This is the absolute best mix that you can use for tropicals and specifically aroids. Its chunky, aerated and very free draining while also allowing the water retention these plants need to stay evenly moist but not overly wet.
The supplies:
1/4-1/2" orchid fir bark
1/4-1/2" horticultural charcoal
Coconut fibers or chopped compressed coconut husk
Maximum expanded coarse perlite
Measuring cup (or can or your handful)
At least 2 buckets or large nursery pots
The method:
Mix equal parts of all components for epiphytes. For terrestrials, add also an equal part of good quality potting soil (or Eco Earth or Peat).
I am repotting all of the new aroids I got recently from Ecuagenera. Some I got about a month ago, some about 2 weeks ago. Regardless of when I myself got them, the plants were in Ecuador 3 weeks before they were shipped here, and were allowed to acclimate at the nursery in Apopa FL (for 3 weeks before they were sold). I allowed them another few weeks here at my house.
Now they are ready to go into their permanent digs.
I use a bucket to hydrate the coconut husk. It comes in a brick. You break off a hunk, kind of shred it up, and put it in the bucket with enough water to cover, like you are cooking beans, and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes to soak up the water. Then you shred it a little more. The idea is to get fibers, not hunks. Hunks hold too much water.
While that's cooking, use whatever measure you want to use to scoop equal parts of all the other components into another bucket or nursery pot. If you are potting up a true epiphyte, you need not add any potting mix. Terrestrials, you can add some. Then add your wet coco husk/fibers and mix it all up.
I am potting first my new Anthurium metallicum. This plant can be either terrestrial or a primary hemi-epiphyte in nature (meaning it can grow in the trees or rocks above the forest floor with no soil and the roots will go down to the ground like a Monstera deliciosa). So I add a little potting mix (I am using what it came to me in, which is basically heavy on peat with the small perlite balls mixed in). This plant was taken from a stem cutting of a huge mother plant. I unpot my plant
It has a decent root system, but the old potting mix is sort of compacted around them. That's ok though, I shake off as much as I can. The ingredients in the new mix will work to wick all the unneeded water away from there. I orient the plant into the new container. I always use open wire baskets or plastic pond baskets with hundreds of holes for max drainage, even if I don;t hang the plants up. I set them into decorative containers on the ground if I don;t hang them
I've filled in around the plant with a goodly amount of mix. I water once, then hang it up
And wait for new growth!
