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Re: Orchids...More Questions for Julia

Well, like I suggested before, I really wouldn't bother dividing them,
just find heavier pots.  For the dendrobiums & catt's, I'd suggest
you'll want to keep with an 'open' mix.  Something that will hold
mosture for a couple days while maintaining good air circulation.  Now,
if you can't find fir bark or premade or other conventional orchid
mixes, (really, the suggestion about checking local hardware stores is
good.  Here in Maryland, they all sell orchid stuff.)  you'll have to
improvise.  Look for:  coconut husk fiber (often comes in compressed
"gro-bricks", expand it in boiling water and then rinse it, this often
has high salt content), sphagnum moss (not peat moss), or other
water-holding, chunky fiber.  Mix these with varying ammounts of some
chunky, non-water-holding material such as packing peanuts,
horticultural charcoal, perilite, or even shreaded (+washed) tires.  For
the catt.s & dend.s, use roughly 60:40 moist to dry material in clay
pots.  For the Phal.'s, use maybe 80:20 moist to dry, also in clay
pots.  This should allow you to follow the same watering schedule with
both types.  If you feel the Phal's aren't staying moist long enough,
inc. the "moist" content.

Just remember to only allow for one to two years tops growing space for
the catts and dends, to prevent xs moisture retention which leads to
rot.  For the phals, examine the roots and give them 1 to 2 inches extra
room all around in the new pot.  

Happy growing!
Julia
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