# Happy Repotting!



## Happypaphy7 (May 14, 2016)

I do not like repotting itself. I do not like it even more when I don't see good root system when I do repot.

I have repotted many plants in the past week.
The lastest of the bunch were Paph. Armeni White, the same one that I had posted flowers of before, and a brachy hybrid.

First, Armeni White. 
This plant has always been a great grower.
It was my second repotting of this plant. Just like the first time, it was in perfect conditions! Not a single dead or blackened root and look at all the actively growing root tips! and even the color and hairs are in prinstine conditions! I wish this was the sight every time I repot paphs! 
The third picture is the "old" mix, which actually is not old, which I will explain further later. As much as I tried to be gentle with the roots, I did lose two long strands of roots with active tips. I was a little sad, but the plant will grow more. 

So, let me share with you some history for those who are interested.
This plant came in 3.5 (or 3.75) black plastic pot with power grade orchiata years ago. I left the plant in the same pot for a couple of years and then had to repot just because the plant had no place to grow. The first time I repotted, the roots looked the same. I could barely see the mix wrapped inside massive root system. The barks were in great conditions and I could not take them out of the root ball without hurting the roots, which are very rigid on this plant. So, I just shook it off a few times, nothing really fell off, and then I potted the plant into a very big pot for the large roots to spread and grow better. plus, the growth rate of this plant was quite impressive. 

I bought this very thin tall plastic pot with diameter of 7in, 9 height.
The drainage holes were large and I did not have anything to place and block them, so I went with a thick layer of sheet moss to keep the potting mix from leaving the pot. Then I put a little bit of power grade orchiata.
Then placed the plant on top of it. I then added more orchiata bark on the sides around the root mass. 
I covered up the top with sheet moss as some of the newer growths were developing roots at the stem well above the pot line.
This was about two years ago. 

I could tell that the roots were developing well because the thin wall of this pot show these bumpy lines all over where the roots were growing.
My concern the whole time was that the thick layer of moss at the bottom of the pot might house some roots that grew down in there and rotted out as the moss never really dried out fully.

So, I decided to repot the plant this year. Otherwise, I wouldn't have.
Well, you can see in the third photo the old bottom moss layer with some bark chips. Bark was in perfectly fine conditions. The roots never grew down into the moss at the bottom, well, except for that one of the two in the trash bin. lol 
This was interesting. Maybe they knew it was too damp and not aerated enough. 

The plant is now in even bigger pot, but net pot this time as I was concerned about aeration inside such a big pot.
8 or 9 inch diameter and 10 in tall. I layered the bottom and the sides of the pot with coconut fibers so that the mix stays in the pot.
I added some moss on top to hide the base of the plant.

I was worried about not being able to find a suitable saucer for such a big pot.
All my pots stay in 4inch deli container as I soak everything when watering them.
For this last pot this Armeni White was in, I used a rigid plastic cover of 8in cake from the Whole Foods.
For this new and bigger pot, this container was too small.
I was panicking! thinking, thinking, thinkg,,,,then I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought this clear trash bin that was large enough to house the pot.
Yay! I'll take a picture of it tomorrow and post here. 
then I went the container store today and saw a trash bin that was even better, but too late now. many use of trash bin! haha
This bit can also go to the Orchid Hack thread, I guess. haha 

Hopefully it will continue to grow and bloom well as it has been thus far. 


















This second plant is one of my Paph. Mystic Isle, a brachy hybrid.
It came in a 2 or 2.5 plastic pot as they normally do.
I bought the plant in bloom, so I assume the plant had been in the pot for a while. It took two years to rebloom, which was this past winter, and I posted a picture of it. It is quite nice. 
Recently it started to grow a new shoot off the oldest growth. then I saw two additional new growths coming out of the base of the growth that flowered this winter.
I had to repot to give it more room to grow.
So I pulled the plant out. Wow~ I was busy with dirty hands repotting, so no pictures, but this little plant had a massive root system just like armeni white! It has been such a slow grower that I worried how it would look down there. well, the little plastic pot had nothing but roots basically!
I potted it into a 4 inch clear plastic pot with side slits. Hydroton balls at the bottom, then fill up the rest with chunky orchiata and some dirt. 
I top dressed with sphagnum moss to cover the base of the plant. 

Lovely sight to see tiny little new fans starting, and I have three of them!


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## NYEric (May 15, 2016)

Looking good. I should bring a few over for you to do.


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## MaryPientka (May 15, 2016)

Thank you for this post. It's helpful to me.


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## Migrant13 (May 15, 2016)

Thanks for the info. Your root health speaks to your good growing.


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## paphioboy (May 16, 2016)

Very nice roots.. I love repotting.. Send them over and I'll do them for you


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## Happypaphy7 (May 16, 2016)

NYEric said:


> Looking good. I should bring a few over for you to do.



Hey, you need to get your Delrosi, first!
I won't be responsible what happens to it now that it is yours. Or should I start charging for the space it takes up per day until it leaves?


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## Happypaphy7 (May 16, 2016)

MaryPientka said:


> Thank you for this post. It's helpful to me.



Good to know that it is helpful. 

I love it when others share their helpful info, and I like to do the same.


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## NYEric (May 16, 2016)

Typical NYC landlord! oke: Sometime this week?


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## Happypaphy7 (May 16, 2016)

NYEric said:


> Typical NYC landlord! oke: Sometime this week?



lol

At least I'm not evicting yet like some evil ones would! lol

Sure, what's your schedule like?
Thursday on is good.
Please text me.


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## Happypaphy7 (May 16, 2016)

Migrant13 said:


> Thanks for the info. Your root health speaks to your good growing.



Not everything looks this good.


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## Happypaphy7 (May 16, 2016)

paphioboy said:


> Very nice roots.. I love repotting.. Send them over and I'll do them for you



I find parvis rather easy to deal with because the leaves are very tough and bendable to certain degree. 

Brachys scare me the most. 
Their brittle succulent like leaves tend to just break off easily.
Or the top break off entirely from the roots. 
I would love to pot them like Tanaka style, stone chips in large pot, but then I don't want to water too often. I just can't.


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