Eight points to note when potting orchids

 [Linghai Lanyan] In the orchid book, six taboos are mentioned: "Do not plant in extreme summer heat, do not plant in severe cold, do not plant under scorching sun, do not plant weak plants, do not plant when orchid buds are opening, do not plant in rainy weather." This clearly states that under these six conditions, it is not suitable to repot and plant orchids.

1. Pay attention to the timing of repotting. Normally growing potted orchids do not need repotting every year; generally, they are repotted once every 2 years. Repotting can be done in all four seasons (except in extreme summer heat and severe cold). Most orchids are repotted in spring and autumn. In spring, it is usually from late February to late April, and in autumn, late September to mid-November is suitable. But one thing must be done: two days before repotting, watering should be controlled so that the inside of the pot is slightly drier, which makes it easier to remove the pot and also prevents the orchid roots from breaking due to containing too much water.

2. Pay attention to choosing sunny weather. Repotting must be done on a sunny day. The first step in repotting is to remove the pot. If it is cultivated with granular (Xianmei Xiantu, orchid base stone, and similar) planting materials, simply turn the orchid pot upside down, hold the base of the leaf cluster with your fingers, and gently pat the edge of the pot with the other hand to loosen the planting material, and the orchid plant can quickly be separated from the planting material. If the traditional method is used, with "orchid mud" for planting, first lay the orchid pot horizontally, push inward from the bottom hole of the pot with your fingers to move the pot soil, then turn the orchid pot upside down, hold the base of the orchid leaves with your fingers, and support the mud clump; with the other hand, push the orchid plant together with the mud clump out of the orchid pot.

3. Pay attention to root treatment. Pruning requires a cutting tool; it is best to prepare dedicated scissors, first soak them in boiling water for a few minutes, and use them after disinfection.

First, trim the root system. Cut off blackened roots, as well as rotten and shriveled hollow roots. When pruning, be careful not to damage new roots, and especially be careful to protect the very pointed, transparent "crystal tips," which are the orchid's growth points; they are very tender and can break with a slight mishap. Next, trim and remove decayed and shriveled hollow pseudobulbs. When pruning, special care must be taken to protect new buds, and they must never be damaged.

The pruned orchid plant must be strictly disinfected. For disinfection, a solution made with potassium permanganate at 1000 times water or a solution made with thiophanate-methyl at 800 times water can be used. Soak the orchid roots in the solution for 5 to 10 minutes, in order to kill pathogens.

Particular attention should be paid to the fact that after orchid roots are soaked and disinfected in the solution, the roots contain sufficient water, so they must not be potted in a hurry, as the orchid roots are prone to brittle breakage. The orchid plant should be placed in a cool, ventilated place, and only when the orchid roots appear milky white can it be potted and planted.

4. Pay attention to orchid pot disinfection. When old or previously used orchid pots are used again, they must be washed clean with clear water and then dried in the sun, which can serve to disinfect and sterilize. Newly used pots (such as unglazed fired pots) should be soaked in water for a period of time before use, which both cleans them and removes "fire qi."

5. Pay attention to the size and height of the orchid pot. When choosing an orchid pot, mainly select a pot of moderate size according to the orchid species, the number of orchid plants, and the sturdiness of the orchid seedlings. If there are many plants and growth is vigorous, a pot with a larger diameter should be chosen. For planting small seedlings and weak seedlings, large pots and deep pots cannot be used; large seedlings cannot be planted in small pots and shallow pots. In general, for Cymbidium faberi and Cymbidium ensifolium types, choose slightly larger and deeper pots; for Cymbidium goeringii types, choose smaller and shallower pots.

6. Pay attention to covering the drainage hole. A piece of window screen should be placed over the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot, and a piece of tile should be pressed on the window screen to prevent the pot soil from washing away without losing drainage function. If it is a deep pot, in addition to the tile, fill another 1/5 of the pot height with white plastic foam or coarse-grained Xiantu to form a drainage and breathable layer at the bottom of the pot, then spread a layer of culture medium, and the orchid can be planted.

7. Pay attention to planting upright and straightening the orchid plant: if only one clump is planted in a pot, the old pseudobulb should be positioned toward one side of the orchid pot, leaving space for future development. Use your hand to straighten the orchid plant and try not to let the orchid plants crowd together.

Filling with planting material and planting the orchid: hold the orchid with one hand, and use a shovel to add planting material with the other hand. When the planting material has covered up to the pseudobulb, gently lift the orchid plant upward so that the root system spreads out even more. At the same time, shake the orchid pot so that the planting material presses close to the roots.

The depth of planting orchids should be moderate: for Cymbidium goeringii types, the pseudobulb should be slightly exposed; for Cymbidium faberi types, the pseudobulb must be completely covered.

8. Pay attention to post-planting management. After repotting, it should be placed in a semi-shaded and well-ventilated place, then use a watering can with a small nozzle to water carefully over the surface soil layer. Note that the settling water must be watered thoroughly. After 10 to 15 days, normal management can be carried out.