Experiment for growing mix

[Neil]

I have been doing a lot of experiments on the soil mixture that I am using to grow my orchids in.  Here is the results  of one them

I had 2 one year old tubers of Orchis anthropophorum planted up, last summer,  one was in a mix of 50% of Melcourt Sylvamix® Potting and 50% super coarse perlite, with Rootgrow added to the mix, the other was in a mix of 50% John Innes number 2 and 50% perlite and the rootgrow.  Both tubers when they started where near enough the same size, about 10mm, sorry I can't find the photo of them that I took last year, but the result was the one the in the Melcourt Sylvamix® Potting did a lot better than the other one.

[daveyp1970]

Niel where can i get hold of the sylvamix.

[Neil]

Niel where can i get hold of the sylvamix.

http://www.melcourt.co.uk/g-ordering.html

I got mine from http://www.fargro.co.uk/ which is about 30 miles from me in Littlehampton, they have a cash counter which is quite handy.
I think it was about £6.70 plus VAT for 70 litres

[Maggi Young]

Good result there, Neil.
Was there more top growth on the larger tuber as well ?

[Neil]

Yes it ended up with 5 or 6 leaves the other managed 2.

[Maggi Young]

 Hmm, all round better growth then   

[Maren]

Hi Neil,

would love to try this. Littlehampton is also my nearest branch of Fargro's, but 75 miles away. Maybe I'll combine it with a trip to the seaside

Just a little need for clarification: You say you used Sylvamix Potting, which is the PH neutral version. Fargro just told me over the phone that they only sell Sylvamix Natural, which is the high lime version. I am confused. Please help.

[Anthony Darby]

Very interesting. Each tuber is a dependent on the present year's growth, rather like potatoes, so the bigger the plant the bigger the new tuber. The old tuber shrivels to nothing.

[TC]

For Scottish growers it is unavailable here.  I contacted Clydeside Growers in Kirkmuirhill - the only Melcourt distributors in Scotland -who do not stock it and have no plans to do so.

[Maren]

Hi,
it appears I was wrong when I said the Sylvamix Natural was high lime. I concluded that when I read on their blurb that it is not suitable for acid loving plants. Since then I had a call back from Catherine Dawson of Melcourt, and she told me that the description was incorrect, in fact, neither product was recommended for acid loving plants. The difference between the two is this:
Sylvamix Natural is organic (with a certificate of the Soil Association), and Sylvamix Potting is not.

I think I'll buy a couple of bags. If anyone wishes to share, please email me and we can come to some arrangement.

[Neil]

Oh that is interesting Maren. I need to get hold  of Fargo and give them a telling off for giving me the wrong information and selling it to me as Potting, shame I haven't got the bag any more or emails from them.  Anyway it also works well on strawberries. Best crop I have had in years!

[Maren]

Hi Neil,
hard to tell what it is you got. The Melcourt lady said that Fargro have bought the entire range of Sylvamix, but the young girl I spoke to at Fargro didn't know what they had. It's nice to know that you did so well with it, whatever it was.

[goofy]

hey,
just want to show you, what is POSSIBLE
with NEUDOHUM potting mix from Germany,
for me a very similar material like the Silvamix.

I recieved that photo last days from my buddy
who grows his terrestrial orchids in that material.

The pic shows a tuber of Orchis italica
( it is not a childs hand )
AND its NOT A POTATO 

enjoy

[Peter Maguire]

That's an impressive tuber  .
I wonder what effect it has on flowering - presumably as you still have one growing point, you get one flowering spike?

Incidentally, Neil, who started this thread, has crossposted his photo into a topic about Neudohum on the terrestrial orchid forum: http://forum.terrorchid.org/viewtopic.php?t=1012

It makes for quite interesting reading concerning the use of benficial fungi in terrestrial orchid composts.

[Neil]

That is definitely an impressive tuber

Incidentally, Neil, who started this thread, has crossposted his photo into a topic about Neudohum on the terrestrial orchid forum: http://forum.terrorchid.org/viewtopic.php?t=1012

It makes for quite interesting reading concerning the use of benficial fungi in terrestrial orchid composts.

Regarding that article does anyone know a source for lignite in this country?