Variety and features of the selection of pots for orchids
Among the thousands of orchid varieties, only a small part settle on the ground, the rest prefer to climb tree trunks, rocky ledges with the help of powerful roots and settle in places where there is practically no soil. Therefore, pots for orchids grown at home are very different from the usual flower containers.
What should guide a florist when choosing a container for tropical beauties? How to find a suitable pot?
What kind of pot is needed for an orchid?
Epiphytes and lithophytes are plants that do not tolerate waterlogging of the roots. And when choosing a pot for an orchid, it is important to start from this basic, but not the only requirement.
- good outflow of moisture;
- active aeration of the root system and substrate inside the pot;
- safe extraction of juicy, long rhizomes, which often diverge far beyond the container;
- temperature regime acceptable for the orchid.
Among orchids there are species in which the roots not only absorb nutrients and moisture, but also actively participate in the process of photosynthesis.
What kind of orchid pot is needed in this case? Strange as it may sound for novice lovers of this culture, for such orchids it is necessary to purchase a completely transparent container.
How to choose an orchid pot made of clay, colored or clear plastic? Epiphytic plants do not need a large volume of substrate, therefore a large pot is not needed. The main thing that:
- there were drainage holes on the bottom and bottom of the walls;
- the height of the container was equal to the width of the neck;
- the volume corresponded to the size of the root system.
Most often, you can see an indoor orchid in a pot, as in the photo made from plastic or ceramic. There are also breathable baskets for free root growth.
It is better to refuse a glass pot. It can injure not only the flower, but also the person, and besides, it does not allow the roots to breathe. It is better to use such a container as a spectacular planter for an orchid planted in transparent plastic.
Plastic pots for orchids
This is the most common and preferred orchid pot. Plastic containers prevent the root system from drying out, they are easy to maintain and can serve more than one plant.
In addition, the design of such an orchid pot provides several holes for draining excess moisture, which means that there is no need to worry about moisture retention in the substrate. If the existing drainage holes are not enough, the grower can independently, without the risk of destroying the container, make new ones.
Plastic easily tolerates being on a brightly lit windowsill and in the shade, reliably protecting the flower's root system from hypothermia or overheating.
Sometimes, when transplanting, orchid lovers are faced with a situation where the overgrown roots through the drainage holes have come out, and it will not work to remove the leaf rosette without damaging the pot or plant. In this case, the plastic can be easily cut with household scissors without damaging the roots, which is impossible if a ceramic or glass orchid pot is used.
Transparent pots are available for species whose roots are involved in photosynthesis.However, such containers are convenient to use not only for planting phalaenopsis and similar plants. You can clearly see through the plastic:
- how the root system develops;
- how moisture is consumed;
- how the substrate dries.
Therefore, such containers can be recommended for flower growers without much experience in keeping orchids. It is easy and interesting to observe a room orchid in a pot, as in the photo. Even the slightest damage to the roots or signs of overflow will not be hidden from a careful look.
Clay Orchid Pots
A significant advantage of pots for orchids made of doused or unglazed ceramics is their excellent permeability to moisture and air. Irrigation moisture does not accumulate in one place, but effectively spreads throughout the earthen coma, the roots do not dry out for a long time and do not overheat.
But with a lot of advantages, this type of container also has disadvantages:
- rhizomes firmly adhere to the porous surface of the ceramics, which is fraught with injury to the flower during reproduction and transplantation:
- the porosity of the pot decreases over time from salts penetrating into the material, which negatively affect both the clay and the condition of the orchid roots.
When planning to use a clay container, a florist must know how to properly plant an orchid in a pot.
Before planting the plant, clay pots for orchids are disinfected, properly warmed up in the oven, and then soaked in clean irrigation water for a couple of hours. If a previously used vessel is used, it is useful to immerse it in acidified water. This will help get rid of any salt stains on the ceramics.
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