Clipping down a repotted orchid

[Rothrock42]

I picked up this tip at the last society meeting I attended. An experienced and very successful grower shared the tip and I thought it was genius. Maybe everybody knows it, but I haven't seen it before so I thought I would share it.

The trick is to make a wire clip to hold repotted orchids in place while the roots grow.

Use some heavy gauge wire. I used some basket hanging wire that I had cut. Use needle nose pliers to bend it into a shape like this.


The clip just goes down over the edge of your pot like this. You want that part to be a little tight so it gets a good grip on the edge.


When you get the orchid in the medium you place the clip where the bar will go across the rhizome or existing roots and hold it in place. Here are some old cattleya alliance back bulbs that don't have a lot or roots and it is holding them in place quite firmly. I've also used it with some little clumps of Masdevellias and a Brassada with almost no roots.


I found that I can even use the clip while potting to hold the plant while I top off and fill up the bark.

Hope this tip helps someone. And a big thank you to Terry for the guidance!

[estación seca]

More bondage.



I haven't ever used that emoticon before, and now it's twice today.

[bil]

Nice idea. I put three rocks around mine to keep them upright, as I tend to use wide, shallow pots, but that's a useful trick if you have them in smaller pots.

[Rothrock42]

I was surprised at how stable this makes them. I thought it would help a bit and that I would still need staking or what not.

But for smallish plants -- I've used it for small masdevellias up to cattleya alliance about 8 inches tall -- it really does the trick.

And it is pretty unobtrusive visually which I like as well.

[DeaC]

I've used these rhizome clips for a long time and they are great.There are those for clay pots as well as plastic.Making them looks doable but not expensive to buy and last forever and reuseable.

[Rothrock42]

Thanks DeaC. I didn't even know you could buy them. There are a bunch of shapes that are really interesting.

[fishmom]

Rhizome clips are great, and I've bought a few over the years. Occasionally I have acquired a plant with a clip--that is a real bonus!

I have also resorted to bamboo skewers for the same thing. I use a Dremel tool to make holes on opposite sides of the plastic pot at a level where I want the top of the medium to be. I pot the plant and then slip the skewer through the first hole, across the rhizome, and through the second hole. Presto! a pot clip.

[silken]

I use rhizome clips too. I think it really helps them get established.

[Rothrock42]

fishmom thanks for the idea to use bamboo and a hole in the side of the pot.