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#1
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repotting
It looks like it was planted with a brown moss like substance that has since
gotten green on top. What do I repot it with? It seems to be a 4inch pot. |
#2
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repotting
Do you have a picture?
It sounds like sphagnum moss, you could repot it in that if that's what they have done in the past. If it is really overgrowing the pot you might repot into a 5 or 6" pot otherwise just use the same one. You didn't mention what type of orchid it is. Remember that when you repot that you need to remove the old moss away from the roots and then use fresh stuff. Both Tasmanian and New Zealand Sphagnum moss is the best, don't use anything less!!!!! Good luck with it. "scullytac" wrote in message news It looks like it was planted with a brown moss like substance that has since gotten green on top. What do I repot it with? It seems to be a 4inch pot. |
#3
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repotting
Both Tasmanian and New Zealand Sphagnum moss is the best, don't use anything less!!!!! How about chinees sphagnum When you use sphagnum, doesn't it break down very fast when you use fertilizer? Peter |
#4
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repotting
Scully,
I don't like moss for my plants. It holds too much water and the roots rot when I use it. I would recommend going to your local plant supply store and buy a bag of premixed orchid mix. It will have chunks of wood bark, some chunks of peat moss, perlite, charcoal, and maybe something you can't identify. When you get it home take enough to over fill a flower pot and soak it in some warm water for about an hour to hydrate the mix. Take the plant from the pot and carefully remove the old moss mix. A popsicle stick helps to get that stuff that is stuck up between the roots. Don't worry if some of the mix remains on the plant when you're done. Evaluate the roots and trim any dead rotting roots with a new clean single edged razor blade. Sit the plant back into the same pot it came from and put the mix around the plant slowly. Tap the pot on the table to cause the mix to settle. Fill the pot to the same level the plant was growing before. Make sure the mix is tapped and pushed in the pot so that the plant is not wobbly. A wobbly plant will kill new roots when they try to grow. Unlike other houseplants you don't have to water at this time because you want some air pockets with orchids. Sit the plant where it will grow and let it rest for a week before you water. In a couple of weeks check again for settling of the mix and top off the mix (use it dry this time) to bring the level back to the base of the plant. With bark mix you should be good for about a year before you have to do this again. Note: your mileage may vary! Some people who grow plants too wet or in very humid locations have to repot in less than a year. There are many websites devoted to orchid potting if you need additional information. Good Growing, Gene "scullytac" wrote in message news It looks like it was planted with a brown moss like substance that has since gotten green on top. What do I repot it with? It seems to be a 4inch pot. |
#5
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repotting
Very good explanation here Gene. Cheers Wendy
"Gene Schurg" wrote in message hlink.net... Scully, I don't like moss for my plants. It holds too much water and the roots rot when I use it. I would recommend going to your local plant supply store and buy a bag of premixed orchid mix. It will have chunks of wood bark, some chunks of peat moss, perlite, charcoal, and maybe something you can't identify. When you get it home take enough to over fill a flower pot and soak it in some warm water for about an hour to hydrate the mix. Take the plant from the pot and carefully remove the old moss mix. A popsicle stick helps to get that stuff that is stuck up between the roots. Don't worry if some of the mix remains on the plant when you're done. Evaluate the roots and trim any dead rotting roots with a new clean single edged razor blade. Sit the plant back into the same pot it came from and put the mix around the plant slowly. Tap the pot on the table to cause the mix to settle. Fill the pot to the same level the plant was growing before. Make sure the mix is tapped and pushed in the pot so that the plant is not wobbly. A wobbly plant will kill new roots when they try to grow. Unlike other houseplants you don't have to water at this time because you want some air pockets with orchids. Sit the plant where it will grow and let it rest for a week before you water. In a couple of weeks check again for settling of the mix and top off the mix (use it dry this time) to bring the level back to the base of the plant. With bark mix you should be good for about a year before you have to do this again. Note: your mileage may vary! Some people who grow plants too wet or in very humid locations have to repot in less than a year. There are many websites devoted to orchid potting if you need additional information. Good Growing, Gene "scullytac" wrote in message news It looks like it was planted with a brown moss like substance that has since gotten green on top. What do I repot it with? It seems to be a 4inch pot. |
#6
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repotting
On Sun, 22 Jun 2003 08:24:01 -0700, "Wendy"
wrote: Very good explanation here Gene. Cheers Wendy "Gene Schurg" wrote in message That is what I was thinking Wendy. Gene you did a great job explaining the how, why and wherefor. Somebody capture that one for the FAQ we say we are going to write someday. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
#7
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repotting
Gee....you guys are too nice.
