An overcrowded pot can kill ordinary plants, but many orchids love to be under-potted. Although orchids like small pots, however, they can't stay in the same one forever. The potting mix breaks down and the roots suffer, so orchids need to have the potting media changed every one or two years. Here Disney floriculturist Jim Thompson shows how. Potting media for orchids generally serves only as a support for the plants, and it comes in different grades. Some orchids like a large-particle mix that's more open to the air. Others prefer a finer mix that allows for more water retention. The large-particle mix has pieces the size of large landscape gravel (figure A ) and usually consists of fir bark, charcoal, perlite and sometimes a little tree fern fiber. Orchids need oxygen more than other plants do, so the ideal pot for an orchid is one that allows free air exchange. By definition, an "orchid pot" is an unglazed terra-cotta pot that has been slit on the sides before it's fired. In addition to providing good air circulation, the slits improve drainage. Plastic or glazed containers can also be used for orchids, but be especially careful not to over-water. In nature, orchids occasionally get drenched, but they are also well drained -- without sufficient drainage, over-watering can kill an orchid. Repot your orchid just after it has finished blooming and new growth is starting. Loosen the roots and remove the old mix; don't worry about breaking roots. Cut out any diseased or dying material. You can use a small propane torch to disinfect your cutting tool between each cut, or you can use a disposable razor blade (use it once, then throw it away.) Pack the orchid in the fresh mix tightly (figure B). The plant will likely be unsteady in the new mix, so use a pot or rhizome clip to secure roots into the pot. Continue caring for your orchid as before. Ground dwellers (terrestrials) such as Mandarin orchids (Phragmipedium sp.) and the lady's slippers (Paphiopedilum sp.) like more moist conditions, so plant those in a medium that contains some sphagnum moss. Again, exact conditions vary greatly from one species to another, so do a little homework early in your orchid's life. Please see the resources listing at the end of this document for more information.
RESOURCES :
Garden Web Orchid Forum
Web site: www.gardenweb.com/forums/orchids
The Orchid Weblopedia
Web site: http://conbio.bio.uci.edu/orchid
6000 South Olive Ave.
Web site: http://orchidweb.org
Hortnet
Hortnet provides extensive links to online discussions about orchids, culture information and orchids societies at
www.hortnet.com/default.html.
The Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC., offers links to its orchid exhibition at
www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/agriculture.htm
Ortho's All About Orchids
Model: 0897214242
Author: Elvin McDonald
1999
Ortho Books
Columbus, OH 43216
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