Dual Core orchid pots......

[tinabee]

I just ordered a set of these from Repotme.com a little bit ago for two reasons....to contain my LECA and to see what is going on with the root zone.

Has anyone here tried them out? I can't wait to experiment with them.

[-k-]

Yes, I use the oxygen dual core that I purchased with my culture pots from the Hydro store. So far I have had great success with them. One is used for my S/H candidate and others for sphag, love that the roots are more visible and also better air circulation. The sphag does not stay ultra wet; drying much faster than typical pots, so I think it will serve you well.

[maria1971]

I've been thinking about these for my catts and laelias


My sister bought them for her phals and all of them are doing super well with these. I'm jealous actually. LOLOL


Good luck. Repotme rocks.

[Ray]

I have seen a wide variety of "variations on that theme" over the years.

1. Just use an ordinary net pot inside of another pot.
2. Invert a smaller net pot and set it on the bottom of a standard pot before adding medium and plant. (I supply a lot of 2" net pots for that purpose)
3. One of the simplest ways is to use Rand's Air-Cone pots, which have a perforated cone molded into the bottom.

It seems to me that the inverted net pot or Air-Cone pot is actually more effective, as the interior of the potting medium simply doesn't dry out as well as the outer surface, so having that airspace compensates for that.

[maria1971]

Ray, but what do you do when the plant outgrows the biggest aircone pot? I have a phal that BARELY fits into the biggest aircone pot--and when I tell you barely, I mean that I there's barely any potting medium because the root system is so big.

It's too heavy to mount also.

That's why I thought of trying these, and for my bigger catts and laelias.

[Brooke]

Use bigger net pots - I've got all sizes up to 10".

Brooke

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Use bigger net pots - I've got all sizes up to 10".

Brooke

Brooke,

Hi. Do you use moss with net pots? it seems that that would be too much moss. That's what I'm afraid of with this phal. But, really, the thing is just really big---it measures 24 inches from the tip of one leaf to another one. What do you recommend?

[Stitz]

Ray wrote, " It seems to me that the inverted net pot or Air-Cone pot is actually more effective "

I agree!! Orchid roots don't need a pot; they need something on which to hang. The inverted net pot provides more "texture" for the plant to grasp rather than being "in" something.

[janet_a]

my two big phals are in 7 or 8 inch clay pots, in coarse bark, over an inverted net pot inside; they seem to be doing ok. the one is in an azalea pot (with the three openings around the bottom), and the other in a regular clay pot. leaf spans of 18-24" also.

before i got any net pots, i just used smaller clay pots inverted inside the big ones.

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by janet_a

my two big phals are in 7 or 8 inch clay pots, in coarse bark, over an inverted net pot inside; they seem to be doing ok. the one is in an azalea pot (with the three openings around the bottom), and the other in a regular clay pot. leaf spans of 18-24" also.

before i got any net pots, i just used smaller clay pots inverted inside the big ones.

Janet,

Thanks. I've never grown anything in bark. Do you mix it with anything else, or just bark?

[janet_a]

i use commercial mixes, so they tend to be bark and/or coir and/or perlite and/or charcoal; i prefer things that are mostly/all bark, then i can throw in a spoonful of this or a spoonful of that, depending on how airy/dense the mix looks. (had my big catt professionally repotted by someone who has been growing orchids as long as i've been alive (and i ain't young ) and his mix has bark and sphag and charcoal and *rocks* in it.

remember when you were a kid and went out and made mud pies, with a little of this and a little of that? that's my philosophy on orchid mixes.


see also: Choosing a potting media ?

[Brooke]

Maria I thought you wanted to use the same concept as an air cone pot, thus the bigger net pot reference. The net pot inverted in the middle will let the middle of the pot dry out as fast as the edges/top.

I don't grow any phals in net pots but do grow many different genera in large net pots with either sphag/tree fern or CHC mix.

I am systematically eliminating all bark as a media.

Brooke

[Ray]

For really large phals, I actually prefer to mount them, but in baskets laid on the side. Here is link to some old photos of my Phal. Sogo Redfox, a gigantea hybrid, mounted that way.

