Good morning all,
I am considering changing substrate for my Russians who are wintered in the house in open top tort tables. For the last 3 years I have used straight cypress mulch and I am looking for a better alternative which seems to be orchid bark. My problem with the cypress mulch is that it doesn't hold moisture well and gets super dusty, I mix water in it every few days and still dries out so quickly. I live in an old house with hot water radiators so the air itself is dry but I try to combat that with a humidifier in my tort room. I have a few questions about cypress mulch and I would appreciate some input. Thanks in advance!
1. Does the orchid bark get dusty?
2. Does the orchid bark hold moisture?
3. Does orchid bark contain natural/artificial dyes that will stain?
4. About how long will it last before needing a complete change out? (my tort tables are large so I look for something that would last 6+ months, I of course would refresh it as needed and spot clean daily)
5. Anyone know a spot that sells bulk orchid bark online? Not many of the local home improvement stores here offer it .
I am considering changing substrate for my Russians who are wintered in the house in open top tort tables. For the last 3 years I have used straight cypress mulch and I am looking for a better alternative which seems to be orchid bark. My problem with the cypress mulch is that it doesn't hold moisture well and gets super dusty, I mix water in it every few days and still dries out so quickly. I live in an old house with hot water radiators so the air itself is dry but I try to combat that with a humidifier in my tort room. I have a few questions about cypress mulch and I would appreciate some input. Thanks in advance!
1. Does the orchid bark get dusty?
2. Does the orchid bark hold moisture?
3. Does orchid bark contain natural/artificial dyes that will stain?
4. About how long will it last before needing a complete change out? (my tort tables are large so I look for something that would last 6+ months, I of course would refresh it as needed and spot clean daily)
5. Anyone know a spot that sells bulk orchid bark online? Not many of the local home improvement stores here offer it .