strath76,
Hmmm...I think it is fired clay....if it is clay which is burnt, heated at high temperatures.
Tarence and Hongrui,
Thanks. They are a surprise to me actually. In the 4th photo, the plants in LFS/orchid media looked like trash under the same conditions. Hopefully the plants won't mind being repotted...they did afterall produce basals after turning yellow and black.
The burnt earth should be like pieces of brick. Red and hard. There are very fine powdery bit buts I find those useful for holding down smaller campanulata.
Phill Mann came to my place and he couldn't resist pointing out the amount of mineral build-up op top of the media. He even pointed to the salts found on the Cephs pots! I am going to carry all the pots into the bathroom and give them an overhead shower once my doctor okays me doing so.