"Susan Erickson" wrote in message ... On Sun, 22 Jun 2003 08:24:01 -0700, "Wendy" wrote: Very good explanation here Gene. Cheers Wendy "Gene Schurg" wrote in message That is what I was thinking Wendy. Gene you did a great job explaining the how, why and wherefor. Somebody capture that one for the FAQ we say we are going to write someday. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
#8
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repotting
As a very new beginner, I found this most helpful. I have printed it out
for future reference and I have put it in my ever growing orchid folder. Thanks. Sno in Oz "Gene Schurg" wrote in message hlink.net... Scully, I don't like moss for my plants. It holds too much water and the roots rot when I use it. I would recommend going to your local plant supply store and buy a bag of premixed orchid mix. It will have chunks of wood bark, some chunks of peat moss, perlite, charcoal, and maybe something you can't identify. When you get it home take enough to over fill a flower pot and soak it in some warm water for about an hour to hydrate the mix. Take the plant from the pot and carefully remove the old moss mix. A popsicle stick helps to get that stuff that is stuck up between the roots. Don't worry if some of the mix remains on the plant when you're done. Evaluate the roots and trim any dead rotting roots with a new clean single edged razor blade. Sit the plant back into the same pot it came from and put the mix around the plant slowly. Tap the pot on the table to cause the mix to settle. Fill the pot to the same level the plant was growing before. Make sure the mix is tapped and pushed in the pot so that the plant is not wobbly. A wobbly plant will kill new roots when they try to grow. Unlike other houseplants you don't have to water at this time because you want some air pockets with orchids. Sit the plant where it will grow and let it rest for a week before you water. In a couple of weeks check again for settling of the mix and top off the mix (use it dry this time) to bring the level back to the base of the plant. With bark mix you should be good for about a year before you have to do this again. Note: your mileage may vary! Some people who grow plants too wet or in very humid locations have to repot in less than a year. There are many websites devoted to orchid potting if you need additional information. Good Growing, Gene "scullytac" wrote in message news It looks like it was planted with a brown moss like substance that has since gotten green on top. What do I repot it with? It seems to be a 4inch pot. |
#9
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repotting
I will stick with what I say that NZ and Tasmania have the best Sphagnum.
