ORCHID POTTING MADE EASY
Many of the orchids
that we grow originate from trees in rainforests so it is
usually easier for us to grow them in pots, although some
can be grown mounted on pieces of cork bark.
We recommend a
bark-based compost as this is open and free-draining with
plenty of air spaces around the roots to prevent them from
keeping too wet.
Orchids are usually
repotted every 2-3 years to then give them a larger pot
with more room to grow and fresh bark. It is usually best
to repot or divide in the spring when the plant is just
starting to grow again and has the whole season ahead of
it.
CYMBIDIUM
POTTING
PHALAENOPSIS
POTTING
CYMBIDIUM
POTTING
STEP 1.
Repot when the plant has no more room in the pot. Prepare
some bark-based compost, peat, perlite, moss or charcoal
can be added if you wish. You will also need some crocking
material such as polystyrene chips for drainage and
a sharp knife or pair of secateurs.
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STEP 2.
Once out of its pot, the plant should have a good system
of clean, white roots. If they are soft and brown then
take care you are not over-watering. If the plant is
large, you may wish to divide it. Do not be afraid to
cut through the rhizome that connects the pseudobulbs
so dividing the plant in half. Make sure you each division
has at least 4-5 pseudobulbs and that at least one of
those has a new leaf shoot.
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STEP 3.
Prepare the plant for potting by trimming back some
of the roots and remove any old, broken-down compost.
Leave a few centimetres of roots as an anchor for the
plant in its new pot.
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STEP 4.
Choose a new clean pot in which the plant will have
enough room to grow for another 2-3 years. In the base,
place a layer of crocking material for drainage.
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STEP 5.
Position the plant in the pot so there is plenty of
room in the front of the new shoots to develop and grow
into pseudobulbs. Start to fill in with fresh bark,
holding the plant still in the correct position with
the other hand.
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STEP 6.
Firm the bark compost down with your thumbs or a potting
stick, a wobbly plant will not root in easily. In the
end the compost should be just below the rim of the
pot with the base of the new growths sitting on the
surface of the bark. Now give the plant a thorough watering,
flushing through from the top.
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PHALAENOPSIS
POTTING
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STEP
1.
Re-pot your
Phalaenopsis when it is climbing out of its pot.
Choose a time when its flowering has finished and
when the roots are actively growing. Cut the old stem
right back to the base and if still in flower, the
blooms can be placed in water.
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STEP
2.
Remove the
plant from its pot and shake off the majority of the
old bark compost. If it has been several years since
it was last potted then the compost may have started
to break down. Keep this old bark separate from the
new media about to be used. |
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STEP
3.
Using clean,
sharp secateurs or scissors, trim back the roots to
a length of about 10cm minimum. Healthy roots should
be white or green and plump. Over-watered roots are
brown and shrivelled. Take this opportunity to remove
any dead leaves and completely dead roots. |
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STEP
4.
Position
the plant in a clean pot, slightly bigger if necessary
and hold in place, centrally with one hand, whilst
filling up with fresh bark compost with the other.
They grow well in clear pots but these are not essential.
Choose any container that has plenty of drainage holes. |
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STEP
5.
Making sure
the bark is pressed down firmly to anchor the plant,
top it up to just below the rim of the pot. Make a
note of the potting date on the label. Use the clear
pot to your advantage, keep an eye on the roots and
you will see if they are keeping healthy. |
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STEP
6.
Water about
once every 1-2 weeks and spray the surface of the
compost to encourage the new roots to grow.
Soon it will make a new leaf and the next flower spike
will shortly follow.
At the nursery we stock clear pots in a range of sizes.
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