How to Choose an Orchid Pot? Master These Selection Tips

To grow Chinese orchids well, the texture and size of the orchid pot are very important. In Guangdong, traditional orchid growing mostly uses "flower tray" pots, which are tall-footed and favorable for orchid roots to extend. Those used forflower viewingare mostly large pots, while those used for foliage viewing are mostly small pots. As for texture,cultivationuses unglazed pots, that is, clay pots; exhibition uses glazed pots, that is, porcelain-faced pots. Unglazed pots are made from highly viscous clay containing iron. When making the pots, no glaze is applied to the outside, and they are fired at about 1,000 degrees Celsius. If the clay used has a high iron content, the fired orchid pot will be reddish red; otherwise it will be yellow-red. Because unglazed pots have better air permeability and moisture dissipates quickly, they are very suitable for orchidcultivation. In addition, they are cheap and therefore very commonly used. It is worth introducing Japan'sorchid growingspecial-purpose pot, namely the "black raku pot." This kind of pot is made from special clay that does not contain iron and other ingredients, with glaze applied on the outside, and after firing it undergoes a special cooling treatment. It is first fired at 1,300 degrees Celsius, taken out several hours later, cooled in the air to 700 or 800 degrees, and then plunged into cold water for rapid cooling, causing many small bubbles to form evenly in the pot body and creating many fine pores, which facilitate air circulation and moisture evaporation, making it the finest among orchid pots forcultivationto date. On the basis of making black raku pots, Japan has also produced a kind of expensive "gold raku pot." This kind of orchid pot is made by using pure gold coating to paint dragons, phoenixes, birds, waves, lions, orchids and other patterns on ordinary black raku pots and then firing them once more, producing a noble orchid pot used for cultivating especially noble orchid varieties and for use when participating in exhibitions. In formal Japanese orchid exhibitions or appreciation gatherings, it is stipulated that all orchid and cymbidium plants must be planted in gold raku pots;orchidsand orchid pots should be regarded as an artistic combination. Fine flowers must be matched with fine pots to appear even more noble. In recent years, Taiwan has promoted the use of plastic pots, with ventilation holes at the bottom and on the walls of Sichuan-style pots. They are very light and cheap, and production has already begun in Guangdong. Specifications include 3.5 inch, 4.5 inch, 5.5 inch, 6.5 inch and many other sizes. (He Qingzheng)