Potting a dendrobium.

[Winterwhite]

I bought some wire pots with liners. I placed the liner in the pot, added some bark mix and planted the dendrobium in the bark that was contained within the liner. I then soaked the plant with liner and mix for a few minutes knowing the liner would swell like a sponge. It did and it is the funniest thing going. Can anyone with experience using liners share what the pros and cons are? Thank you. Winterwhite

[pikevi]

I don't have any experience with them.

I have seen metal baskets with coconut-fibre liners in local garden centres and I wanted buy a couple and try a few orchids. They are all relatively shallow and the deeper ones are two wide. I am sure orchids will thrive in them.

At almost $30 each for the small ones , I'd rather direct the money to get more orchids

[Lucinda Brown]

Hi Winterwhite,I have a lot of my phalaeonopsis plants in the moss baskets like you can buy at Walmart,Home Depot,etc. I have 3 together in one round one. All doing well and spiking again right now. The baskets are the wire with coconut liners,the phal's are planted in sphagnum moss only inside the baskets.I like the moss only medium for my phal's because I made the classic mistake of overwatering them in the beginning,also.It's easy to tell when the moss dries out.

[Lucinda Brown]

P.s. Walmart,Home depot,Lowes, have the wire baskets and liners pretty cheap.

[pikevi]

Thanks Lucinda Brown.

I will check it out this weekend.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Dendrobiums are usually potted in very small pots, as they like to dry out pretty fast. However, since a basket drys fast by nature of all that exposed area, you will probably be OK. But remember to let the basket dry some, and especially in winter let it dry thoroughly before watering if the plant is not growing or blooming.