More on Seramis Orchid Mix

So after trying the regular Seramis clay granules for houseplants for over a week and having good results; the media held the water longer, but remained aerated and the look and texture of the roots was improving, I decided to order my very own bag.  I ordered from www.seramis.com.  I found out that the distributor here in the US is located in Germantown, MD.  Additionally, I wanted to try the actual mix that was specific for orchids.

It turns out that Seramis in the US is now a subsidiary of Mars, the candy and pet food company.  Once I received my shiny yellow bag of media, I repotted both my Phals.  I left the mix dry until tomorrow morning when the orchids get their monthly dose of liquid kelp.  This batch of Seramis is mixed with some type of bark.  I am looking forward to continued good results and hopefully, having my Phals grow some new healthy roots.

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Update

Since I repotted both my Phals into the Seramis Orchid mix, I have noticed that Snow White's roots have plumped up significantly.  She's been in it, for about 2 weeks or so.  At first, I potted her roots very shallow and they were exposed to air for about a good week or so.  After that initial week, I buried most of her roots a bit deeper, but left the media nice and airy.  I made no effort to pack in the Seramis, but only to cover the roots.  I have been watering her every 3-4 days and in between, I have been spraying her leaves with a weak mixture of water and Superthrive.  Her roots are now nice and green and very plump.

Her roots had black rotted spots scattered through their surface and were stained
brown from repeated fertilizer application

Her air roots as well as the ones in the media are a nice healthy shade

Of course, as the roots improve, the plant also takes a turn for the better in regards to its physical appearance:

Her oldest leaf yellowed and died.  Since I purchased her with 3 flowering spikes, I decided to sacrifice the last of the flowers, which were about to die in a few weeks anyways.  I trimmed the triad of spikes down to the base to ensure the plant would concentrate on repairing itself rather than producing or maintaining old blooms.  Since then, she has also put out a new leaf in the center, which is growing at a good pace.

Audrey 2, on the other hand, is not doing so well at the moment.  I am watering her a lot more conservatively until she recovers a bit more.  I transferred her over to a clear homemade pot and made numerous ventilation holes throughout its surface.  With the new mix, her roots should recover nicely and she is already working on putting out a new leaf:

These roots are still off colored and still rather stringy

New leaf growing

So far, I would have to admit that the Seramis Orchid mix has been a positive addition to my culture!