It can break down a little faster with fertiliser but I haven't noticed the difference to be honest. It seems to be ok with my sphagnum. "Boystrup Pb, ann,..." wrote in message . be... Both Tasmanian and New Zealand Sphagnum moss is the best, don't use anything less!!!!! How about chinees sphagnum When you use sphagnum, doesn't it break down very fast when you use fertilizer? Peter |
#10
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repotting
That's interesting because the nurseries that I buy my orchids from (and
whom grow champion plants consistently) use nothing but sphagnum moss for certain types of plants. They say nothing grows better in it. I don't know if that's true but I have seen the results of moss and I use it myself without root rot. It may depend on your climate but it works for me. "Gene Schurg" wrote in message hlink.net... Scully, I don't like moss for my plants. It holds too much water and the roots rot when I use it. I would recommend going to your local plant supply store and buy a bag of premixed orchid mix. It will have chunks of wood bark, some chunks of peat moss, perlite, charcoal, and maybe something you can't identify. When you get it home take enough to over fill a flower pot and soak it in some warm water for about an hour to hydrate the mix. Take the plant from the pot and carefully remove the old moss mix. A popsicle stick helps to get that stuff that is stuck up between the roots. Don't worry if some of the mix remains on the plant when you're done. Evaluate the roots and trim any dead rotting roots with a new clean single edged razor blade. Sit the plant back into the same pot it came from and put the mix around the plant slowly. Tap the pot on the table to cause the mix to settle. Fill the pot to the same level the plant was growing before. Make sure the mix is tapped and pushed in the pot so that the plant is not wobbly. A wobbly plant will kill new roots when they try to grow. Unlike other houseplants you don't have to water at this time because you want some air pockets with orchids. Sit the plant where it will grow and let it rest for a week before you water. In a couple of weeks check again for settling of the mix and top off the mix (use it dry this time) to bring the level back to the base of the plant. With bark mix you should be good for about a year before you have to do this again. Note: your mileage may vary! Some people who grow plants too wet or in very humid locations have to repot in less than a year. There are many websites devoted to orchid potting if you need additional information. Good Growing, Gene "scullytac" wrote in message news It looks like it was planted with a brown moss like substance that has since gotten green on top. What do I repot it with? It seems to be a 4inch pot. |
#11
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repotting
Bolero,
Moss works great for some people. I think a lot of commercial growers use it because it's reasonably priced and doesn't fall out of the pot when a plant is shipped to the retail market. It's also lighter than the bark mix so shipping charges would be a bit less. When you have to pay the bills with the profit I'm sure a couple of cents makes the difference between staying in business or not. I grow all my phals in clay pots with cocohusk mixed with aliflor. In my culture the sphagnum seemed to break down quickly and held too much water. I do use it for phals that I grow on mounts and in vanda baskets. I like the weight of the clay and the CHC mix. As clumsy as I am I tend to knock plants over when they are in a lighter pot. If it works for you then don't change. Everyone has different culture. I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner who is still learning the fine art of orchid watering. Good growing, Gene "Bolero" wrote in message u... That's interesting because the nurseries that I buy my orchids from (and whom grow champion plants consistently) use nothing but sphagnum moss for certain types of plants. They say nothing grows better in it. I don't know if that's true but I have seen the results of moss and I use it myself without root rot. It may depend on your climate but it works for me. "Gene Schurg" wrote in message hlink.net... Scully, I don't like moss for my plants. It holds too much water and the roots rot when I use it. I would recommend going to your local plant supply store and buy a bag of premixed orchid mix. It will have chunks of wood bark, some chunks of peat moss, perlite, charcoal, and maybe something you can't identify. When you get it home take enough to over fill a flower pot and soak it in some warm water for about an hour to hydrate the mix. Take the plant from the pot and carefully remove the old moss mix. A popsicle stick helps to get that stuff that is stuck up between the roots. Don't worry if some of the mix remains on the plant when you're done. Evaluate the roots and trim any dead rotting roots with a new clean single edged razor blade. Sit the plant back into the same pot it came from and put the mix around the plant slowly. Tap the pot on the table to cause the mix to settle. Fill the pot to the same level the plant was growing before. Make sure the mix is tapped and pushed in the pot so that the plant is not wobbly. A wobbly plant will kill new roots when they try to grow. Unlike other houseplants you don't have to water at this time because you want some air pockets with orchids. Sit the plant where it will grow and let it rest for a week before you water. In a couple of weeks check again for settling of the mix and top off the mix (use it dry this time) to bring the level back to the base of the plant. With bark mix you should be good for about a year before you have to do this again. Note: your mileage may vary! Some people who grow plants too wet or in very humid locations have to repot in less than a year. There are many websites devoted to orchid potting if you need additional information. Good Growing, Gene "scullytac" wrote in message news It looks like it was planted with a brown moss like substance that has since gotten green on top. What do I repot it with? It seems to be a 4inch pot. |
