Well Richard,you are probably lucky that Orchiata bark has disappeared over there as you will have found its quality has gone downhill in the last few years. Good to hear you have a product there that you are happy with and is still around. The Kiwi Orchid bark is a very good and long lasting product in the pot.

https://www.barkproductstaranaki.com/ki ... ark-grades

Elite Orchids in Gloucester UK are the distributors over there.

Interesting to see Andy mention Radiata because many years ago that was the latest craze in potting bark until importing became a problem then someone here found Orchiata. Now the original Orchiata importer has disappeared I am not sure what the latest "must have" is. I have stuck with Melcourt for many years and it has served me well. It was sourced originally from around the Thetford Forest here in the UK but I gather that to-day it comes from Portugal.

I agree with your post Florian on the 2 NZ sourced orchid barks. Orchiata has definitely deteriorated in quality.

I’ve used both Orchiata and Kiwi Orchid Bark, but have now switched completely to the latter, as recent batches of Orchiata were really of inferior quality, with lots of soggy material contained in it. I am adding finely graded charcoal and perlite, and fertilise with Osmocote slow release fertilizer - and this year’s flowering was a blast, so something must be working well.

But as others mentioned before: you need to experiment and play around a bit to find the optimum substrate that works FOR YOUR CONDITIONS - which is why we all have different mixes we’re swearing by.

Getting back to basics, most of the orchids we grow are technically epiphytic so all they want is a host for support.
I just believe in keeping things simple and it works for me. I always felt that in its hey day Orchiata was a complete rip off pricewise. I have even heard of one grower who used to grow good plants using broken up bottle corks, others using pumice. If it works, why make it so complicated?

jjurlina wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2024 3:17 pm Again very usefull info, I can see the relevance of all the additions with the exception of the ferrous sulphate.

According to my findings on an internet search, ferrous sulphate is added to plant media to treat chlorosis and stunted growth due to iron deficiency. It also acts to lower the pH level. It is water soluble so I'm not sure how long it's effects would be felt once watering the plant on a regular schedule.

I've just bought a couple of bags of Orchiata which cost me AU$70
It is the new product as the seller did mention the smaller amounts and the increased price. I do have to say the product seller is the son of a local club member and does give us a small discount as most of the club members buy from him.
Can't say I've noticed any difference so far but I've only repotted a few so far.
I would be interested in getting some of the Kiwi Bark if anyone knows of a local seller in South Australia.

Somehow I think this discussion has got really off the track! I was involved with Clive Washington and Dalton's in the 1980's when they were developing Orchiata. I have been using Radiata pine bark since the 1970's and its pH is right around 4.0 which is quite acidic. I have always used both Gypsum and Calcium Carbonate to correct this low pH and bring it as close to pH 7.0 as possible. The formulation for the Orchiata product was developed by Xavier de Loubresse and is proprietary. I have no idea about the Orchiata that is being sold today but the original product, made to Xavier's formulation, was the best bark product in the world. I know how it was treated etc. but I respect the confidence of those who told me. My mix has some elements of the Orchiata formulation but is different.

Yeh, I think since Daltons took over the Orchiata product, things have gone downhill a bit - and the fact they don't even bother to sell it retail in NZ says it all.

Kiwi Bark was the alternative brand that I was referring to. Of course Orchidata/Daltons would argue that the quality has not changed but a few users here would agree witth you. The difference in price will always be a big factor in the decision on which brand to purchase. Orchidata has developed a loyal following in the markets they sell into and from what I can gather thier export quantities are of a profitable size which is why they dont bother with NZ sales.