.

I got a phal, out of bloom, for $2 because the store had it in a glass pot, no drainage. The thing was swimming in water. I literaly poured water out of the container before taking it to the counter. I could see the roots through the glass. They were nice and green. Some of the others on the discount shelf weren't so lucky. Their roots were mush. Anyway, I got the discounted, poorly cared for phal. I went straight home and potted it in a bark mixture. It looks great now!! It's definitely happier not swimming! So, the phal got rescued and I'll get a surprise when it blooms since I have no idea what color it will be!!

I started my addiction at Home Depot and it took me a while and a load of uncalled for heartbreak and dead orchids to figure out that it's NOT the grower/supplier's fault but, rather, the retailer (HD in this case) that either over or under waters the orchids without a clue of what they're doing. I quit buying there and Jodi is right that it's a high dollar motivated potted plant market and is a deterrent to beginner collectors. BTW, our society has one person with an indoor HID light culture that continually wins ribbons in our shows with fantastic orchids potted in ProMix !!! He swears by it !!

You say po-TOT-oh and I say po-TATE-oh !

Chryss

I bought my first two orchids about 5 years ago at Home Depot as well ...The second, an out of bloom dendrobium, I actually got to grow a few new pbs before it died on me. I pulled it out of the pot after to see if I could figure out what happened and found that the root ball was wrapped in a small plastic bag, no drainage. The sphag around the plastic was bone dry, but inside it was still sopping wet and smelled awful. It was like they had started the plant in the bag, and instead of repotting it they just stuck the whole thing inside another pot with some new moss around it. :(

Not sure who to blame for that one, but it was the last plant I bought from Home Depot.

My sister insists on growing her Dendrobium in potting soil. I was appalled and gave her all the benefit of my years of experience on how she ought to do it. It's been about 10 years now and she still grows it in soil. It's about 1.5 feet tall with a dozen canes and has long spikes of rich fushia red blooms regularly. I've decided she gets by with it because the pot is a shallow pottery bowl with rocks mixed in. And she adamantly insists no plant should be watered more than once a week. (sigh) It works for her!
Sherlene

At a customer's home on a hallway table with completely indirect low light I see a gorgeous white dish plate Phal with approx 30 blooms !!! "How long have you had this orchid ?" "About 5 years." "What do you feed it ?" "I don't." "How often do you repot it ?" "I haven't." I didn't ask any more questions ! GO FIGURE !!!

Chryss

If I were to grow like that, I'd have nothing alive. I'm a stickler for certain things, and one of them is checking my plant collections on a regular basis, and caring for them according to individual need. That's the secret to my success.

I learned a long time ago that a "green thumb" is nothing more than applied knowledge.

Sphag works for growers because their plants are grown in optimal conditions. Bright light and controlled temps. Phals like sphag and can grow very well in it if conditions are good. I use sphag on my Phals mixed with bark and perlite. Sometimes I add Aussie Gold as I like how well it drains. I've used pro mix as well. Pro Mix does look like potting soil. Aussie has Pro Mix in it. You can thank the retailers for the rotted roots, not the growers.

Most dens sold in big box stores are potted in a chunk of coconut. It can appear soft and mushy but they do fine in it. I am a poor waterer and my plants grow dry. They manage better than with people who over-water. I always add sphag to all my mixes. Straight bark is too dry for my watering habits and environment.

Quick story: I'm an old time gardener both outside and in. Many years ago I was given a Den as a gift. First orchid. Had no knowledge of what it was or how to grow it. It sat in the window along with my many houseplants. It had come in a small 4" pot. After the first year I decided it needed repotting. I stuck in in potting soil in a ceramic pot. That plant grew and flowered every year. I still have that Den. It's been divided many times and given as gifts. Of course, it was moved into bark when I knew better. But it grew perfectly well in potting soil and loved that ceramic pot!

Jane

I used to be an under-waterer... that was a long time ago, when I was young and had way too many other things happening in my life, and plants were not an important part of it. I'm surprised any survived, and even more surprised that several flourished and bloomed. I had a young Hoya in a hanging basket that rarely ever saw water, but it grew and flowered like a weed. My very first Hippeastrum bulb got little care... I treated it like a houseplant, and it grew and bloomed beautifully every spring.

Now, I only water when a plant needs moisture, and since I have several different types of plants, and they all need moisture at different times, I spend some time checking so everyone is cared for properly. Plants play a more important role in my life now, as weird as that may sound. My children are grown and on their own, and I have more time to devote to my love of plants.

I still second-guess myself at times, but when I find myself in doubt, I wait a day or two to add moisture. Orchids are a different animal, so to speak, and many of my habits need to be relearned. Most other plant types are fairly even in their culture, but orchids are spread out all over the place, culture-wise. Each type has a different set of needs.

In my slightly cramped and strange environment, growing anything can be quite a challenge. Successful orchid growing is really challenging, but I'm meeting that challenge, I believe. I could never grow healthy roots in a medium that held onto moisture for too long, or broke down and decomposed too quickly. I would rather water more often, and use a more aerated medium.

We all began somewhere, and we all learned through trial and error and gathered knowledge, but our love for plants keeps us moving forward.