#12
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repotting
The big wholesalers like to use sphagnum for the reasons Gene mentioned --
lightweight, etc. And used properly, it can be a great medium, esp. for phals. But a lot of those same wholesalers repot shortly before shipping [to gain that extra pot size and thus up the price], in a rush, and the moss ends up packed too tight. Packed too tightly, it holds too much water most of the time, but if it ever does dry out, it's _very_ hard to re-wet. We use sphagnum [NZ] only in our phals, and we cut it with medium bark to prevent over-compaction. This allows us to go 2 years before having to repot. Our catts, dens and oncids are in a mix of lava rock, charcoal and CHC [proportions vary, more lava rock for the catts and dens, more CHC for more moisture for the oncids]. Good growing, -- Kenni Judd Juno Beach Orchids http://www.jborchids.com "Gene Schurg" wrote in message thlink.net... Bolero, Moss works great for some people. I think a lot of commercial growers use it because it's reasonably priced and doesn't fall out of the pot when a plant is shipped to the retail market. It's also lighter than the bark mix so shipping charges would be a bit less. When you have to pay the bills with the profit I'm sure a couple of cents makes the difference between staying in business or not. I grow all my phals in clay pots with cocohusk mixed with aliflor. In my culture the sphagnum seemed to break down quickly and held too much water. I do use it for phals that I grow on mounts and in vanda baskets. I like the weight of the clay and the CHC mix. As clumsy as I am I tend to knock plants over when they are in a lighter pot. If it works for you then don't change. Everyone has different culture. I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner who is still learning the fine art of orchid watering. Good growing, Gene "Bolero" wrote in message u... That's interesting because the nurseries that I buy my orchids from (and whom grow champion plants consistently) use nothing but sphagnum moss for certain types of plants. They say nothing grows better in it. I don't know if that's true but I have seen the results of moss and I use it myself without root rot. It may depend on your climate but it works for me. "Gene Schurg" wrote in message hlink.net... Scully, I don't like moss for my plants. It holds too much water and the roots rot when I use it. I would recommend going to your local plant supply store and buy a bag of premixed orchid mix. It will have chunks of wood bark, some chunks of peat moss, perlite, charcoal, and maybe something you can't identify. When you get it home take enough to over fill a flower pot and soak it in some warm water for about an hour to hydrate the mix. Take the plant from the pot and carefully remove the old moss mix. A popsicle stick helps to get that stuff that is stuck up between the roots. Don't worry if some of the mix remains on the plant when you're done. Evaluate the roots and trim any dead rotting roots with a new clean single edged razor blade. Sit the plant back into the same pot it came from and put the mix around the plant slowly. Tap the pot on the table to cause the mix to settle. Fill the pot to the same level the plant was growing before. Make sure the mix is tapped and pushed in the pot so that the plant is not wobbly. A wobbly plant will kill new roots when they try to grow. Unlike other houseplants you don't have to water at this time because you want some air pockets with orchids. Sit the plant where it will grow and let it rest for a week before you water. In a couple of weeks check again for settling of the mix and top off the mix (use it dry this time) to bring the level back to the base of the plant. With bark mix you should be good for about a year before you have to do this again. Note: your mileage may vary! Some people who grow plants too wet or in very humid locations have to repot in less than a year. There are many websites devoted to orchid potting if you need additional information. Good Growing, Gene "scullytac" wrote in message news It looks like it was planted with a brown moss like substance that has since gotten green on top. What do I repot it with? It seems to be a 4inch pot. |
#13
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repotting
Bolero ) wrote:
