2.7
Potting monopodial orchids
2.7.1 Potting monopodial orchids in sphagnum moss
2.7.2 Potting monopodial orchids in bark
2.7.1 Potting monopodial orchids in sphagnum moss
2.7.2 Potting monopodial orchids in bark
2.8
Potting sympodial orchids
2.8.1 Potting sympodial orchids in sphagnum moss
2.8.2 Potting sympodial orchids in bark
2.8.1 Potting sympodial orchids in sphagnum moss
2.8.2 Potting sympodial orchids in bark
We use the following potting mixes and / or
potting materials: Mix A holds the most water, mix B a little
less than mix A, mix C a little less than mix B and so on.
Mix A - Sphagnum moss
Mix B - Semi-terrestrial mix
Mix C - Fine bark mix
Mix D - Medium bark mix
Mix E - Medium tree fern
Mix F - Long fibered coconut husk
Mix A - Sphagnum moss
Premium quality, long fibered sphagnum
moss, nothing else added.
Repot every year with this mix.
Mix B -Semi - terrestrial mix
A variation on this mix will include 1 part
lava rock or Aliven or a similar material.
Unless specified otherwise (for specific
plants), repot every two years with this mix.
Mix C - Fine bark mix
Repot every two years with this mix.
Mix D - Medium bark mix
Repot every two years with this mix.
Mix E - Medium tree fern
This consists of 100 % medium tree fern.
Repot every two to three years with this
mix.
Mix F - Long fibered coconut husk
This consists of 100 % long fibered coconut
husk. Fluff the material before using it because it is too
dense as it comes. Being too dense will reduce air circulation
and will hold water for too long.
Repot every three to five years with this
mix.
We use this long lasting potting material :
- for lining Vandas baskets,
- for lining wire baskets for Stanhopeas or
Vandaceous orchids,
- as a backing for some mounted plants,
Lining Vanda or wire baskets with long
fibered coconut husks prevents the potting material (which can
be medium bark, medium tree fern, coconut chunks,..) from
falling through the openings of the Vanda or the wire basket.
Use the material sparingly.
The composition of our potting mixes is
available on a summary chart.
Potting comprises 2 parts
1 - unpotting the plant from the old
container and grooming the plant,
2 - re-potting the plant and staking it if
necessary.
Unpotting the plant from the old container
Water the plant first as it makes it easier
to remove the old potting material.
Retrieve the plant from the pot and remove
all the old potting material.
Trim dead roots with sterilized shears or
scissors.
You are now ready to (re)pot the plant, so
let’s see which potting material we’ll use.
Which orchids to pot in sphagnum moss
When we mention “sphagnum moss”
or “moss” we mean the premium quality long fibered. We do not use the seedling grade, which to our
opinion, does not allow for enough air circulation.
As a general rule we use sphagnum moss for
potting:
Mature miniature plants, such as Tolumnia,
although potted usually in 2 to 3” clay pots, are not young plants
and therefore we do not pot them in
moss.
See at the end of this section the chart
“Potting Mixes” for which potting mix to use for
other plants.
Place the roots in the pot. The plastic pot size
should be just large enough to
accommodate the roots. If you use a
clay pot, use a pot that’s just one size larger
than the plastic pot, allowing for about
1” of space around the roots, a little more if you use a clay orchid pot.
Center the plant and hold it so that the
junction of roots and lower leaves is flush with the top of the plastic pot, add peanuts to fill just below the inside rim
of the plastic pot. If you are using a clay pot fill about 2/3
of the pot with peanuts.
Fluff the moss and fill with moss to the
top rim of the pot without pushing
too hard on the moss.
While holding the plant from the base
(where leaves and roots join), firm the moss down to the inside
rim of the pot (if you are using a clay pot, firm the moss down
to about 1/2” to 1” below the rim of the pot).
For best results moss must be well moist
(but not dripping wet - if it’s dripping wet squeeze the
water out of it). When placed and firmed in the pot the
sphagnum moss should pretty much stay in place. If it does not, then the
moss is too dry.
When done the base of the plant should be
just a little higher than the moss so
that leaves do not touch the moss and
the top of the roots are just a little bit exposed.
If you were to remove the plant from the
pot, you should see no more than 1/2” to at most 1”
of potting material in a 4” to 5” pot.
Trim yellow, shriveled leaves and parts of
leaves with spots.
If necessary stake the plan so that it does
not wobble. If the plant wobbles the roots will move
every time you water or touch the pot and the roots will have a
hard time establishing themselves. We like to use a 12
gage galvanized metal stake folded in two (U shape) to hold the
plant in place. After two or three months we just pull out the
stakes without disturbing the plant.
