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Old 22-08-2004, 11:11 PM
J Fortuna
 
Posts: n/a
Default orchid heretic?

Ok, so maybe by the time I am done with this email no one in this group will
take me seriously anymore, but here it goes:

I admit that after 3 years of growing orchids, I have today for the first
time repotted two of them myself. You see until today I would always go to a
local plant nursery, pay them $5-7 and that would include the new pot,
potting medium, and labor of repotting. I got to watch, discuss the health
of the roots with the staff person there, browse their orchid collection for
a possible additional orchid buy, and the entire experience was very
enjoyable.

Today, my bathroom is a mess. I am a mess. My back hurts. And I am
frustrated. But hey, those two orchids have been repotted. Yay. ;-(

I think I am going to go back to the nursery the next time one of my plants
needs repotting. Sure I saved $5-7 and I got to actually do it myself, but
for me this is just not worth it. Plus, I am not even sure that I did a good
job of the repotting: What if I left some roots that needed to be cut? What
if I disturbed some roots that were better left alone? At the local nursery
I trust the staff person to know what he or she is doing -- I know these
people well enough to know that they have more experience with orchids than
I do.

I understand that someone who owns a greenhouse with a huge number of
flowers and has lots of experience is better of doing this themselves, but I
am much better at coding Active Server Pages and writing stored procedures
than at repotting. Programming is my job, repotting is theirs.

I love the daily interaction with the orchids, watering them, looking for
signs of stress, or for new spikes or new leaves. But repotting is a pain in
the back for me.

Joanna


  #2   Report Post  
Old 22-08-2004, 11:29 PM
Susan Erickson
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 21:11:33 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:

But repotting is a pain in
the back for me.

Joanna


That much I will agree with. You have so few that you worry over
them like a mother hen. I learned to repot helping an older
society member. I got the back bulbs for all the Catts we
repotted. In that one weekend I went from 10 plants to 50.

To do that many plants you can not worry. You go in and pull out
the squishy roots. He did not believe in clippers when you could
snap off the dry dead leaves or spikes. You could pull off the
rotten roots and not have a pair of clippers or a knife or blade
to sterilize. Such a fuss. And that was in the days when we
kept the clippers in a supper saturated solution of TSP.

Now no matter how you keep them someone will tell you that way
will not kill virus. Remember you are providing artificial
habitat for this plant - it is used to roughing it. You will be
nicer to it than the wild would be. A bad root or good one in
the trash should not be enough to bother it.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php
  #3   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 01:05 AM
Ray
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Joanna,

That is yet another reason to consider semi-hydroponics! Repotting is a
snap.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
..
"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
Ok, so maybe by the time I am done with this email no one in this group

will
take me seriously anymore, but here it goes:

I admit that after 3 years of growing orchids, I have today for the first
time repotted two of them myself. You see until today I would always go to

a
local plant nursery, pay them $5-7 and that would include the new pot,
potting medium, and labor of repotting. I got to watch, discuss the health
of the roots with the staff person there, browse their orchid collection

for
a possible additional orchid buy, and the entire experience was very
enjoyable.

Today, my bathroom is a mess. I am a mess. My back hurts. And I am
frustrated. But hey, those two orchids have been repotted. Yay. ;-(

I think I am going to go back to the nursery the next time one of my

plants
needs repotting. Sure I saved $5-7 and I got to actually do it myself, but
for me this is just not worth it. Plus, I am not even sure that I did a

good
job of the repotting: What if I left some roots that needed to be cut?

What
if I disturbed some roots that were better left alone? At the local

nursery
I trust the staff person to know what he or she is doing -- I know these
people well enough to know that they have more experience with orchids

than
I do.

I understand that someone who owns a greenhouse with a huge number of
flowers and has lots of experience is better of doing this themselves, but

I
am much better at coding Active Server Pages and writing stored procedures
than at repotting. Programming is my job, repotting is theirs.

I love the daily interaction with the orchids, watering them, looking for
signs of stress, or for new spikes or new leaves. But repotting is a pain

in
the back for me.

Joanna




  #4   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 01:14 AM
Mick Fournier
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Joanna,

Until you do the repotting with your own hands you will never conquer the
orchid demon.

Mick



  #5   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 01:51 AM
J Fortuna
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Mick, Yes, but do I really want to conquer that demon? Up until now, me and
the demon have had this understanding: I let him be in charge, and in
exchange he provides me with a pleasant, enjoyable hobby.

