It's really pretty! Would you be putting a slotted plastic liner inside? Also, how large is that pot? I saw some similar ones at my Lowe's today, but it was like 6" in diameter and that would take a huge orchid!

Bet they are the same ones. It's by Garden treasures. Measurements are 4.72x5.28. I have one in a 4.5" and the others are in 4"clear plastic except for two epi types that are in 6" clay pots. I haven't seen any slotted plastic liner pots around here- maybe should look those up online. I like the idea of air getting to the roots. Also have two '"mini orchids"?? that I just bought that are stuffed into about 2" plastic pot that are full of blooms now but will prob. post pic tomorrow for advice on what to put them in next.

Jane-

Am I correct in thinking that the onion bag or nylon goes in first then line that with the sphag then the bark???

I have a similar one, with slightly smaller holes. The orchid loves it. I like it, too, because I can take it to the sink, run the water through it for a bit, then shake it out and it's good to go. Jane's idea to line with a mesh bag or hose is brilliant. The holes on my pot are much smaller, but sometimes the roots do peek out.

That pot looks pretty good! I think it should work very well. I don't thing a mesh would be necessary, but whatever you want!

~palmsandsnow

It is neither good or bad. The right pot depends on the plant and the water provider. Different types of pots retain different amounts of water. Plastic retains the most. Clay the least. Then you must consider the potting material and its retaining qualities. Lava rock is low retention and moss the most. Also your availability to water could mean you need or don't need retention.

I have a heavy hand on the hose so I have several mounted plants and the rest in clay pots with lava rock. Many species will not tolerate my culture but more will. I like the idea of similar care for all. Fortunately the menu of orchid choices is large.

Good or bad the pot will make a nice presentation...because it is glazed it is much like a plastic pot with lots of holes in it...also if the saucer get water I would keep it dry...

Palms-I suppose to keep the medium in- but also maybe to be able to lift out without getting everything all over the place in case you want to check roots or something ??

If you did that there would not be enough air for the roots. Perhaps with a plant in bloom in plastic could be put in the pot for a presentation. But not to live and grow...

Harvey- I was going to use a coarse fir bark, charcoal, coarse perlite mix for orchids from Better-gro in the pot. I think the mix is large enough not to fall through the holes but if not then maybe use Janes idea of the onion bag mesh to keep it in.

Mine are inside all the loooong winter and outside in shade for summer. I was thinking of this as a permanent pot not as a cache.

I really didn't think of that! (Nasty habit!)

I use a large bark/charcoal/perlite orchid mix. No netting is needed for large holes in the pot. It doesn't hold too much water like pure bark does. Also when I used pure bark chips it decomposed, rotted the orchid roots and .....yuck! I soak my orchid pots once a week for an hour in a bucket of water. Love your pot. Looks like one I own(not in the pic). it does hold a little water in the bottom since the holes are high...that's a good thing.

Nicole- Not my pot yet-wanted to check here first to see if anyone was using something like it and what they thought. Think i'll get one next time I'm over that way and try it. They were around $7.99

Carol...that's a really good price! I paid $12,99 for one just like it @ Krogers floral dept.

Glad I saw this hey Carol & all! I have 3 cases of these orchid planters. Various LOWES puts them on sale 75% off I'm not sure what time of year but I keep LOWES app on my phone lol. Here's a trick I use, I take minature ice trays and freeze w/orchid plant food add 3/4 depending on the size of diameter pot. I alternate plain ice cubes except when feeding time. Works well. Now off to get rid of the MEALYBUGS ectra. Using recommended ideas. Bayer can be bought and diluted. American Orchid Society has good info. BTW searching for a GHOST ORCHID! ANYONE PLS LET ME KNOW! Txks ~ Bren :)

I would NEVER shock an orchid by placing ice cubes on it. That trick is to make the water sit on the roots longer which is what soaking in a bucket of water for an hour does. No excuse for LAZY!

Well it works Nicole. Your ignorant remark inference to being lazy. Just Add Ice is an Orchid Company. I grow over a hundred orchids, have for decades, and many other plants. Just Add Ice method has worked for me for almost 8 yrs. They have interesting info on their social media websites.

I don't think Nicole's remark comes from ignorance; it comes from the prevailing opinion among most serious orchid growers that watering one's orchids with ice cubes is no good. I'm glad it's working for you, but the Just Add Ice company is widely acknowledged as a gimmicky way to get newbies to buy orchids. It may not be lazy, but it's simply bad culture. You won't find any orchid enthusiasts in any orchid society who supports this type of care. Again: it works for you, and that's great, keep on doing what you're doing, but it's definitely not a practice most orchid hobbyists would recommend or encourage. Just search this forum and other orchid sites, and you'll see it condemned again and again. The data out there just isn't in your favor.

I have that same pot from lowes. I was worried if I should have used a liner or a clear plastic pot within it.

Hi jane__ny

"You don't need a plastic liner and shouldn't use on. Just put a mesh onion bag or panty hose inside"

I recently repotted a phalaenopsis in bark/perlite/charcoal/peat moss in the same pot OP has shown. May you please explain why you suggest lining these type of pots with a mesh-type bag? Is it to prevent the container media from falling out when watering? Also, do you believe it would be useful to leave the plastic liners inside such a pot? I'm only getting started with orchids but wouldn't having it in a plastic liner (with all the holes and slots) allow for the plant to be lifted out of the surrounding pot without disturbing roots so one can easily check root development, moisture levels, etc?

