| I give each plant the pot it needs, up size, downsize, same pot, shallower pot, and sometimes deeper pot. If I reuse the same pot for the same plant, I will rinse the pot out with a jet of clean water, but that is all. Anything that sticks in the pot stays there for the next season. There is nothing in that pot that isn't on the roots already.
For sympodials (not Phals and Vandas), I select a pot's diameter for the length of the rhizome across the top. The pot is chosen to give me room for the number of years growth for the expected life of the mix which is one growth for me, as I repot every year. I have been making an exception this year for seedlings, adding an extra 1/2" diameter, because I found last year that the plants fell over so much that I had to put the plastic pots into clay pots to stabilize them. I am also adding an extra 1/2" to plants that are very tall for the length of the rhizome to keep them upright. Many Catts need bulb pans to compensate for the extra width. Just wish bulb pans came smaller that 5".
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Cynthia
Prescott Orchid Society  |