Ray, I may well try semihydro, I have been thinking about it, but ... the
thing is that now I still have most of a bag of orchid potting mix left, and
wouldn't want it to go to waste. :-)

My husband asked what I would give him in exchange for him doing the
repotting the next time. Hmm, something else to think about.

Joanna (who is in a much better mood by now after a very pleasant walk in
gorgeous weather in the DC area)

"Mick Fournier" wrote in message
...
Joanna,

Until you do the repotting with your own hands you will never conquer the
orchid demon.

Mick







  #6   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 01:51 AM
J Fortuna
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Mick, Yes, but do I really want to conquer that demon? Up until now, me and
the demon have had this understanding: I let him be in charge, and in
exchange he provides me with a pleasant, enjoyable hobby.

Ray, I may well try semihydro, I have been thinking about it, but ... the
thing is that now I still have most of a bag of orchid potting mix left, and
wouldn't want it to go to waste. :-)

My husband asked what I would give him in exchange for him doing the
repotting the next time. Hmm, something else to think about.

Joanna (who is in a much better mood by now after a very pleasant walk in
gorgeous weather in the DC area)

"Mick Fournier" wrote in message
...
Joanna,

Until you do the repotting with your own hands you will never conquer the
orchid demon.

Mick





  #7   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 02:06 AM
profpam
 
Posts: n/a
Default

It would certainly be a trick to repot without hands. Gloves are even too
cumbersome for me. Best to repot when the plant is in need of repotting
rather than waiting. Pot larger if roots are in the out-growing mode; pot
smaller when roots are few and the plant is not doing well.

.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mick Fournier wrote:

Joanna,

Until you do the repotting with your own hands you will never conquer the
orchid demon.

Mick


  #8   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 07:25 AM
Mick Fournier
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Pam,

To repot with one's own hands. And to love the smell of the raw bark, the
fine bristling soft osmunda fiber teasing/tickling my long fingers, the
weight of the smooth round ballast stones rolling plimp-plomp in my large
hands, the siren song in my ears of the styrofoam peanuts as I gently
squeeze-pop them into thirds... Ah, but how could anyone forego such first
person earthly pleasures and call the result a true consummation of love in
the orchid bed. That is the essential crux beyond the perfect golden rule
pot size you so eloquently describe. Give me repotting... or give me death.
Or, give me one decent lotto and I will chuck the whole greenhouse... pots
and all.

Mick

================================

"profpam" wrote in message ...
It would certainly be a trick to repot without hands. Gloves are even too
cumbersome for me. Best to repot when the plant is in need of repotting
rather than waiting. Pot larger if roots are in the out-growing mode; pot
smaller when roots are few and the plant is not doing well.

. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------

Mick Fournier wrote:

Joanna,

Until you do the repotting with your own hands you will never conquer

the
orchid demon.

Mick




  #9   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 03:59 PM
dd
 
Posts: n/a
Default

That's for sure--it's a five-minute job and not messy at all. I have a
little repotting station set up downstairs by the laundry tub.

Here's what I do to repot:

First, I always have PrimeAgra soaking in a container--I use an empty
plastic kitty litter container. These containers are great--they come
with lids and handles and are great for storing dry S/H and chemicals
too.

To repot, I remove the orchid by up-ending the pot in Kitty's old
litter box (which catches stray pellets), but a dishpan would work as
well.

Then, I put the plant in a wire-mesh colander and rinse the algae off
the plant's roots. Then I trim off any bad roots, but most of the time,
there aren't any to speak of.

Then I put fresh media in the bottom of the new, larger pot, plunk in
the orchid and its roots, which are still clinging to a lot of the old
media, and fill the new pot with pellets that fell out of the old pot
plus new pellets to fill. That's it!



In article , Ray
wrote:

Joanna,

That is yet another reason to consider semi-hydroponics! Repotting is a
snap.

  #10   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 04:06 PM
Hillevi P
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"J Fortuna" skrev i meddelandet
...
Ok, so maybe by the time I am done with this email no one in this group

will
take me seriously anymore, but here it goes:

I admit that after 3 years of growing orchids, I have today for the first
time repotted two of them myself. You see until today I would always go to

a
local plant nursery, pay them $5-7 and that would include the new pot,
potting medium, and labor of repotting. I got to watch, discuss the health
of the roots with the staff person there, browse their orchid collection

for
a possible additional orchid buy, and the entire experience was very
enjoyable.

