Orchid Propagation
There is nothing difficult about orchid propagation. In fact, it may be one of the easier things about growing orchids. It is pretty similar to the way you would go about repotting any other plant. One thing that you do need to do, however, is to thoroughly disinfect or sterilize both the equipment you will be using and your hands. You should do this between repotting different plants as well.
Place a large newspaper under each pot and you are ready to begin. For orchid propagation you can choose whatever type of pot you prefer–a lightweight plastic pot with suitable holes in the bottom for drainage, a terracotta pot, or even a basket pot, if you are going to be planting any type of sprawling orchid. Clay pots are always a good choice because should the orchid not come easily out of the pot, it is quick to break open a clay pot. They even make plastic pots for orchids which are completely clear, so that the roots can get light. This is good for some species of orchids and not for others.
The pot you ultimate use should be able to give the roots some nice air circulation. It should also be large enough to hold the orchid for two years of growth. If you have good drainage in your orchid pot and you don‘t over-water, you won’t have to worry about water collecting in the bottom of the pot or in pockets in your orchid soil. Orchids like to be dry so that’s something to remember when watering.
An excellent planting media can do wonders for drying your orchid and for air circulation as well. You can use organic materials, inorganic materials or a combination of both. You might have to experiment a few times but you will eventually come up with the perfect combination of materials. These are the substances used to plant orchids: fir bark or redwood bark, tree fern fiber, sphagnum moss, coconut husks, lava rock, charcoal, vermiculite, perlite, alifor (clay), or turface, which is now being used more instead of perlite. You will need to water the mixture you are going use and let it sit overnight before the day you repot.
When you have taken your orchid out of the pot and removed the planting mix from the roots, you should divide your bulbs. Obviously, the number of pseudobulbs will determine the division, but each group you create should have three to four bulbs in it. The best tools to use are a razor blade or a very sharp, small knife. You will need to cut through the bulbs and then spray both sides with a rot preventative. Dusting with cinnamon is a home remedy that also works well.
Place your separated bulb groups into their pots and hold each one upright as you add the planting mixture around it. Mostly this mix just holds the plant up. Put your original orchid into its new pot and fill with planting media as well. The bulbs will have moisture because you watered the planting mixture the day before. Keep the repotted plants in a warmer location with lower light for two weeks before putting them in their normal spots.
You should now know all about orchid propagation from this article. Go out and try it yourself to get a feel of exactly how to propagate your orchids the correct way. Good luck!
