Modified Japanese Potting Method; Packing Peanuts and All

[gmaculata]

This is how I re-pot my orchids

Photo #1:
Supplies:Orchid (of course), Long Fiber Sphagnum, Wire (I use 1.5 mm aluminum Bonsai Wire), New Pot (or the old one), Wire Cutters, Foam Packing Peanuts(make sure they are the more spongy type and not made of cornstarch)

#2:Thread packing peanuts onto length of wire cut on an angle for sharp end. The number of peanuts depends on the length of your roots.

#3:Fold the peanuts in half into a bundle.

#4:Remove orchid from pot and discard old moss. Cut off old dead roots.

#5:Place cleaned orchid onto peanut bundle. It may be necessary to put roots between the two folded halves of the peanut bundle.

#6:Wrap bundle with moss.

#7:Continue to wrap with moss until all of the roots and peanut bundle is covered.

#8: Wrap bundle with thread or monofilament ( I have some thread that mimics sphagnum strands)

#9: Place plant into new container and replace the label.

YOUR DONE Congratulations!

[dounoharm]

thats way cool!! thanks for the visual tutorial!!

[Jkelee]

Beautiful!! Great idear too

But I gotta ask...

Where do you get the Jap pots from?

And Where do you get the thread that mimics sphagnum strands??


Thank you!

[gmaculata]

I get the pots from Orchid Web and I got the thread from a friend who goes to Japan several times a year.

[ronaldhanko]

Really interesting. How long do you leave them before repotting?

[gmaculata]

I repot when the moss gets funky. I know that is rather vague but after you have been growing orchids for awhile you will get it. Ussually it is every year and a half or so.

[Becca]

Originally Posted by Jkelee

Beautiful!! Great idear too

But I gotta ask...

Where do you get the Jap pots from?

And Where do you get the thread that mimics sphagnum strands??


Thank you!

You can also get the pots and I think the sphagnum thread from New World Orchids (www.neworldorchids.com). If they aren't for sale on the website then I would try calling for availability.

Glen....your demonstration is wonderful! I am definitely a visual learner and I was reading your demonstration before I scrolled down to see the pictures and I was thinking I wish there were pictures! And then I scrolled down! I understand it perfectly now! I imagine this wouldn't work well with the s-shaped styrofoam peanuts? I will have to track down the kind you are using. I think you just may have solved my problem to me rotting roots in the traditional moss mounds! Thank you!

[LinhT]

Great post, Glenn. Thank you for taking the time to put up all the photos. I'm sure this will help all the folks who are newly interested or just having problems with the mounds in general.

Becca, you don't necessarily HAVE to track down the peanuts. Do you curl your hair? You can use hair curlers. Yep, really. Hair curlers. Check this out:UK Orchid Forum - Including resources for the EU :: View topic - Neofinetia crazy ... anyone know a cure !

[Ranchnanny]

Wow Glen your tutorial was great. I took the peanuts out of my two Neo's a couple of weeks ago they were not the kind you use. But checking out the UK Forum I really like the curler idea cause I have a drawer full of them. I think I will try the curler routs....

I found some sheet moss used for baskets its new Zealand moss so I am going to use it.

Need more Neo's to use all those curlers.

Sheridan

[shakkai]

Great post! And a wonderful way to make sure there is enough air in the middle of the moss mound so that the roots don't rot. Very clever. I'm sure this is going to help a lot of people!