Today, my bathroom is a mess. I am a mess. My back hurts. And I am
frustrated. But hey, those two orchids have been repotted. Yay. ;-(

I think I am going to go back to the nursery the next time one of my

plants
needs repotting. Sure I saved $5-7 and I got to actually do it myself, but
for me this is just not worth it. Plus, I am not even sure that I did a

good
job of the repotting: What if I left some roots that needed to be cut?

What
if I disturbed some roots that were better left alone? At the local

nursery
I trust the staff person to know what he or she is doing -- I know these
people well enough to know that they have more experience with orchids

than
I do.

I understand that someone who owns a greenhouse with a huge number of
flowers and has lots of experience is better of doing this themselves, but

I
am much better at coding Active Server Pages and writing stored procedures
than at repotting. Programming is my job, repotting is theirs.

I love the daily interaction with the orchids, watering them, looking for
signs of stress, or for new spikes or new leaves. But repotting is a pain

in
the back for me.

Joanna



....What Mick said =)

My repotting always seems to get done when I am stressed out, mostly before
exams (like today!). I love to take a break from papers and books and make a
mess of orchids, moss and bark in the kitchen.

It really calms me down. Others might get stressed by the mess though, I
guess =)

Here (Sweden) I have never seen the offer of repotting! How interesting. And
I have had a job selling pot plants.

Different ways for different places, I guess.

//H




  #11   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 08:32 PM
Kenni Judd
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Joanna: I seriously doubt that you hurt your plants, but it sounds like you
hurt yourself G. I think it's great that you finally worked up the nerve,
and now understand what's involved, but don't let other folks tell you that
you have to do them ALL yourself to be "taken seriously."

Nurseries offer this service because there is a demand for it [whether other
customers wish to be as honest as you and admit it, or not G]. And, at
least during the off-season, or if you sometimes buy a new plant while
you're there, your local nursery probably appreciates the income.
--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids
http://www.jborchids.com

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
Ok, so maybe by the time I am done with this email no one in this group

will
take me seriously anymore, but here it goes:

I admit that after 3 years of growing orchids, I have today for the first
time repotted two of them myself. You see until today I would always go to

a
local plant nursery, pay them $5-7 and that would include the new pot,
potting medium, and labor of repotting. I got to watch, discuss the health
of the roots with the staff person there, browse their orchid collection

for
a possible additional orchid buy, and the entire experience was very
enjoyable.

Today, my bathroom is a mess. I am a mess. My back hurts. And I am
frustrated. But hey, those two orchids have been repotted. Yay. ;-(

I think I am going to go back to the nursery the next time one of my

plants
needs repotting. Sure I saved $5-7 and I got to actually do it myself, but
for me this is just not worth it. Plus, I am not even sure that I did a

good
job of the repotting: What if I left some roots that needed to be cut?

What
if I disturbed some roots that were better left alone? At the local

nursery
I trust the staff person to know what he or she is doing -- I know these
people well enough to know that they have more experience with orchids

than
I do.

I understand that someone who owns a greenhouse with a huge number of
flowers and has lots of experience is better of doing this themselves, but

I
am much better at coding Active Server Pages and writing stored procedures
than at repotting. Programming is my job, repotting is theirs.

I love the daily interaction with the orchids, watering them, looking for
signs of stress, or for new spikes or new leaves. But repotting is a pain

in
the back for me.

Joanna




  #12   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 08:56 PM
Rob Halgren
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Kenni Judd wrote:

Joanna: I seriously doubt that you hurt your plants, but it sounds like you
hurt yourself G. I think it's great that you finally worked up the nerve,
and now understand what's involved, but don't let other folks tell you that
you have to do them ALL yourself to be "taken seriously."


