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#1
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Plastic in clay, Bad?
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 |
#2
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Plastic in clay, Bad?
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 |
#3
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Plastic in clay, Bad?
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 |
#4
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Plastic in clay, Bad?
"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 |
#5
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Plastic in clay, Bad?
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 |
#6
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Plastic in clay, Bad?
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 |
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