What kind of pots do you use and why?

[lepetitmartien]

Yup Vanda lover, there's a little bunch of fanatics of this in France. Note that I practice vase+leca at the bottom+bark, and it works for me at least for some. Some only my big guys are this way (and blooming), all the others are in clear plastic pots/bark so very traditional, I'm testing.

Note that it's for cultivating in a flat, and it isn't for all places I guess. I strongly advise not to try this on plants you care a lot about and it's clearly not for wateringolics. On the 5 I have this way, 3 are fine, one has issues, one is in emergency (still in his pot) but I can't assure it's the method the issue, I was away 2 months this summer and the watering was… "special" let's say (names have been withheld to protect the guilty)

I strongly advise not to do this with small phals!

Here's one of my big guys (a pink hybrid), a month before blooming this spring:


We have an extensive thread on this on another forum, but it's in French. If you're interested we can start a thread on this separately, we're highjacking here.

[cbuchman]

Looks intriguing. Are there any holes in the glass? The glass vase/pot is nice because it adds weight and reduces tipping especially with long or heavy spikes. This might protect the wateringolics as water would drain above the holes Similar to the S/H concept.

[lusenok]

I mainly use terracotta pots for my orchids because they improve evaporation in winter in our slightly cold apartment.
I put cattleyas in large bark in slotted terracotta pots and the rest goes in coconut chunks in regular conical pots.

[The Orchid Boy]

I use clay pots for my Masd. Aquarius and my Paph. delenatii. I have quite a few paphs, a phal, and 2 potinaras in plastic pots and my Paph. sanderianum and most of my phals in clear plastic pots. I have my M. Aquarius in a clay pot to help with evaporative cooling of the roots. A lot of the clear pots the phals are in are from iced coffe drinks with holes and slots cut in them. I also have a phal in a plastic net pot from a pond plant.

[lepetitmartien]

cbuchman: no hole, it's just an Ikea vase (cheap). (yeah it's heretic! Like S/H!

We'd better make a dedicated thread to keep things on topic here.

[dickjo]

What is SH

[Otterinaround]

I mostly use terra cotta.
I have become quite militant with the plastic pots most of my rescues come in. I am often seen going "Hannibal Lechter" violent as I try to break free the only healthy roots a plant may have.
Yes, I'M DEFINITELY ANTI-PLASTIC!

Once in clay, wood basket or mounted all my orchids seem to go nuts.

My making mounts only started as a lark after reading a thread on here. Now... gulp, most of mine rescues get auto-barked.

It all began a while ago, just for a spoof I just depotted and then slapped a rescue phal noID on a log with an old nylon stocking holding it in place...Dang it if the thing didn't shrivel up all of its pot roots and latch onto the oak log with a mortal green white striped highway root system in all directions!

It was so wrinkled withered and unhappy I was certain it wouldn't last a week. There it is a year later, hardbound to the wood poking into crevaces and pushing open cracks in a 4x4 sized log.

[Ordphien]

I've tried alot of different pots, but I find those ceramic glazed orchid pots work best for me...

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by dickjo

What is SH

Semi-Hydroponic. It's a variation on passive Hydroponic growing devised by Ray Barklow of First Rays Orchids (our forum member Ray). It's quite popular here on Orchid Board, I have some orchids growing well that way.

Take a look at the forum section on it Semi-Hydroponic Culture

And this link to Ray's website gives all the details of how it works. Semi-hydroponics

Finally Ray hosts a S/H forum separate to Orchid Board The Official Semi-Hydroponics Forum

[gardengirl13]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

I've tried alot of different pots, but I find those ceramic glazed orchid pots work best for me...

Me too. I see many don't like them, but in our house with my set-up everyone seems happy. The only one I'm not sure about is one of my new ones, he was very dry when he arrived and hasn't really perked up. But the three other new ones all seem fine. One even has a few new roots coming in. The older ones I have all are thriving.

Of the three orchids I've lost over the years two were in plastic (that they came in) and one was in glazed but without holes. He seemed to rot, but showed no signs of it? I still don't know what happened.

I always re-pot as soon as I bring them home. Mostly the check the roots and the health and get rid of the potting mix. Most seem to come in spag moss only and seem so root bound and stuck in the moss it takes quite a bit to get them out.