Phalaenopsis Sogo Redfox

[NancyG]

That is a beauty Ray. I have a huge phal that needs repotting. I wonder how a basket inside a clay pot would work. I want to bring inside when in bloom. Or would the small net pot be a better idea inside the clay pot. I use mostly hydroton for media.

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Maria I thought you wanted to use the same concept as an air cone pot, thus the bigger net pot reference. The net pot inverted in the middle will let the middle of the pot dry out as fast as the edges/top.

I don't grow any phals in net pots but do grow many different genera in large net pots with either sphag/tree fern or CHC mix.

I am systematically eliminating all bark as a media.

Brooke

Brooke.

Hi. I do. I currently have it in an aircone pot but it no longer fits due to the root system. I would like to recreate something like that. But, my biggest concern is that the bigger the pot--the more potting medium it uses--hence more chance to cause root damage/rot.

I dont' want to put it in a basket and move it outside though.

[janet_a]

but the inverted net pot inside the larger pot also takes up some space--use a larger net pot to reduce the volume of the outer pot, if you like.

[Brooke]

I can see I'm not 'splainin' this properly. Pick out the size pot you need, insert a net pot upside down, the bottom of the net pot will be facing you. You then drape the roots of the phal between the sides of the net pot and the sides of your container.

What you have created is a version of the air cone but with a removable air (net) cone in the size pot you need.

Brooke

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by Brooke

I can see I'm not 'splainin' this properly. Pick out the size pot you need, insert a net pot upside down, the bottom of the net pot will be facing you. You then drape the roots of the phal between the sides of the net pot and the sides of your container.

What you have created is a version of the air cone but with a removable air (net) cone in the size pot you need.

Brooke

and, far more effective than the Dual Core concept. As Janet pointed out, the inverted net pot reduces the need for filling the larger pot with media.

If you're reluctant, TRY IT on at least one healthy, mature plant....

ps - Brooke, your 'splainin' works fine for those of us who know what yer talkin' 'bout!

[maria1971]

I understand what you all are saying, but the root system and the plant combined make it too tall for me to put an inverted pot UNLESS I use a HUGE pot. But, huge pots tend to be wider, not necessarily taller. The root system in my phal doesn't grow out, it grows down....so the roots are long.

As it is, it wobbles inside a 6 x 7 aircone pot. So, the inverted pot thing would add too much height to whatever pot I am using and the phal won't be stable.

Yesterday I received a pot from Tindara orchids called Ultra pot, which is as tall as an aircone pot but since it is round, it is a little bit wider. That's what I used with moss and I put some hydroton at the bottom to hold down the pot so that the plant won't topple over. It's a heavy duty mesh/net pot.

Thanks for your advice.

[NancyG]

I have the same problem with my largest phal. The roots are so long. It already is in a large clay plot. I would like to find taller pots but as maria 1971 says they usually are wider too. I did like the repotme.com website. I'm going to get some of the smaller net pots and use this idea in my smaller plants. I suppose you could use multilple small net pots at the bottom of a wide pot or is this getting ridiculous!

[janet_a]

whack 'em off. it'll grow more.

[Stitz]

Originally Posted by NancyG

I suppose you could use multilple small net pots at the bottom of a wide pot or is this getting ridiculous!

pretend that you are a supporter of Barack Obama. Yes, I can....

[NancyG]

Well I don't have to pretend I am a supporter but I would rather keep politics and orchids separate.

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by Ray

For really large phals, I actually prefer to mount them, but in baskets laid on the side. Here is link to some old photos of my Phal. Sogo Redfox, a gigantea hybrid, mounted that way.

Phalaenopsis Sogo Redfox

Hi Ray,
Nice phal. What kind of moss is that in the pic ? Is it green sphag?
Thanks for sharing the pic.
Emmaye

[JLu]

Maybe I'm stupid, but I fail to see how anyone could make this simple thing so complicated. Sit the darn plant on an inverted pot of whatever size you like inside whatever size pot you think is appropriate. If the roots reach the bottom then wrap them around to make them fit.

If that's not to your liking then nail the thing to a board and hang it up. These grow in the jungle without any help from people at all. It seems to me that all this hand wringing is unnecessary. Nike comes to mind...Just Do It!