Place the roots in the pot. The plastic pot size
should be just large enough to
accommodate the roots plus about
1/2” space all around them. If you want to use a clay
pot, use a pot that’s just one size larger than the
plastic pot, allowing for about 1” of space around the
roots, a little more if you use a
clay orchid pot.
Center the plant and hold it so that the
junction of roots and lower leaves is flush with the top of the pot, then place a 1” to 2” ( pot size up to
5”) or 2” to 3” (pot size 6” to
7”) layer of Styrofoam peanuts at the base of the pot,
making sure to fill in between roots.
Add loosely the bark mix so as to fill to the top rim of the
pot, then tap gently the side of the pot to settle the bark,
then gently firm it down a little. Pushing too hard on the bark will crash
the roots, so be gentle when firming
it down.
On some sympodial orchids such as
Cymbidiums, Jumeleas, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium, ...
the new growth(s) will be very close to the base of the old
growth(s), forming sort of a circle around the older growth(s).
The potting procedure for these type of
young plants is the same as for Phalaenopsis.
But for many sympodial orchids, such as
Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, Oncidiums,...the new growth(s) develop
along a rhizome and usually tend to grow in the opposite direction of the
old growth(s).
The procedure for potting these is the same
as for Phalaenopsis except that instead of centering the plant
you want the older portion of the
plant as close to one edge of the pot as you can get it, leaving room on the
opposite side of the pot for the new growth(s).
We said “usually tend to grow on the
opposite side” because that’s how they will develop
most of the time, but occasionally the new growth will be more
of less adjacent to the previous one. Examine how your plant grows to decide where to leave
room for the new growth to develop.
There are several ways to distinguish older
growth from new growths :
1 - the color of new growth is usually lighter than the
color of older growth,
2 - pseudobulbs of new growth are often
flat until the (new) growth matures,
3 - the older growth is the smallest in
size, and in many cases will be leafless.
When done the base of the plant or the
rhizome should be just a little higher than the moss so that leaves do not touch the moss and the top of the roots are just a little
bit exposed.
Pots should be large enough to accommodate
the plant and allow for 1 or 2 years worth of growth (depending
on how frequently you want to repot your plants). As for
pot type, up to 6” we like to use Azalea (deep) pots, and
above 6” we prefer to use pan (shallow) pots. This
is to maintain a proper balance between root system and amount
of potting material, so as to avoid plants staying wet too
long.
On some sympodial orchids such as
Cymbidiums, Jumeleas, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium,...the new
growth(s) will be very close to the base of the old growth(s),
forming sort of a circle around the older growth(s).
The potting procedure for these type of
young plants is the same as for Phalaenopsis.
But for many sympodial orchids, such as
Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, Oncidiums,...the new growth(s) develop
along a rhizome and usually tend to grow in the opposite
direction of the old growth(s).
The procedure for potting these is the same
as for Phalaenopsis except that instead of centering the plant
you want the older portion of the
plant as close to one edge of the pot as you can get it, leaving room on the
opposite side of the pot for the new growth(s).
We said “usually tend to grow on the
opposite side” because that’s how they will develop
most of the time, but occasionally the new growth will be more
of less
adjacent to the previous one. Examine how
your plant grows to decide where to leave room for the new
growth to develop.
Repotting can be as much of a shock to plants as major surgery is to humans.
So for a few weeks after repotting a plant
you want to nurture it a bit.
• Spray (mist) their leaves lightly twice a day
for two weeks (healthy plants) to four weeks (weak and ailing
plants). Spray early in the day and again no later than mid day (no
later than 12 noon in the winter). Add to your misting
water 2 or 3 drops of Superthrive and 2 or 3 drops of a rooting
solution. If you do not have rooting solution add 2 or 3
drops of a fertilizer high in phosphorous such as .
• For 3 to 4 weeks you so place the
newly repotted plants at a location where they will be getting less light than what they usually get. The lower light levels will reduce the
stress caused by the repotting shock and will help the plants
recover better and faster.
• Do not water for a week after
repotting. Water lightly (just enough to get the potting
material moist, not enough for the water to run through the
drainage holes) a week after repotting, adding to your water a
few drops of rooting solution.
• As from a week later water
thoroughly once a week.
• Use the rooting solution instead of
fertilizer for the first 3 or 4 waterings after repotting.
A Comprehensive Guide to orchid Culture
Venamy Orchids
1460 Route 22
Brewster, New York10509
1460 Route 22
Brewster, New York10509
Toll Free
1-800-362-3612
1-800-362-3612
Fax
(845) 279-2682
(845) 279-2682
venamy@orchidsusa.com
Copyright 2002
Venamy Orchids
Venamy Orchids