: That's interesting because the nurseries that I buy my orchids from (and : whom grow champion plants consistently) use nothing but sphagnum moss for : certain types of plants. : They say nothing grows better in it. I don't know if that's true but I have : seen the results of moss and I use it myself without root rot. One grower (Gold Country Orchids) told me that some batches of bark may have toxins in them (arsenic IIRC). This grower uses moss exclusively at least partly for that reason (or so he says). A Cattleya I got from him has done well in moss for me. That said, I'm not very comfortable with moss either so when I re-potted it recently (it outgrew the pot) I put it in CHC. FWIW, the root mass was far larger than those that were grown in bark. Of course that might more a function of my husbandry tha the media so who knows? :-) We'll see what difference the CHC makes when it comes time to repot again. : It may depend on your climate but it works for me. The extra moisture retention is probably a good thing in my situation since my orchids are not in a greenhouse. Dave |
#14
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repotting
Gene Schurg wrote:
If it works for you then don't change. Everyone has different culture. I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner who is still learning the fine art of orchid watering. Like all media, sphagnum's suitability totally depends on what, how and where you grow, which is why I don't take much notice of people who adamantly support or reject a given media unless I know they're growing their plants under the same conditions as mine. Here in Melbourne (Oz) sphagnum is fantastic for Masdavallia as it holds water and keeps the roots cool during our hot summers. Try to use some of the mixes recommended by US growers over here and such plants would struggle. The down side is that under Melbourne shadehouse/coolhouse conditions it will need replacing yearly, although if you add polystyrene to the sphagnum you may be able to get two years out of it. As for the commercial growers Bolero mentioned, weight may be a reason why they use this media but cost certainly isn't. In southern Australia (where Bolero is posting from), it's far more economical to use radiata pine bark than sphagnum. I reserve sphagnum only for those plants that need it. Andrew |
#15
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repotting
Agreed, moss probably isn't for beginners.
Also I wouldn't recommend it for every species but certain ones do grow better in it. "Gene Schurg" wrote in message thlink.net... Bolero, Moss works great for some people. I think a lot of commercial growers use it because it's reasonably priced and doesn't fall out of the pot when a plant is shipped to the retail market. It's also lighter than the bark mix so shipping charges would be a bit less. When you have to pay the bills with the profit I'm sure a couple of cents makes the difference between staying in business or not. I grow all my phals in clay pots with cocohusk mixed with aliflor. In my culture the sphagnum seemed to break down quickly and held too much water. I do use it for phals that I grow on mounts and in vanda baskets. I like the weight of the clay and the CHC mix. As clumsy as I am I tend to knock plants over when they are in a lighter pot. If it works for you then don't change. Everyone has different culture. I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner who is still learning the fine art of orchid watering. Good growing, Gene "Bolero" wrote in message u... That's interesting because the nurseries that I buy my orchids from (and whom grow champion plants consistently) use nothing but sphagnum moss for certain types of plants. They say nothing grows better in it. I don't know if that's true but I have seen the results of moss and I use it myself without root rot. It may depend on your climate but it works for me. "Gene Schurg" wrote in message hlink.net... Scully, I don't like moss for my plants. It holds too much water and the roots rot when I use it. I would recommend going to your local plant supply store and buy a bag of premixed orchid mix. It will have chunks of wood bark, some chunks of peat moss, perlite, charcoal, and maybe something you can't identify. When you get it home take enough to over fill a flower pot and soak it in some warm water for about an hour to hydrate the mix. Take the plant from the pot and carefully remove the old moss mix. A popsicle stick helps to get that stuff that is stuck up between the roots. Don't worry if some of the mix remains on the plant when you're done. Evaluate the roots and trim any dead rotting roots with a new clean single edged razor blade. Sit the plant back into the same pot it came from and put the mix around the plant slowly. Tap the pot on the table to cause the mix to settle. Fill the pot to the same level the plant was growing before. Make sure the mix is tapped and pushed in the pot so that the plant is not wobbly. A wobbly plant will kill new roots when they try to grow. Unlike other houseplants you don't have to water at this time because you want some air pockets with orchids. Sit the plant where it will grow and let it rest for a week before you water. In a couple of weeks check again for settling of the mix and top off the mix (use it dry this time) to bring the level back to the base of the plant. With bark mix you should be good for about a year before you have to do this again. Note: your mileage may vary! Some people who grow plants too wet or in very humid locations have to repot in less than a year. There are many websites devoted to orchid potting if you need additional information. Good Growing, Gene "scullytac" wrote in message news It looks like it was planted with a brown moss like substance that has since gotten green on top. What do I repot it with? It seems to be a 4inch pot. |
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