I'm new to taking care of houseplants and have been learning through YouTube and TikTok. I've noticed a lot of people recommend using orchid bark in their potting mixes, but it tends to be quite pricey in my area. Right now, I only have perlite and some universal potting soil. I'm curious if it's worth spending the money on orchid bark, or if I can get by with what I already have. Any advice would be super helpful, thank you!
3 Answers
Orchid bark isn’t a must-have! Its main purpose is for aeration, and you can achieve that with other materials like perlite or even coconut chips, which might be cheaper for you. Rinsing coconut chips helps remove any salt, too. So, you should be just fine skipping the orchid bark!
If you're growing more specialized plants like epiphytic orchids, orchid bark is helpful since their roots naturally cling to this material. However, for most houseplants, you can opt for cheaper alternatives like pine bark or just stick with your regular soil and perlite. It’s all about finding what works best for your plants and budget!
While orchid bark does benefit certain plants, it's definitely not essential. For now, adding more perlite to your mix should work well. It really depends on the type of plants you're growing, especially for those that thrive on drainage and aeration. You can choose other alternatives that are more affordable and still effective.
Haha, I thought I was in the wrong place too when I saw the soil talk instead of orchids! 😂