Madderdebs
Orchid novice here..is all this moss stuff supposed to stay or remove it?!!
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Orchid novice here..is all this moss stuff supposed to stay or remove… | The Orchid Oasis | Planta-fællesskab
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MeasomerPiI’m not a fan is sphagnum. But it really depends on quality of the moss, the environment, your watering style and so on. If the moss isn’t tightly packed and if it dries out in a week to ten days then you are probably fine. I would only top water sphagnum plants. Soaking loads the media with too much water. However, I find plants from growers typically have sphagnum that is so compacted the media stays moist for two weeks or longer and doesn’t allow air to circulate around the roots.
2 likes- Madderdebs
Thank you.. and this is a case where it feels moist..
0 likes - MeasomerPi
Gotcha. I would wait to repot until after it’s done flowering, otherwise it may drop blooms prematurely. After the last bloom drops, I would cut the inflorescence back to the base of the plant once the final bloom drops. There is a way to try for a second bloom but in the following year flowers tend to be fewer in number and sometimes smaller. Flowering is very taxing process for the plants. When you get ready to repot, I would first give it a good soak as things are easier when hydrated. Take the orchid out of the pot and gently remove the media from the roots. Try get it all, but it’s fine if you have to leave some so you don’t damage the roots. And don’t worry if you damage some roots. It isn’t great but it happens. Just try to minimize as much as possible. Examine the roots for health and pests. Trim off any dead or dying roots. Dead roots are papery or mushy, black or brown. Healthy roots are firm and green when wet, silvery when dry. Deeper into the media you may encounter pale yellow roots. It just means they haven’t been exposed to light. They are fine as long as they are firm. I would leave any wrinkled roots as long as they are firm. Use an orchid pot with additional ventilation. They are typically clear so you can monitor root development, and have ventilation holes on the sides of the pot. If you don’t have one, you can add holes to a growers pot or any other plastic pot you have on hand. Size the pot so that the roots just fit in the pot. They like a tight fit. To minimize transplant shock, I would repot using a mix of 50% sphagnum 50% bark. That will allow moisture to hang around long enough for the roots to take in what they want without cutting off air circulation. If you are a heavy waterer you can reduce the amount of sphagnum in your mix. My preference is straight bark. The key is a loose airy mix that will allow the roots to dry between waterings. Regardless of what mix you use, gently work it around the roots. I use an old chopstick for the job. The goal is to firmly seat the plant in the pot without packing the media. You want an airy mix that allows the roots to grab the water they want and then dry out. Orchids like their water but the LOVE for their roots to dry out. Generally, you’ll need to repot every 2-3 years or when the media is broken down. Good luck!
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