[Brooke]

Maria I'm glad you found something you like. I misunderstood your intent, I thought you wanted to make your own air cone type pot.

Net pots are great - I use a ton of them but never for a phal. Your phal roots will weave in and out and be very happy.

Brooke

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Maria I'm glad you found something you like. I misunderstood your intent, I thought you wanted to make your own air cone type pot.

Net pots are great - I use a ton of them but never for a phal. Your phal roots will weave in and out and be very happy.

Brooke

No worries Brooke. I think at some point we were cross-talking.

Do you use net pots for cattleyas?

If so, what medium do you use?

I just used my second ultra pot for a laelia anceps division I bought from SBOE. It's currently potted in 100% hydroton.

Do the roots come out all over, and does this become a problem for you after a while?

Thanks for your advice, Brooke, I really appreciate it.

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by janet_a

whack 'em off. it'll grow more.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

Hi Ray,
Nice phal. What kind of moss is that in the pic ? Is it green sphag?
Thanks for sharing the pic.
Emmaye

No, it's NZ sphag with algae!

[Brooke]

Maria I use net pots for things that need to be wet but also require good air exchange - masdies, bulbos, pescatorea and recently on some maxillaria.

I've never tried a catt in them but I guarantee you the roots will pop out all over the pot. The few I have in baskets and even my catts in clay pots send roots out in every direction from every hole they can find. The only problem I have when the roots escape is pulling them through the holes in the tables or keeping them from attaching to a neighbor. Growth wise, never a problem.

I use clay pots with Prime Agra for the catts because of their size. I tend to like big ole honkin' catts and feel the clay gives me a heavier base for stability.

Brooke

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Maria I use net pots for things that need to be wet but also require good air exchange - masdies, bulbos, pescatorea and recently on some maxillaria.

I've never tried a catt in them but I guarantee you the roots will pop out all over the pot. The few I have in baskets and even my catts in clay pots send roots out in every direction from every hole they can find. The only problem I have when the roots escape is pulling them through the holes in the tables or keeping them from attaching to a neighbor. Growth wise, never a problem.

I use clay pots with Prime Agra for the catts because of their size. I tend to like big ole honkin' catts and feel the clay gives me a heavier base for stability.

Brooke

Ahh. Ok. I see!!! Thanks for the response.

[BluPeaches]

So when you do the inverted pot do you just put potting media on the outside?

Stupid question I know but the way I picture it in my head just doesn't look right?

[Stitz]

yes, BluPeaches - on the outside. It will look perfectly normal once you add media to cover the top.

[katrina]

Another option...if the net basket is a little too high...cut it down a bit to fit lower in the clay pot.

[BluPeaches]

Originally Posted by Stitz

yes, BluPeaches - on the outside. It will look perfectly normal once you add media to cover the top.

Thanks. I'm going to try that one of these days.

[mehitabel]

Hmmm, so was the consensus that the Dual Core pots don't add anything that can't be achieved by Aircones and/or a small pot inverted inside a big pot?

The claim Repotme makes for the Dual Core is that roots are allowed to grow in "pure humidity" in the space between the two pots, rather than in the humidity provided by a medium. Almost like a mount, but without the need for daily watering? No one seems to have answered this claim with a yay or a nay.

ie, the function of Air Cones and the Dual Core is different. Aircones reduce the amount of medium, and provide air at the center. Dual Core doesn't do this, but is supposed to provide a humid environment for roots growing outside the net pot. This may be a valid claim because with all the extra holes I put in the bottom of my air cones, roots do find their way out the bottom into the air directly above the humidity tray.

Anyone have experience with the Dual Core concept of the humid space or ideas about the claims for it? I'm very curious about it.

PS I agree you can manufacture your own dual core pots with a net pot and an outer pot.

Maria: I am currently trying 6 of my biggest phals in a 10" pot, with extra holes all over the bottom, and an inverted pot inside. I repotted them about 3/10 or so. They were phals that had roots jammed into 6" Aircones (I find these about = to an 8" standard pot) and growing all over the place.

