I got some orchids for Christmas and all of them are in plastic pots which
are then placed in clay pots. My book says that clay should be used because
it's dries better then plastic. So, should I take all my plants out of the
clay pots then out of the plastic pots then replace them in the clay pot?

(clarify: right now the soil of my plant is in a plastic pot and then that
plastic pot is placed in a clay pot. So when you look at it from the side it
looks like the plants in clay but from the top you see that inside the clay
pot is a plastic pot which contains the roots and soil of the plant.)

Also if I have an Oncidium, Dendrobium, and Phal all in the southern window
of the house getting a nice dose of direct sunlight (at least for the ones
closest to the window which are Dendrobium and Oncidium) is my set up ok?
Also they are all planted in moss is that ok?

Finally, when my book refers to growth there talking about what? (I know
I've asked this before but I didn't understand how root can be monitored for
growth)

Thanks
Chris

Chris: First, if you got them as Xmas gifts, I'm guessing they're in bloom.
If so, barring emergency, you probably want to wait until they go out of
bloom before repotting -- disturbing the roots of a blooming plant tends to
abort the flowers. When you do repot:

Whether clay is "better" than plastic depends on a lot of things. It does
dry faster -- which is good in a humid outdoor So. Fla. environment, but not
necessarily so good in a not-so-humid interior environment. Same with
potting media -- moss tends to stay wet a long time, lava rock or even bark
will dry faster; good in some situations for some plants, not-so-good in
other situations or for other plants.

What we recommend is varying your pots and mixes so as to keep as many as
possible of your plants on a single watering schedule. So, for example,
when you do repot, you may want to keep your Phal and Oncid in moss and
plastic, but move the Den. to lava rock and clay. Also, the Den and Oncid
need more light than the Phal.

Roots: you can see when they start to make new ones because they are at the
top of the media [right at the base of the plant].

Hope this helps,

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"The Enigma" wrote in message
.com...
I got some orchids for Christmas and all of them are in plastic pots
which
are then placed in clay pots. My book says that clay should be used
because
it's dries better then plastic. So, should I take all my plants out of
the
clay pots then out of the plastic pots then replace them in the clay pot?

(clarify: right now the soil of my plant is in a plastic pot and then that
plastic pot is placed in a clay pot. So when you look at it from the side
it
looks like the plants in clay but from the top you see that inside the
clay
pot is a plastic pot which contains the roots and soil of the plant.)

Also if I have an Oncidium, Dendrobium, and Phal all in the southern
window
of the house getting a nice dose of direct sunlight (at least for the ones
closest to the window which are Dendrobium and Oncidium) is my set up ok?
Also they are all planted in moss is that ok?

Finally, when my book refers to growth there talking about what? (I know
I've asked this before but I didn't understand how root can be monitored
for
growth)

Thanks
Chris

I live in North Carolina, in the middle. So not in mountians or coast.
So how do I know whether to use lava rock or moss? and clay or plastic? Or
should I just do exactly what you gave as an example?

Also, do I need a small fan for the plants?

Thanks
Chris

"The Enigma" wrote in message r.com...
I live in North Carolina, in the middle. So not in mountians or coast.
So how do I know whether to use lava rock or moss? and clay or plastic? Or
should I just do exactly what you gave as an example?

If you are growing indoors (windowsill, under lights, etc), I would
suggest using plastic pots. In winter, the humidity can drop to
around 30%, and clay pots just dry out too fast. Use a fairly coarse
bark mix (any commercial mix from Lowes or Home Despot is fine).
Water once or twice a week. You can monitor the moisture content of
the pot by the weight change as it dries out. You can also hold the
pot up and examine the drainage holes for water standing at the bottom
of the pot. If you see moisture, don't water.

Putting the plastic pot inside a clay pot is a good idea for top-heavy
plants.

In summer, you can put the plants outside in dappled shade. They will
love the rain and humidity of the North Carolina summer.

Nick (in Chapel Hill)
--
myrmecodia-at-yahoo-dot-com

Hi, Chris: There's always a little bit of trial and error in finding out
what works best for you in your conditions and with your watering
habits/preferences [some of my customers really LIKE to water, others tend
to forget ...]. My example was intended as a starting point for your
evaluation.

Pay attention while you're enjoying the flowers, and see how fast the plants
dry, as they are currently potted, in _your_ window, keeping in mind that
the Den. needs to get truly bone-dry between waterings while the other 2
should be watered when they are still just-barely-damp. Until you get it
down, it's better to err on the side of too dry rather than too wet, so if
you check a plant and aren't sure it needs water yet, wait another day or
two. I suspect you'll find that you end up watering the phal and the oncid
a lot more often than you do the den.

Good growing,

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"The Enigma" wrote in message
.com...
I live in North Carolina, in the middle. So not in mountians or coast.
So how do I know whether to use lava rock or moss? and clay or plastic?
Or
should I just do exactly what you gave as an example?

Also, do I need a small fan for the plants?

Thanks
Chris

Hi Chris, I have asked similar questions in the past when I first got hooked
on orchids!I started on the windowsill soon this will not be enough for you
and you will change the set-up as your collection grows.I found as I
beginner that keeping orchids in plastic pots inside of a decorative pot is
hard to monitor and you tend to overwater,treating them like other
houseplants.As soon as you have mastered watering and have had the orchids
for a while you tend to neglect them abit more, which I think helps them as
you are not pampering them as much.I have found that orchids are tougher
than you think,When you find the right combination of medium/pots and
watering etc keep to it!I have found that medium grade bark,sphagnum
moss,perlite & charcoal in clay pots work for me.As I don`t have to worry
about overwatering & the clay pots give stability.You will worry at first &
chop and change around,but you will find the right combination that works in
your environment.
Happy growing & Enjoy
kenty:-)

Kenni Judd" wrote in message
.. .
Hi, Chris: There's always a little bit of trial and error in finding out
what works best for you in your conditions and with your watering
habits/preferences [some of my customers really LIKE to water, others tend
to forget ...]. My example was intended as a starting point for your
evaluation.

Pay attention while you're enjoying the flowers, and see how fast the
plants
dry, as they are currently potted, in _your_ window, keeping in mind that
the Den. needs to get truly bone-dry between waterings while the other 2
should be watered when they are still just-barely-damp. Until you get it
down, it's better to err on the side of too dry rather than too wet, so if
you check a plant and aren't sure it needs water yet, wait another day or
two. I suspect you'll find that you end up watering the phal and the
oncid
a lot more often than you do the den.

Good growing,

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"The Enigma" wrote in message
.com...
I live in North Carolina, in the middle. So not in mountians or coast.
So how do I know whether to use lava rock or moss? and clay or plastic?
Or
should I just do exactly what you gave as an example?

Also, do I need a small fan for the plants?

Thanks
Chris