Frequently Asked Questions

It is important that you allow pine bark medium to dry sufficiently before rewatering. These wet and dry cycles help to control fungi and insect growth which leads to stronger root growth. You can tell when pine bark medium has dried sufficiently by either picking up the pot and feeling the weight (a dry pot will be very light compared to a wet pot); or by carefully digging down into the media – the media should be dry for the first 2 – 3cm (in small pots) and 4 – 5 cm in bigger pots. How often you water the orchid...

Do I need to wash Pine Bark before potting? No, Pine Bark does not need to be washed before use; it should be used straight from the bag. Unlike some other bark products, New Zealand Pine Bark: Has not been contaminated by soil or other organic matter Does not contain high salt Does not contain high amounts of bark dust as processing removes this If you DO wash Pine Bark you will wash out the dolomite, which we have added during production as it is beneficial for plant growth. Washing Pine Bark will unnecessarily increase labour costs, while destroying one of the key...

Dunking is one of the best methods of fertilization since the entire media gets wet with fertilizer thoroughly; however, if the runout is used to fertilize other orchids, it would be the easiest way to transmit diseases including viruses from one plant to another. Dunking can also become difficult if you have a large collection. The easiest way is to use a hand-held sprayer or a motorized sprayer, and spray the leaves as well as into the pots until fertilizer begins to run out of the pots.

Phalaenopsis are known to bloom off old spikes and so are Equitant Oncidiums. For all other orchid genera, the spike can be removed once blooming is done with. However, if you are worried about transmitting the virus through cutting a flower stalk, then you may allow the flower stalk to dry up before you make a cut.

 Algae and mosses grow in an acidic and moist environment. Orchids like to dry out between waterings while algae and mosses like to be constantly wet all the time. Whenever you water your orchids remember to water them thoroughly once or twice a day as climatic conditions demand rather than several halfhearted mistings spaced out several times during the day. If this doesn\'t solve your problem especially during the monsoons, then you can top dress with Dolomite or Calcium Carbonate(Oyster Shell). Remember that Oyster Shell generates a lot of heat and is not to be used during hot weather. This...