Hi, Arthur! Sorry the mine in your country has closed. Yesterday I got to purchase a bag of 2 kilograms of diatomite for almost cents. It must be the only thing that hasn´t raised its price in the long lock down we´re living here (about 7 months). I´ll try the buy the last bags I found in that shop; sure the owners have forgotten to re-mark its price. It´s the first time I see diatomite as I don´t have cats, and that´s the main use people generally give it: as a litter. I observe it absorbs the whole water you put it around. I was thinking to use it straight as a mix (as I use leca) but perhaps that would absorb all the water in the mix? So I´ll probably mix it only in a 15%% as you suggest, with grave or leca, since nowadays I do all my SH mixes with inorganics. In a way to console you about the mine in your country, I must tell you I loved leca VERY much but the local manufacturer closed, so I can´t get it any more. Anyway they produced small to medium pellets (in very irregular shapes) just for building purposes and not the big ones that are commonly sold for orchids all over the world. (Anyway IMHO common plants do much better in leca than orchids). As regards to this beautiful forum "inactivity" it´s a pity: I see most of those lost members must be really treasures as you say. No doubts Facebook has captured the global attention for everything, including the orchids cultivation. In my opinion, the point with those FB pages is that they have many experienced people but also a lot of blabbers too. Many regards.

Seasun, a south window is great, but 5 feet away is too far. You are not giving your phal enough light and it will decline into death if you leave it where it is. Orchids take some time to die, so you'll think you're doing fine, doing ok, maybe not growing like it should. Oh NO!!! What happened to my beautiful orchid???? Here's how where to put the phal figures: phals need about 1000 footcandles of light to grow and bloom. *Outside* at high noon = app 10,000 FC. You are never getting anything near that indoors because of the ceiling and roof of the house cutting off that directly overhead sun. All you are getting is the slanting sun, of much less than 10,000FC. Cut in half by the window glass and screen. Cut in half again *for every foot away from the window*. At 5 feet from your south window you are giving it *100FC or less* by my fairly generous estimate of what your south window actually lets in. In St Louis, I can keep phals *in* a south window with no damage, just far enough from the pane for a shade to slide down. Start moving it closer to the window. The first day move it to about 2 feet from the window. Leave it there a day or two, feeling the leaves where the sun falls on them (if it does). If they are hot, it's too much light, move at least 6" further away. If barely warm or cool, move closer. Repeat above, moving it 6" closer to the window every couple of days til you are at the place where nearer the window = leaves are hot (or it's in the window). There's been a lot of discussion with newbies about how much light to give phals here lately. Mostly newbies wanting to argue for keeping it on an inside wall in a bookcase where it looks great, more experienced growers arguing for more light, LOTS more. Your phal will love you if you do a search for these threads. Use the search function and put in something lilike "phal + light". If you leave it where it is and it dies in 6 months, put it down to needing to learn things the hard way. Actually that's how most of us learned this lesson.

I might have some interest, Nick. Depends on the company and what they offer. Had a real mess on a group order with one of the Aussie companies a couple years ago when the shipping got all screwed up at entry, my ten plants ended up only God knows where, but they did refund in full. Hopefully, it was a one-time happening.

I read so much about Trader Joe's orchids. Alas, no TJs anywhere near me :(