This was my first time repotting a Paphiopedilum orchid. I was a bit nervous since there were some very obvious differences. First off, the roots were brown and hairy and a bit more scarce than on my Phalaenopsis. They were all firm and some bark chips were stuck to the roots. I couldn't get the bark chips loosened enough to remove them so I just left them alone; after all, there were only 2. I don't think it's the end of the world. I didn't want to start bruising and tearing the root system.
Since I was planning to go from a 3.75 inch pot to a 5 inch, I had to fill the bottom with small styrofoam pieces. This would've worked for me since I also planned to sit the pot on top of a humidity tray, and I didn't want the media wicking the water underneath:
However, after very careful consideration, I ended up deciding to not use the new pot and simply repotted Vino back in the green nursery pot he came in, but I did add a layer of styrofoam at the bottom as I had planned originally. The new pot was simply way too roomy, and one of the things that most growers agree on is that Paphiopedilum's do not take well to being over-potted. I decided to err on the side of caution rather than risk losing my beautiful new plant due to a stupid rookie mistake.
The new Paph and Phrag Imperial Orchid Mix arrived. I replaced all the old bark chips with the new media on top of the styrofoam pieces. In the end, this was the final product:
The nice thing about Orchiata is that you can use it straight out of the bag without soaking it so I decided to water Vino tomorrow morning before I leave for work since I did not want to have the plant sitting in wet media all night long. I will also add a very diluted dose of liquid fertilizer to minimize any stress I might have caused due to the repotting.
I am glad I decided to go ahead and repot. The old media was not holding the moisture at all. In order to avoid over-watering I would simply hold off and water every other day, but even this, was a bit excessive. I am really hoping the new mix will solve this problem. I also plan to add a bit of sphagnum moss at the top of the pot to really seal that moisture in.
Another interesting thing I discovered was that apparently Paphiopedilum plants can heal themselves. When I purchased Vino, there was a leaf that had been sliced cleanly through as if it had been accidentally cut with a box cutter. I surmise this happened when the shipment of plants came into the store and Vino was a victim of circumstance and sloppy impatient hands.
So, last week, I did notice the leaf. I felt I should leave it alone and wait to see what happened. I really thought eventually, at least, the larger part of it would just yellow and fall off. However, today when I was examining the plant, I noticed the leaf had now fused itself together at the site of the injury:
Orchids really are amazing plants!
Since I was planning to go from a 3.75 inch pot to a 5 inch, I had to fill the bottom with small styrofoam pieces. This would've worked for me since I also planned to sit the pot on top of a humidity tray, and I didn't want the media wicking the water underneath:
However, after very careful consideration, I ended up deciding to not use the new pot and simply repotted Vino back in the green nursery pot he came in, but I did add a layer of styrofoam at the bottom as I had planned originally. The new pot was simply way too roomy, and one of the things that most growers agree on is that Paphiopedilum's do not take well to being over-potted. I decided to err on the side of caution rather than risk losing my beautiful new plant due to a stupid rookie mistake.
The new Paph and Phrag Imperial Orchid Mix arrived. I replaced all the old bark chips with the new media on top of the styrofoam pieces. In the end, this was the final product:
I am glad I decided to go ahead and repot. The old media was not holding the moisture at all. In order to avoid over-watering I would simply hold off and water every other day, but even this, was a bit excessive. I am really hoping the new mix will solve this problem. I also plan to add a bit of sphagnum moss at the top of the pot to really seal that moisture in.
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| Orchiata Based Mix |
Another interesting thing I discovered was that apparently Paphiopedilum plants can heal themselves. When I purchased Vino, there was a leaf that had been sliced cleanly through as if it had been accidentally cut with a box cutter. I surmise this happened when the shipment of plants came into the store and Vino was a victim of circumstance and sloppy impatient hands.
So, last week, I did notice the leaf. I felt I should leave it alone and wait to see what happened. I really thought eventually, at least, the larger part of it would just yellow and fall off. However, today when I was examining the plant, I noticed the leaf had now fused itself together at the site of the injury:
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