So far, so good. But too early to tell yet. They've continued to bloom and set new spikes. I do notice that many Awards of Cultural Merit for phals are given to phals in bigger-than-6" pots, so felt it was worth a try.

[mehitabel]

Bluepeaches-- the inverted pot

Root rot often starts in the middle of a pot, especially a big pot, because roots there are not properly aerated, and the medium tends to stay too wet. So larger pots are really a problem for orchids, even big ones.

The upside down pot is placed in the center of the root mass and substitutes air for the medium that would otherwise be packed there. Hence a large pot holds less medium, receives more aeration in the middle, and the center of the medium does not stay wet. Aircones work on the same principle, except that the "inverted pot" is built into the larger pot.

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by mehitabel

Hmmm, so was the consensus that the Dual Core pots don't add anything that can't be achieved by Aircones and/or a small pot inverted inside a big pot?

The claim Repotme makes for the Dual Core is that roots are allowed to grow in "pure humidity" in the space between the two pots, rather than in the humidity provided by a medium. Almost like a mount, but without the need for daily watering? No one seems to have answered this claim with a yay or a nay.

ie, the function of Air Cones and the Dual Core is different. Aircones reduce the amount of medium, and provide air at the center. Dual Core doesn't do this, but is supposed to provide a humid environment for roots growing outside the net pot. This may be a valid claim because with all the extra holes I put in the bottom of my air cones, roots do find their way out the bottom into the air directly above the humidity tray.

Anyone have experience with the Dual Core concept of the humid space or ideas about the claims for it? I'm very curious about it.

PS I agree you can manufacture your own dual core pots with a net pot and an outer pot.

Maria: I am currently trying 6 of my biggest phals in a 10" pot, with extra holes all over the bottom, and an inverted pot inside. I repotted them about 3/10 or so. They were phals that had roots jammed into 6" Aircones (I find these about = to an 8" standard pot) and growing all over the place.

So far, so good. But too early to tell yet. They've continued to bloom and set new spikes. I do notice that many Awards of Cultural Merit for phals are given to phals in bigger-than-6" pots, so felt it was worth a try.

Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it!


Well, my sister has her phals in the dual core pots and they are all doing wonderfully. But, they are smaller phals--they are in the 4" pots he sells.

However, I only have 4 phals and mainly grow catt alliance. But, my big phal is HUGE, and although some here may think that it's just easy to plop the thing into an inverted pot, I'm sort of leery of killing the thing by trying to experiment with that method. The phal I have is not very low--it grows high for some reason.

Currently, most of my Laelias and catts are in 5x5 Aircones and a couple didn't fit in there, so I put them in the 6x7 ones. However, I can see that this is going to be a problem soon. I hate the "orchid climbing out of the pot" look--and besides, there are too many critters down here in Miami who like to chew on exposed roots. The roots all grow straight down into the pot, so they must like something there. I noticed today that the roots have gone all the way down the pot and are crossing over onto the other side--at least that's what I could surmise from the few roots I could see through the bottom.

So I think I'm going to invest in the largest-sized dual core pots next season and switch everything over. I have a lot of growths right now and I don't want to break anything off. I love the Aircone, but it's very difficult to replicate when the plants grow out of the pot.


P.S. where are you buying your 10" pots? I found some 12 inch ones at Chula orchids....

Thanks once again.

[mehitabel]

Maria, you don't put your phal *into* an inverted pot. What you do is take a small 2-3" net pot or clay pot, turn it upside down, set it in the middle of a big pot, and then fit your big phal around it. The inverted small pot ends up in the *middle* of the big phal,where it ensures plenty of air flow in the middle of the pot, where most root rots begin.

You could do the same thing by putting the little pot (upside down) into the center of the phal and then potting it up.

This is recommended by Bob Gordon in his book about Phal culture.

If your phal has a long stem this could make the plant too tall for the pot. But I find 10" pot deep enough, and app 1 size bigger than the 6" Aircone = 8" round pot. If the too-long stem has no live roots on it, just cut it back to the place where the roots begin.

I put extra holes in the bottom of the pot with a soldering iron. Lots of them, leaving just enough pot bottom to hold together. This makes sure there's lots of air at the bottom. Again-- in a big pot you have to do all you can to provide air for the roots because there is so much medium.