Does that mean the more plants you repot the seriouser (should be a
word) you get? I must be painfully dull. Anyway, I agree completely.
If you want to (and can afford to) have your plants repotted for you why
not? I wouldn't necessarily take the experience of two plants and
extrapolate it, as I suspect that you would get much better at it if you
practice a bit. In fact, I have a few thousand you could practice on
this week, for free... *grin*

I do find it interesting that someone can get 5-7 dollars per plant
to repot. Materials aren't that expensive, really. If I repot one per
minute (not unreasonable for me, if everything is near at hand), then
that is ... wow. Of course nobody is going to bring in 60 plants, and
chances are it would take more like 5 minutes with questions and
answers. That is still $60 per hour. Good work if you can get it.
Probably not an unreasonably high amount to charge for a couple of
plants, though, especially if you want to spend some of your time doing
something else.

Seems like this would be a valuable service to offer to your
customers, if you are a smallish plant seller. I doubt it would work
for the big vendors, although I do remember that Hausermanns would repot
plants for you. I can't recall what they charged. I took a cymbidium
in a 12"
pot in for them to do for me when I was first starting out. It was more
than I could handle. I think they used a hacksaw... More than I want to
handle now, frankly.

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )
  #13   Report Post  
Old 23-08-2004, 11:50 PM
Diana Kulaga
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Personally, I feel quite virtuous after a good potting session, though they
don't occur as often as they should (mea culpa).

Joanna, I understand all about aching backs after a session, though. The
trick is to have a place that is the right height for you, and to have all
your "stuff" handy. Most of the problem comes with a lack of organization,
for which growers with few plants can definitely be forgiven. When I first
began growing, I didn't have a bench, or any other place that was dedicated
to potting. Materials were here, there, and everywhere. It's not like that
anymore, for me. And, as Ray describes, your choice of medium matters a lot.
I don't use bark mixes, and I find it much simpler to repot without that
stuff.

I find the interaction with the plants when I repot to be quite satisfying.
I like trimming them, and cleaning them, and also the occasional challenge
when one of them absolutely refuses to get into that pot. Oh, well, just
re-read Mick's sensuous post; that says it!

Having said all that, if you want to have someone else do it, who says you
are wrong? I love the six acres or so of floor tile in our house, but I
don't much enjoy cleaning it! Be happy.

Diana


  #14   Report Post  
Old 24-08-2004, 02:17 AM
unknown
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
"Hillevi P" wrote:

...What Mick said =)

My repotting always seems to get done when I am stressed out, mostly before
exams (like today!). I love to take a break from papers and books and make a
mess of orchids, moss and bark in the kitchen.

It really calms me down. Others might get stressed by the mess though, I
guess =)

Here (Sweden) I have never seen the offer of repotting! How interesting. And
I have had a job selling pot plants.

Different ways for different places, I guess.

//H




i like to pot in dirt, and now i have a pickaxe, i even like digging
around in the dirt (which is actually clay here) but repotting orchids
is ... a strain. i repotted several in sphag all at once one day--the
kitchen looked like Swamp Thing had exploded all over it.

however, i *do* like the way the plants always promptly grow new bits
and pieces of themselves after repotting.


as for potting for bucks--some places do it to make money, other places
do it sort of for charity--one of the local orchid shows is held at one
of the local public gardens; the garden gets a cut of the sales and the
repottng fees.


hmm, you folks with orchid societies, what about having a repotting
night once a season? ask a minimal fee, which could go to the OS...?

-j_a-
  #15   Report Post  
Old 24-08-2004, 03:27 AM
J Fortuna
 
Posts: n/a
Default

LOL

"Mick Fournier" wrote in message
...
Pam,

To repot with one's own hands. And to love the smell of the raw bark, the
fine bristling soft osmunda fiber teasing/tickling my long fingers, the
weight of the smooth round ballast stones rolling plimp-plomp in my large
hands, the siren song in my ears of the styrofoam peanuts as I gently
squeeze-pop them into thirds... Ah, but how could anyone forego such first
person earthly pleasures and call the result a true consummation of love

in
the orchid bed. That is the essential crux beyond the perfect golden rule
pot size you so eloquently describe. Give me repotting... or give me

death.
Or, give me one decent lotto and I will chuck the whole greenhouse... pots
and all.

Mick

================================

"profpam" wrote in message

...
It would certainly be a trick to repot without hands. Gloves are even

too
cumbersome for me. Best to repot when the plant is in need of repotting
rather than waiting. Pot larger if roots are in the out-growing mode;

pot
smaller when roots are few and the plant is not doing well.

. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System

http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

Mick Fournier wrote:

Joanna,

Until you do the repotting with your own hands you will never conquer

the
orchid demon.

Mick






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