Orchid Compost 8 Litre Carry Bag, Black Gold
£6.49
Orchid Compost
Orchid compost is a specialist, free-draining growing medium made for orchids, whose roots need far more air than ordinary compost can give them. Gro Worm's orchid compost is enriched with pure worm casts to support strong root growth and more abundant, longer-lasting flowers.
Not sure if you need it? If you are growing moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) or most other houseplant orchids, you do. In the wild they grow clinging to trees, not in soil, so their roots quickly rot in ordinary multipurpose compost.
Our 8 litre carry bag is the easiest place to start. If you want the full picture on watering, feeding, repotting and getting your orchid to flower again, read our guide on how to look after an orchid.
Orchid compost: common questions
What compost do orchids need?
Orchids need an open, free-draining medium, not a dense, soil-like compost. Most orchids sold as houseplants are epiphytes: in the wild they grow clinging to the bark of trees, with their roots exposed to air and rain rather than buried in the ground. To keep them happy in a pot, the compost has to drain very freely and let air reach the roots, which is exactly why orchids need their own specialist compost.
Why can't you use ordinary compost for orchids?
Ordinary compost holds water and closes tightly around the roots. For a plant whose roots are built for open, airy conditions, that means sitting cold and wet with no oxygen, which is the quickest route to root rot and the most common way orchids are lost. Standard compost also breaks down and compacts over time, squeezing out the air pockets orchid roots depend on. A specialist orchid compost stays open and drains fast, so the roots can breathe.
What makes Gro Worm orchid compost different?
Ours is enriched with pure worm casts. Worm casts release micronutrients gently and support strong, healthy root development, and with orchids the roots are everything. It is a specialist orchid medium rather than a repurposed general compost, made to keep roots well aired and well fed so the plant can put its energy into more abundant, longer-lasting flowers.
Looking for advice on caring for the plant itself rather than choosing compost? Our full orchid care guide covers watering, light, feeding, repotting and reflowering.