I'm still intrigued by the possibility of the Dual Core. I think I might try that for my next overgrown phal. If you decide to go ahead and try the Dual Core, please post about your results. It would be very helpful to me. I'm having good results with Aircones, but the 6 x 7" aren't big enough for honkers.

I got the 10" clear plastic pots at Repotme.

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by mehitabel

Maria, you don't put your phal *into* an inverted pot. What you do is take a small 2-3" net pot or clay pot, turn it upside down, set it in the middle of a big pot, and then fit your big phal around it. The inverted small pot ends up in the *middle* of the big phal,where it ensures plenty of air flow in the middle of the pot, where most root rots begin.

You could do the same thing by putting the little pot (upside down) into the center of the phal and then potting it up.

This is recommended by Bob Gordon in his book about Phal culture.

If your phal has a long stem this could make the plant too tall for the pot. But I find 10" pot deep enough, and app 1 size bigger than the 6" Aircone = 8" round pot. If the too-long stem has no live roots on it, just cut it back to the place where the roots begin.

I put extra holes in the bottom of the pot with a soldering iron. Lots of them, leaving just enough pot bottom to hold together. This makes sure there's lots of air at the bottom. Again-- in a big pot you have to do all you can to provide air for the roots because there is so much medium.

I'm still intrigued by the possibility of the Dual Core. I think I might try that for my next overgrown phal. If you decide to go ahead and try the Dual Core, please post about your results. It would be very helpful to me. I'm having good results with Aircones, but the 6 x 7" aren't big enough for honkers.

I got the 10" clear plastic pots at Repotme.

Oh, yeah, I know you don't put it in the smaller pot.

Yes!! It has a long rootless stem. I didn't know whether I should just leave it or cut it back. This is what makes the phal just about to pop out of whatever I put it in.

I will definitely let you know if I decide to try the dual core pots. I've messed enough with the phal for now (at least until next year) so I don't want to touch it again. Maybe the stem issue has been my problem. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm....


Good to know!!!!

:P

[janet_a]

Can you tell if that stem is still alive? If it has no roots, you might as well cut it back...

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by janet_a

Can you tell if that stem is still alive? If it has no roots, you might as well cut it back...

The stem is brown with no roots. I didn't think I could cut it back....it's about 3-4 inches long and it had it when I got the plant.

[mehitabel]

Originally Posted by maria1971

The stem is brown with no roots. I didn't think I could cut it back....it's about 3-4 inches long and it had it when I got the plant.

Yes, I agree with Janet, you can cut it back. That's very much better than having to use a too-big pot for it. It's of no use to the plant any more.

[maria1971]

So do you think I should just do it now or wait until later?

[mehitabel]

Others may disagree, but for myself, I think I would do it now. I've had no end of trouble, even with coco chips and aircones, if the pot is too big.

[NewBloom]

Originally Posted by tinabee

I just ordered a set of these from Repotme.com a little bit ago for two reasons....to contain my LECA and to see what is going on with the root zone.

Has anyone here tried them out? I can't wait to experiment with them.

Tina,

I ordered some a month ago for a group of phals I rescued from a shop owner. I liked the idea of being able to see what was going on, since the phals came to me in bad, bad shape.

Now since I'm new to orchids, I can't compare growing the results in dual core versus a terracotta or other type pot. But I like them. The phals in the dc pots are coming along nice, but it also has to do with environment and care. The outer pot has a slightly raised dome and a lot of holes, which offers you the option of placing a plant directly in that and using the net pot for something else.

I like the drainage and air flow these pots provide and if you need to raise humidity, you can skip the pebbles & dish trick and set the pot in a puddle of water without the roots getting wet. Though this isn't something you'll need to do this time of year in FL.

I was wondering how you will use the Dual Core pots for s/h? I assume that you're using that method since you mentioned LECA. I have been reading up voraciously on the method and would like to try it but since I already spent so much on getting supplies at Repotme, I can't justify disregarding all the new pots I bought.

They're very quick in sending their products. I'm sure you've got them already.

