Phalaenopsis Monterey Dark Imperial Orchid Potting Mix by rePotme (Junior Bag)

I loveeeee this potting mix!! My orchids loved it, it was gorgeous looking in contrast with my bright colored flowers and pots. Unfortunately have not bought again, because quantity is simply not enough for me. I have 5 orchids, 4 of them in 6 inch pots. I’d have to spend quite a bit of money to fill all of my pots… however if I DID have play money like that, I’d make the purchase! Super duper worth it.

I purchased a large bag of rePotme orchid mix about 2 years ago. Back then it was just large chunks of high quality bark and perlite. I ended up buying a pack of sphagnum moss separately to add to the mixture. This year, I bought a new bag. The mix has changed... but for the better. Same big chunks of premium bark and perlite. But there is also sphagnum moss and leica (porous clay balls) in the mix. This orchid mix is not cheap, but it's worth it. I don't have to order the materials separately. Plus the quality materials used in this mix are harder to source and are generally more expensive, too. Save time and just get this. I have never had any problems with the orchids I plant in rePotme orchid mixes. In fact, they thrive. A year after repotting, I got double spikes and huge blooms for the first time on my Phalenopsis.

My orchid seems to love this potting mix, as I repotted it only a couple of weeks ago, and I’m already seeing that it has a new leaf sprouting and new roots. It seems to be happy and healthy! This is very different from what you’d think of in a potting mix, as it is not dirt that you’d use for other plants. I’ve done a ton of research on orchid potting mix and this one seems to be the best. It is a bit pricey, but it is worth it. Your orchids will thank you!

Expensive, yes. I feel this mix is a bit over priced and that is why I took off one star. But having said that, I did buy more as my phalaenopsis orchids seem to be quite happy with it. I started out with their "small/junior" bag and ended up buying the "regular" size bag as I needed more. The "small/junior" sized bag (16oz?), let me repot one six (6") inch and one five (5") inch orchid. So as you can see, that small bag won't be repotting a lot of orchids. So that is why I feel like it is a bit over priced. But I do still feel it will be worth the money. Pro's - 1. Provides good aeration for my phalaenopsis roots that they really need. 2. High quality of bark, lava pebbles (?), good quality of spagnum moss, will see that mix lasts longer and won't break down as fast as cheap brands will. This also means that I will not need to repot my orchids as much. 3. Pieces of bark and "lava pebbles" are not too small as to quickly compact around orchids roots which can then hold too much water that can lead to root rot. But you will have to water more, keep that in mind with this mix. 4. This is an American made product! Con's - 1. Expensive to be sure! 2. As said above. This mix provides great aeration for phalaenopsis roots, but it does not hold or "store" much water. This can be great for roots, but more frequent watering may be needed. 3. Depending on the the bag you get (as in how the mix is put together at factory), you may want or need to add some extra moss to your pots. I had plenty in mine, but some have said they did not get enough. 4. Bark pieces are bigger and that can make your repotting of your orchids a bit more challenging. I found that I needed to work the pieces into and around my phalaenopsis orchids roots a bit more than with a mix that has much smaller pieces. I also used plant stakes to hold orchid in a more upright position that I wanted. Once my orchids get more new roots, this should not be a further problem at all. I had really neglected my orchids, and as a result of this, they did not have many good roots left. So as you can see, there are good things and some not so good things with this product. At this point, I feel like this is worth my money. If I find out later it really isn't, I will updated my review.

My orchids are thriving since I transplanted them and used this potting mix!

Orchid bark product is easy to use in transplanting and delivers the higher levels of moisture required.

I literally never leave Amazon reviews, but I feel like this company and this product 100% deserve it! I had an orchid that I got from work almost 2 years ago and had never repotted it. I finally decided to nervously take on the task and chose this potting mix to do so. I bout it on November 19th and repotted the orchid a couple days later when it arrived. It has been almost exactly 2 months and my orchid grew an entire new stem that is now budding!! I was terrified that I may have killed the plant at first since I repotted mid bloom, but it has literally never been better!! I have since reordered this medium and have repotted my 2 other orchids, as well as, all of my other succulents and waxy plants and all of them have taken well to the mix and have started new growth! If you’re a novice plant parent and are nervous about choosing a new potting mix, you can confidently use this for multiple types of plants, and I assure you that you will not be disappointed! Thank you!!

I use this exclusively for my orchids with excellent results. I also save the old mix after repotting and add it to regular potting soil to improve the drainage for other types of plants