Potting Orchids
Many people never try to grow orchids because they believe orchids are very hard to grow and to maintain. The truth is that orchids are different than the other plants we might regularly work with, but they are not as hard to grow as you might think. For instance, potting orchids is done just about the same as it is in potting or repotting any plant.
Most of the potting done with orchids is actually repotting them from a too-small size pot into a new one that will give the orchid two to three years to grow. That’s because growing orchids from seeds is incredibly hard for the novice. And, even for people who know how to do it, obtaining orchid seeds is not that easy a task in and of itself. And, if you were to succeed in getting seeds, planting them correctly, and starting an orchid, you would have to wait seven years for it to flower. It takes a very dedicated person to tackle growing orchids from seeds.
As for potting orchids, you can use just about any kind of pot you choose, or you can do away with the pot entirely and mount your orchid onto an outside tree or even onto a specially made wooden slab just for orchid mounting. If you do use a normal plant pot, you might have to cut out some of the bottom to make sure the water is draining correctly and that the orchid’s roots are getting all of the air circulation they need. You can find clay pots specially made for orchids at gardening stores.
Orchids do need to be repotted frequently, especially when they are growing. The average time is two years between repotting. When you are ready to remove the orchid from its current pot, the first thing you need to do is to disinfect all of the tools you are going to use as well has your hands. Viral and bacterial diseases can easily spread among orchid plants so you need to make the entire environment as sterile as possible. Most people cover the area where they are working with newspaper.
With orchids, the plant does not really get planted in soil and grow like what we expect with most plants. Instead of soil, orchids use a planting mixture that can be made up of several materials, from fir bark, coconut husks, osmunda, sphagnum moss, rock, peat or a perlite combination. The mix is actually more to hold the orchid up than it is to feed the plant. As you grow more and more orchids you will develop a favorite combination of your own.
Now comes the time to actually remove your orchid from the pot it’s in and place it in the new one. Be very gentle about it as you do not want to hurt the roots of the orchid. If the plant is too tightly bound, break the pot, do not pull on the plant to get it out. Clean off the roots and cut off any that are dead. These will be brown. You should wash and clean both your tools and your hands in-between potting each different plant.
Make sure the bottom of your new pot has adequate openings for roots and drainage. Some people put a couple of small rocks in the bottom to help. Place the plant very carefully into the new pot. Separate the roots very gently with your hands as you spread them into the new planting mix. Press down firmly as you spread the mix around the sides of the plant.
Because potting orchids is so stressful to the plants, you will need to take a couple of protective measures to assure the orchid stays healthy and adjusts to its new home. Keep your plant out of sunlight and in a nice, warm spot for the next two to three weeks. Also, do not water the plant, but maintain the normal high humidity level.
Orchids are not as delicate as most people think they are so don’t worry about potting them. They will survive just fine and you will have a larger, healthier plant.