[katrina]

Originally Posted by NewBloom

I was wondering how you will use the Dual Core pots for s/h? I assume that you're using that method since you mentioned LECA.

Many people, myself included, use LECA as a medium on it's own. Just like one would use bark or any other medium.

[tinabee]

NewBloom:

Oh, yeah.....I got my new pots already, and have repotted the orchids. Some of them were temporarily in terra cotta pots with the LECA, and I think that combination just wicks away too much moisture too quickly. Repotme has two kinds of net pots....one with a more "solid" bottom, and one with a drainage hole. I have a few of each, but I like the one with the more "solid" bottom because it holds the LECA much better.

A couple of my orchids are in rough shape because they already had compromised root systems when I repotted. I will give these guys six weeks or so to see how they do. If they don't do well, I will go back to the two staged hydroponic orchid pots with the water gauge, because that seems to work best for me.

[maria1971]

Originally Posted by mehitabel

Others may disagree, but for myself, I think I would do it now. I've had no end of trouble, even with coco chips and aircones, if the pot is too big.

Hi there. I just wanted to update you all on the fate of my big phal.


So, I got this book on Phal growing (by someone by the last name of Gordon?)and after I read it, I decided to go ahead and :

1) cut the stem--I ended up cutting about 4 inches of stem off. While I was doing this, I noticed the keiki, which I had thought was a basal keiki without independent root system actually DID have an independent root system. So, I decided to

2) cut the keiki off and repot that

3) Cut back some of the roots on the large phal

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND,

It now fits beautifully and snugly inside a 6x7 aircone pot!! It doesn't even move--something I've not been able to achieve before!!! I'm excited.

I also noticed that both the mama phal and baby phal are making new roots--the mama has 4 new roots and the baby 2 new roots.

Hopefully the phal(s) since I now have two, will be happy.


I sincerely thank everyone for their guidance and suggestions. I'm really happy with the results.

[mehitabel]

So glad it all worked out so well for you, Maria. And BTW, Gordon's book on phal culture is a terrific guide. I've had 1000% better luck with phals since reading and applying it.

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by mehitabel

So glad it all worked out so well for you, Maria. And BTW, Gordon's book on phal culture is a terrific guide. I've had 1000% better luck with phals since reading and applying it.

Hello mehitable,
Where can I find this book any phal help I could get. Would be appreciated. I can grow just about anything so far of my collection but its so hit and miss with phals for me.
Thanks
Emmaye

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by Ray

No, it's NZ sphag with algae!

Thank you ray
Emmaye

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

Hello mehitable,
Where can I find this book any phal help I could get. Would be appreciated. I can grow just about anything so far of my collection but its so hit and miss with phals for me.
Thanks
Emmaye

I did a search he has 3 books 2 have culture in its title 1) culture of the phalaenopsis orchid and 2) phalaenopsis culture: world wide survey all by bob gordon.
My question to mehitable is which of these 2 are the book being referred in this thread. I would like to get a copy of it.
Thanks,
Emmaye

[mehitabel]

Hi, Emmaye. I have both, but the most useful one was *Culture of the Phalaenopsis Orchid* by Bob Gordon. It is definitely worth reading. I started to have real success with phals after studying it.

I got mine at Amazon several years ago. It's a smallish book, ring bound so it stays flat. Mine was $13 for a perfect used copy. Probably a little more now. Gordon also has a website that offers it, but I believe it costs more there.

PS I lived in the bay area for 9 years. I loooved it.

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by mehitabel

Hi, Emmaye. I have both, but the most useful one was *Culture of the Phalaenopsis Orchid* by Bob Gordon. It is definitely worth reading. I started to have real success with phals after studying it.

I got mine at Amazon several years ago. It's a smallish book, ring bound so it stays flat. Mine was $13 for a perfect used copy. Probably a little more now. Gordon also has a website that offers it, but I believe it costs more there.

PS I lived in the bay area for 9 years. I loooved it.

Thank you mehitable,
I'll check out amazon, the web site I was looking at both are almost 20 each but his 3rd book beginners guide to growing phalaenopsis orchids is 9.95 not to bad for that one.
Thanks again.

