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Originally Posted by prisana  I've just received a Paph. in the mail today and it came in this wet and loose potting medium that looks a lot like soil ( very fine and very black ) What is it ? I think I'm seeing a spike beginning to push through the crown. Should I leave it be or repot it ? For now I just threw on some fine bark on the top of the medium hopefully to absorb some of the wetness . The plant looks super healthy, just don't know if it's a good idea to leave it in the mix that is very slow to dry out or give it a fresh one now. Any idea ? |
Hi prisana,
As you've probably heard me say in other threads what's important is giving the plant what it likes and usually that can be done in a variety of ways. If your plant is strong and healthy and possibly in spike, it would seem this "dirt" was the ideal mix for the conditions of the nusery your bought it from. It may or may not be the best mix for your conditions.
You could leave it or repot it. I have received bareroot Paphs in spike and potted them up and had them go on to bloom nicely so I am of the opinin that it doesn't matter much one way or the other on that.
If you leave it potted as it is in the "dirt," get your skewer method going and monitor how wet it is inside the pot. These loamy mixes can stay wet for a long time. You may find you only have to water it once every 10 days to 2 weeks in this stuff. Monitor it closely and water only when necessary (Paphs like gently moist at all times).
If you repot it, use a moisture retentive mix, one with fine to medium bark, chopped sphag, etc. When unpotting, just let whatever mix that falls away go. Maybe give it a gentle rinse under the faucet but don't try to "clean" the roots off. This can damage the delicate hairs on Paph roots.
If you get a chance, post some pics of your Paph when it blooms! What kind is it?