Potting

Orchids should be potted in as small as a container as may be suitable, according to the size of the plant . Bigger pots encourage vegetative growth whereas plants grown in small pots have been observed to put forth a large crop of flowers.

In recent years plastic pots are rapidly giving way to mud pots. In mud pots compost remains sweet for a longer time than in plastic pots where there is no aeration . But in mud pots, as moisture evaporates from the outside , there is no aeration . But in mud pots, as moisture evaporates from the outside , there is leeching of salts from the compost towards the outside and they come to accumulate between the pot and the compost . Because of this the roots also concentrate themselves in this region without penetrating into the compost . Such leeching of salts and consequent concentration of roots in between the medium and the pots is avoided where plastic pots are used . Besides , they retain moisture longer than clay pots.

Any kind of container which can hold the medium and provide plenty of aeration is suitable for growing orchids. Baskets made of teakwood scantlings are ideal for growing Vandaceous orchids, Cattleyas etc.

Orchids remain at their best when left undisturbed . Repotting is advised only in cases where the plants have filled the pot and there is hardly any more room to grow. Repotting is done immediately after flowering and when the plant starts putting forth new leads or new pseudobulbs . The whole plant is taken out of the pot without causing any root damage . Hte rhizome is cut with a clean knife without injury to the pseudobulbs into as many portions as is desired . Dead backbulbs and dead roots are cut away . Each portion is potted in a fresh pot. Old but live backbulbs , removed with a little portion of the rhizome and planted separately will produce fresh plants . The old backbulbs kept with a little damp moss in a sealed polythene bag produce new shoots within two to three weeks .When roots appear at the bases of this new growth , the bulb is taken out and planted in pot. This is a sure way of getting new plants out of old back bulbs. Orchids like Cymbidium react favourably when repotted every other year or so. Vandaceous orchids tolerate very little disturbance and Paphiopedilum species should never be repotted unless it is absolutely necessary .

When a mud pot or plastic pot is used , the basal one third portion is filled with broken tile pieces in order to ensure good drainage. The medium, whether it be fern fibre, bark or coconut husk , is heaped on top of this in a small 'mount '. The plant to be potted is placed on top of this mount with the roots spread outwards and downwards along the slopes of the mount .Holding the plant in place with one hand , fill the space between the roots and wall of the pot with more medium , till the pot is filled to an inch from the rim of the pot and packed tightly . THe medium should cover only the roots and the rhizome , but never the pseudobulb. The plant is then tied to stakes to give support till roots grow and anchor the plant is then tied to stakes to give support till roots grow and anchor the plant to the medium properly . It is always better to soak the medium in water for half an hour before repotting .

Paphiopedilum and Odontoglossum ,when they are transplanted from seedling flasks, appear to grow faster and acquire resistance to disease ,when their corresponding mycorrhizal fungi are also introduced along with them (Blowers and Arditti , 1970) . However , all orchid species do not seem to react in this way. Cymbidium and Cattleya , for example are unaffected by either the presence or absence of mycorrhiza . Since individual species of orchids are specific in their preference of particular strains of mycorrhizal fungi and are antagonistic to all others , pots should be cleaned throughly before planting another species of orchid in it .