Ps back what part of the bay area did you use to live? I'm close to concord area.

[mehitabel]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

...Ps back what part of the bay area did you use to live? I'm close to concord area.

I went to grad school at Cal Berkeley. Lived in Berkeley for 8 years. Couldn't stay of course, so we moved here.

[koshki]

Originally Posted by tinabee

I just ordered a set of these from Repotme.com a little bit ago for two reasons....to contain my LECA and to see what is going on with the root zone.

Has anyone here tried them out? I can't wait to experiment with them.

Hi, Tinabee, and welcome!

I've used the dual core pots for several orchids. I've got phals in coir mix medium, and most of my masdies in NZ sphag. They both seem to love the pots. I do notice that, especially with the masdies, those in the plastic outer pot do maintain humidity longer than those that are just in net pots. And with the masdies, this seems to be a big help.

It is fun to see what's going on inside them. My only concern, particularly with the phals, is that occasionally a root will grow through the net and hang down a bit. When I take them out to water, I worry I'm going to mash the root when it is not suspended in the outer pot. Not a biggie, though.

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by mehitabel

Hi, Emmaye. I have both, but the most useful one was *Culture of the Phalaenopsis Orchid* by Bob Gordon. It is definitely worth reading. I started to have real success with phals after studying it.

I got mine at Amazon several years ago. It's a smallish book, ring bound so it stays flat. Mine was $13 for a perfect used copy. Probably a little more now. Gordon also has a website that offers it, but I believe it costs more there.

PS I lived in the bay area for 9 years. I loooved it.

Mehitable,
There was a thread on here I believe it was you that said a formula for rehydrating cids with a sugar and water mixture I can't remember how much water and sugar measurements. Was that you who posted the formula in a different thread? If so can you give it again I misplaced the paper I wrote it down on.
Thank you
Emmaye

[mehitabel]

I ordered a couple of the Dual Core pots in 4" so I could see what they were, and ordered a few net pots to see if I could jerry-build some with pots I have. (The big ones are expensive!)

I decided if they are really a better pot, it should show up best if I used them on some newish little things that don't have the greatest new roots. So I potted them up today, using sphag. I'll post again when there's an outcome in 6 weeks or so.

One thing they do is reduce the size of the pot, my guess is at least 1/4. So that would be one benefit for root-challenged.

Emmaye: The sugar soak is 2 tablespoons to 1 quart of water. You can add a tiny bit of fertilizer or some liquid root hormone or Superthrive if you have it.

[karategirl73]

So let me start by saying I am a newbie, and have been doing numerous experiamentation with pots and potting medium to find what works best for me. I'm sure there are far more experienced people on here that know a heck more than me! I have phals and paphs, and that's all I like to collect since they seem to work best in my home for my growing conditions. This has become my new hobby, and I have really stepped up my collection so I figured I would order some good potting medium and good pots. I ordered the oxygen core dual pots from repotme, along with just the clear round slightly frosted white pots with slits in them. I repotted one of my treasured paph sanderiums in the oxygen core pot with their imperial paph/prag mix. The plant really did not seem to be growing all that well after about being in there for 4 months. Yesterday I pulled the sanderium out of there, and the roots seemed extremely dry to me. So, I repotted it in one of the frosted pots with the slits. I have paphs that love the oxygen core pot, and others that seem to hate it. The oxygen core pot did not seem to retain enough moisture for the sanderium. Maybe it would have been different had I watered more, even though I'm pretty vigilant with watering, I don't know. Thru much trial and error, I have found that some of my plants like certain potting mediums with pots, and some don't. It seems hard to find the magical combination for finding the trifecta of the plant, pot, and medium sometimes! But, I'm learning more and more as I go. Like I said I'm certainly a newbie, but maybe this helps since I've just been doing my experiamentation with the oxygen core pots. Maybe the sanderium would have been OK in there had I had a different potting medium? I'm not sure. I have not tried any of my phals in there, only the paphs. I have now repotted the sanderium in one of the frosted white pots with the slits in it, and I still have it in the imperial paph/prag mix. I'm hoping this will be the magical trifecta for the sanderium!!