What kind of pots do you use and why?

[Moirae]

I'm a bit of a newbie to the orchid world, but I've been using clay pots mostly (though I do have a few plastic ones) for a few reasons.

1.) I prefer the way the clay pots look compared to plastic.

2.) I grow with sphagnum mostly and the combination of clay/sphag dries out in my preferred time frame.

3.) I grow a few of my phals at a slant and the plastic pots would topple over off my window sill when they started drying a little.

4.) It gets very hot in my room (many days were in the triple digits this summer) and the AC is on the other side of my apt. The clay pots seem to keep the roots cooler than plastic (esp. black/green plastic).

5.) Low humidity often here, the clay pots and saucers seem to raise the local humidity as the water evaporates.

6.) Clay breathes unlike plastic (not including net pots) and I've heard that the roots like that.

[PapaPhal]

I too am from Colorado. As you know there is not a lot of humidity here. I am new to the orchid growing hobby but for what it is worth I have been using plastic oxygen core dual pots. It basically is a clear plastic pot with another net style plastic pot that fits inside it. The internal pot does not touch the bottom of the clear pot. There is approximately 1/2 to 3/4" air gap. I then place a plastic tray underneath and put water in it. I then have a humidity tray for each plant. I also have been using a coarse peat, bark, pearlite, charcoal mix. It is still kind of an experiment but so far I like the results. The root growth is very good and healthy looking.
Check them out at: repotme.com.

[Paul Mc]

I use either plastic, net, wooden baskets or clay, depending upon the culture and needs of the plants.

For those that need high humidity I either place them in my terrarium or in a net pot by a fan that fits in the top of a vase with water in the bottom.

For those that bloom downwards through the bottom, or those that can grow really large I use hanging slotted baskets.

For those that need to dry out a but or get watered quite frequently, I use clay. The clay helps to cool the inside of the pot a bit as well as helps the medium dry out faster.

For all others, I use plastic pots and then slide those pots inside decorative ceramic pots with drainage. The plastic helps hold the humidity around the roots.

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by Paul Mc

I use either plastic, net, wooden baskets or clay, depending upon the culture and needs of the plants.

For those that need high humidity I either place them in my terrarium or in a net pot by a fan that fits in the top of a vase with water in the bottom.

For those that bloom downwards through the bottom, or those that can grow really large I use hanging slotted baskets.

For those that need to dry out a but or get watered quite frequently, I use clay. The clay helps to cool the inside of the pot a bit as well as helps the medium dry out faster.

For all others, I use plastic pots and then slide those pots inside decorative ceramic pots with drainage. The plastic helps hold the humidity around the roots.

What kind of fan do you use in the vase? That sounds like a great idea!

[Pilot]

I'm in Colorado, too and I prefer sh. However, plastics come undone in our high alt sun. I'm in Parker, btw, above 6500'. Anyway, I used plastic for a while but now I use glass vases. Wide and squat if I can find them. I also recycle the glass balls used over lamps to hang orchids in sh. Work great. I'm in a never-ending battle with humidity, that being it doesn't exist here, and sh has been what has allowed a lot of my success. However, I'm also affected by the great desire to grow air loving plants, including tolumnia and vandaceous orchids and I do those in clay pots and plastic baskets; however, they living in an enclosure with my supped-up humidifier. I won't go into detail on that here.

[Vanda lover]

Originally Posted by Pilot

I'm in Colorado, too and I prefer sh. However, plastics come undone in our high alt sun. I'm in Parker, btw, above 6500'. Anyway, I used plastic for a while but now I use glass vases. Wide and squat if I can find them. I also recycle the glass balls used over lamps to hang orchids in sh. Work great. I'm in a never-ending battle with humidity, that being it doesn't exist here, and sh has been what has allowed a lot of my success. However, I'm also affected by the great desire to grow air loving plants, including tolumnia and vandaceous orchids and I do those in clay pots and plastic baskets; however, they living in an enclosure with my supped-up humidifier. I won't go into detail on that here.

If you want to try vandas, vase culture could work for you. It really helps with humidity. For tolumnia, you can put them in a netted basket and set them in top of the vase, not touching the bottom. Then you can leave a little water in the vase.

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Vanda lover

If you want to try vandas, vase culture could work for you. It really helps with humidity. For tolumnia, you can put them in a netted basket and set them in top of the vase, not touching the bottom. Then you can leave a little water in the vase.

I've tried vase culture and while its a pretty display, in the end it wasn't practical for my set up. My enclosure has a hefty humidifier now and the lights are enough to make the plants spike so I keep a deep bucket under the two large Vandas I have and dunk them into and leave them while I most the tolumnias every day. Seems to work fine. Honestly I'd love to try vase culture again but ill need a BIG vase for the one hybrid vanda I have now!!!

The tolumnia are quite happy in their little clay pots swinging away! Took me a while to figure it out for them but with the humidifier now, they are spiking and quite happy now! A tolumnia in vase culture would be cool to see for keeping at my work desk when in bloom. Hmm....

[Vanda lover]

It sounds like you have a good set up. I know what you mean about the problem with vase size. Eventually they out grow the vase. I had a vanda in a basket for years but recently had to cut in off near the base because it was hanging sideways out of it's basket quite far. It was very awkward to water. Now the top half is in vase culture for now.

[Ferns Daddy]

Still being some what new to growing orchids, I like clay pots and net baskets for growing orchids, I find that they don't stay wet as long and I don't have to worry about over watering them in clay pots they seem to dry out faster