best pots for paphs

[SHag42]

Hey everyone

I need to repot my paph a Shinying Alien that I purchased from first Rays. It has just finished blooming and is starting a new growth. Right now it is potted in a 2" w x 3" h black plastic square pot in moss. The moss seems to be breaking down and I think now is the time to repot. All of my phals are potted in the clear plastic pots but I have noticed that most paph come in the black pots. Can someone please give me an idea of the best type of pot to use. I plan on using orchiata bark, sponge rock, clay pellets and lava rock for the potting medium.
Do you think this will be an OK mix to use? I live in Fl but these plants will stay inside most of the time.
Any and all suggestions would greatly be appreciated.
Thank you

[billc]

Clear or opaque pots are nice for paphs because they let you see if the media is dry or still moist. Colored pots are just fine also but knowing when the plant is approaching dryness is harder to tell. With the mix you plan on using I would probably do 1/2 orchiata and 1/2 everything else. You'll want a pot that the roots just fit in, don't overpot the plant or it will stay too moist.

Bill

[jeremyinsf]

I mostly agree with everything Bill said :-) Though, I encourage you to learn with your plants how wet they are by picking them up and feeling the weight when they are wet, and when they are dry. This is usually the most accurate way to know when a plant (any orchid) needs to be watered.

Having said that, Paph roots are not photosynthetic, so you can use any color pot. I use clear pots when I repot most of my plants, but that's because I really like to see the roots growing just as well as the rest of the plant.

Ray (and other places) sell the clear aircone pots. Some people say you shouldn't use them with Paphs, but I do anyway sometimes. They are an option, or you can find other ones you like quite a few places. It's suggested you don't use 'slotted' pots with Paphs though, as that will in many cases make them dry out much faster.

[SHag42]

Originally Posted by billc

Clear or opaque pots are nice for paphs because they let you see if the media is dry or still moist. Colored pots are just fine also but knowing when the plant is approaching dryness is harder to tell. With the mix you plan on using I would probably do 1/2 orchiata and 1/2 everything else. You'll want a pot that the roots just fit in, don't overpot the plant or it will stay too moist.

Bill

Thanks Bill that helps a lot. I will use clear pots then and mix like you said. That was also something I was not sure of the ratio of how to mix the media. Thank you for making that clear for me.

---------- Post added at 07:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:08 PM ----------

Originally Posted by jeremyinsf

Having said that, Paph roots are not photosynthetic, so you can use any color pot. I use clear pots when I repot most of my plants, but that's because I really like to see the roots growing just as well as the rest of the plant.

It's suggested you don't use 'slotted' pots with Paphs though, as that will in many cases make them dry out much faster.

Thanks jeremyinsf for the info on the roots. I did not know that. I am also thankful that you let me in on not using the slotted pots. Because I would have not thinking about it. I do have a few clear ones that do not have the slots so I will use those. This is my first paph and it bloomed so beautiful and seemed to last forever. I was excited to see it putting out new growth it only has one fan now and I want to do this right so that I will have another beautiful flower when the new growth matures.


One more question and this may sound really silly but since the roots are not photosynthetic should the clear pot be kept inside a decorative pot to keep the light out? I have just not had experience with these before.

Thanks again,
Shag

Thank You again for all the great info.

[quiltergal]

It doesn't hurt them to be exposed to light. I also use Aircone pots for most of my Paphs. They are just a tad taller than regular pots of the same size. My plants have all done really well in them. You can use slotted pots, you just have to water them more often.

[SHag42]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

It doesn't hurt them to be exposed to light. I also use Aircone pots for most of my Paphs. They are just a tad taller than regular pots of the same size. My plants have all done really well in them. You can use slotted pots, you just have to water them more often.

OH OK thanks quiltergal. Maybe I will get some of those. I have 3 more that I will be repotting as soon as they stop blooming. And if I order now I will have them in a couple of days. If you don't mind my asking what medium do you use for your paphs?

[quiltergal]

I use CHC, but that doesn't work for everybody. I don't like to water so I need something that will retain moisture.

Try a couple of Aircones first and see if they work for you before moving all your plants. They are more expensive than regular pots but are much sturdier.

[WhiteRabbit]

I have a Paph in a typical slotted orchid pot and have no issues.

I also have a couple in clear plastic (non-slotted) pots (2" x 3" ) in cache pots, both for stability and to keep algae growth inside the pots to a minimum.

Mine are in a fairly fine bark mix (Gubler's) - retains moisture pretty well.

[SHag42]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

I have a Paph in a typical slotted orchid pot and have no issues.

I also have a couple in clear plastic (non-slotted) pots (2" x 3" ) in cache pots, both for stability and to keep algae growth inside the pots to a minimum.

Mine are in a fairly fine bark mix (Gubler's) - retains moisture pretty well.

Thanks White Rabbit, I have 4 paphs at the moment and I ordered some of the air cone pots and have a few of none slotted ones so maybe I will try I couple of different ways to see which works best for me. I am hoping later on this summer to order a few more if these work out well for me. I just love them.