I keep reading about repotting.....

[james mickelso]

......repotting problems. If repotting in bark, LECA, or a combo, hold the plant in the pot and add a handful of media around the roots and tap the side of the pot. Add some more and tap the side of the pot. Do this until the plant roots are covered and then lift the pot up and bounce it on the table a couple times to settle the media around the roots. Add more media until the roots are covered. No the roots need not be covered but this will help stabilize the plant in the pot. I always add a plant clip to help hold the plant in the pot. Next time I re[pot I will post some pics along with a pic of the plant clips I make. If you pot this way you don't injure the roots at all.

[AnonYMouse]

I'm doing something wrong. I tap and bounce and the plant gradually works it way up and out of the media. More gently, perhaps.

[james mickelso]

There should be a plant clip in the pot to hold the plant in place before we start to put in the media. Or just hold the plant down with a couple fingers. I prefer the plant clip. Somewhere in this section is a pic or two of plant clips I made and how they are used. I'll have to make one and show how to use it when I repot something.

[RandomGemini]

You know, I would love for there to be a sticky in this forum with basic potting guidelines. I've had a heck of a time stabilizing my plants when I repot. What I've done with one of my rescues, was leave the spike on and have that clipped to a stake, even though it's dried out, while waiting for the roots to "grab" the bark. I have a mini phal that seems to want to grow on its side, which may just be normal for the plant, but it doesn't look very pretty.

Some tips on how to properly pot and stabilize a plant in bark would be so useful!! This is so much easier to do in dirt or moss than it is to do in bark.

[Leafmite]

That is pretty much what I do with my lava rock. I often need to poke the rocks gently under the roots as I am filling up the pot. Very good information, James.

[james mickelso]

Here is a quick plant clip. Very easy to make. Wire, pliers, and with a couple bends you have an all purpose plant clip. Here is how it is attached to the pot (which a neighborhood cat made into a cutaway for display purposes. I hate cats. ) and attached to the plant. If your plant has a bend to it, just bend the clip to follow the bend. I have had some very tall catts that needed two of these to hold them. Here is my 42 inch phal too. Hope all the flowers are open together for a portrait. This was a rescue too.

[IncurablePlantHead]

I like those bendy wire things. I would only use those on a very large repot tho.

[james mickelso]

They work well on any size plant. They help to keep the plant shallow which is what the roots want to be. By using a plant clip you can position the plant at any height you want. And in loose bark mixes it really stabilizes the plant. I have found through the years that plants grown deep don't do nearly as well as plants potted shallow. Deeply potted plants grow slowly and rot at the roots is more prevalent.