Thank you

Hi nicole___

When you say "pure bark chips", do you mean the container media was nothing but bark? Were they large chips? Fir bark or pine? In my limited experience with using "medium fir bark nuggets" in the landscape, it takes a quite a while for the bark to decompose - 2+ years in my environmental conditions. How long did it take for the bark to decompose?

"it does hold a little water in the bottom since the holes are high...that's a good thing."

Why is it a good thing? Isn't standing water usually a killer of roots? Or am I misunderstanding something and it works like a humidity tray?

Thank you

How does one fertilize their orchids in such a container? I repotted all of my orchids in these types of pots, but I worry about how I'm going to fertilize them since it seems like 95% of the water just drains right out when watering in Better-Gro Orchid Bark with dannie317's method of just running the pot under a sink. When using a water soluble fertilizer, would it somehow "stick" to my container media (mostly large fir bark with some perlite,charcoal, and a little bit of peat moss)?

I have a similar pot, with an oncidium planted in a bark/charcoal/perlite mix. It grows well. I never lose medium and when I water it, I just gently tip the pot to the side to allow excess water to drain out.

Get a bowl or bucket that the whole enchilada fits in (and by enchilada I mean pot + plant). Fill it with your water/fertilizer mix. Let it sit for 20-40 minutes. Drain. The bark will have absorbed a good amount by then.

Note that after you've fertilized it like this, you should just water it or soak it with regular water the next time. The fertilizer could build up over time, and so every now and again it should be soaked or rinsed well with regular water.

Thanks dannie317, that is what I thought. The bucket method sounds time consuming and wasteful of fertilizer unless I find a pot/bucket of very close dimension and volume for each the 5 orchid pots I have now. I'm starting to feel like I made a mistake buying and repotting all of my orchids in these kinds of pretty but pricy ceramic pots and throwing away the plastic pot* the nursery shipped with which was inside a ceramic pot of slightly larger size with no drain holes. It makes complete sense now to me that they would sell them like this and I'm seeing on youtube that this is how most people water/fertilize their orchids...

*

Also dannie317, do you reuse your bowl/bucket of fertilizer solution for your other orchids in each of your fertigating sessions?

Thank you

If you find it wasteful, don't bother with that method. You can also put it in a bowl and pour the fertilized solution through the plant several times if you want to make sure you fed it thoroughly.

For me it's extremely economical. Since I know that none of my plants have any transferable pests (and if any of them did, they'd all be treated anyway), I use the same bucket of fertilized water for all of them. A half-teaspoon of plant food feeds about 15 orchids. As I get to the smaller ones, I do just pour some off into a more manageable container. The water then gets poured into several other regular plants around the office.

Thanks for explaining that. It sounds like a good method but how do you manage to fertilize everything in one day if nearly each orchid is sitting in the bucket of fertilized water for 20-40 minutes at a time or do you put more than one pot+orchid at a time? Do you just take a short break every half hour throughout the day to accomplish this?

I never recommend soaking orchids in a common bucket. Insects are not the problem, virus is the problem. Can be spread sharing water. There is no cure for virus.

I do soak my plants but use a watering can to mix my fertilizer and pour enough into a bowl which fits the plant. After soaking (soaking for a few hours), I dump the fertilizer over plants growing in the soil (petunias, begonias, etc.) I do not share water among my orchids.

Jane

Jane, thanks for clarifying. I know I'm taking a chance when I used a pot of shared water. When I've been able to keep plants outdoors in warmer weather, I never do.

But I've always wondered, and perhaps you know: how do the plants get a virus?

What are the chances my plants will get/have a virus? All of my orchids that I share water between are well-established, all at least a year in my care, and indoor only. I've never had an issue (and I know that is no guarantee I never will), but this makes me bold (and foolish?), I guess.

FTG: Several of my orchids are in plastic pots in ceramic containers. I mix up about two gallons of fertilizer/water, and fill those pots individually. The deep bowl is for the 4-5 that are terra cotta or ceramic with holes, like the one you have above. They probably get soaked 20-30 minutes each, depending on my patience/attention span. I don't feed my plants often, so it's not a huge time sink.

I cut my brown stem down to the base last night. I was scared bc I'm a new orchid caretaker but I took the plunge. The stem just looked dead to me. I'm hoping it grows back green! I wonder how long?

takefever2.

Perhaps the answer to your question is in this thread.

http://forums.gardenweb.com Cutting flowering stem?

Virus is spread plant to plant. The plant you buy might look healthy but be virused. There are some symptoms but unless you know what you are looking for, it is best to practice caution.

If you do not sanitize your tools you will spread the virus to your other orchids whenever you cut a plant. It is stated that it could be spread by sucking insects.

When you share water, you are potentially infecting any plant that shares the water with a virused plant.

The best way to know if a plant is virused is to have it tested. Otherwise, be careful about cleaning your garden tools and sharing water. There is no cure for virus and the plant should be discarded.

Orchid Virus

Jane