May I rant a bit? Repotting date on tags...

[abax]

Why are most plants bought from vendors not labelled with the last potting date? What is the problem with simply writing the month/year on the tag? I understand that vendors have far more plants to repot than I do, but how
much time does it take to pick up a pencil and write a date? I always date tags and other people with whom I've
traded date tags, why can't vendors? This is beginning to
drive me crazy. Do I repot immediately just to be sure?
Do I disturb roots that may have recently been disturbed?
Is this an issue to anybody besides me?

 

[jtrmd]

I repot anything that I am not too sure about.

 

[Dantheman]

For me and almost every other orchid grower I know all plants purchased are repoted immediatley so to me the point seems moot. to be honest i don't date my tags anyway i judge repotting on the how the plant is doing not what the tag says.

 

[SelectOrchids]

Why are most plants bought from vendors not labelled with the last potting date? What is the problem with simply writing the month/year on the tag? I understand that vendors have far more plants to repot than I do, but how
much time does it take to pick up a pencil and write a date? I always date tags and other people with whom I've
traded date tags, why can't vendors? This is beginning to
drive me crazy. Do I repot immediately just to be sure?
Do I disturb roots that may have recently been disturbed?
Is this an issue to anybody besides me?

In a properly managed nursery, we usually do not need to, because for the commercial batches, that serial number is that cross, which is all repotted at the same time in the same size of pots, so that's easy to know...

As for the repotting time, it is pretty useless to my mind, because when the plants are moved, they usually need to be repotted for a variety of reasons (vibrations damaging the junction of the roots and stem being not the least indeed...), and the potting mix lifespan depends on the previous grower and the new grower, so...

 

[goldenrose]

I think most vendors are going to turn around & resell ASAP, think about it, the more time & effort they put in, the less profit they make. I want my plants in a mix I'm comfortable with when it comes to watering. I want to know the condition of the roots of a new plant, so no, for me it's not a big deal.

 

[keithrs]

I repot every orchid I get. I need to know the condition of the plant.

 

[eggshells]

I repot every orchid I get. I need to know the condition of the plant.

Same with me as well. And to avoid bringing pests and other nastiness to the existing collection.

I do however like it if they put the date of deflasking on the tag. Just an added bonus to me but not a big deal.

 

[Scott Ware]

Last week I was repotting some paphs I had been given many years ago. One of the tags had been marked every time the plant was repotted over the years - with the earliest date in 1958. Of course it had been written with a pencil. Considering how quickly the tags we buy these days deteriorate, I was as impressed with the condition of the tag as the date written on the back of it.

 

[John M]

'Guess you'd better not every buy a plants from me, Angela. I do not put the potting date on my tags. When I'm potting, writing tags is another step that is time consuming and when there are a lot of plants, my hand gets sore from writer's cramp. When I'm dividing a plant and I have to write extra name tags, it's a PAIN to do so. Therefore, I only put what is necessary and no extra.

Plus, I don't feel the date has any value anyway. Plants should be repotted when they need it, not when the calendar says so. Just like when you water your plants. A good grower does not water on the same day each week, whether or not the plant needs it. A good grower waters when the plant needs watering. The same applies to repotting. Things like type of potting material, plant type, plant vigour, light level, water quality, fertilizing requency, moisture level, humidity, etc., etc., etc., affect how well a potting mix lasts and therefore, how often it needs to be replaced. Some plants are good with repotting every 10 years. Some need it every 6 months. I repot if the plant looks like it needs it, not just because a certain amount of time has passed. Writing the dates on ALL those tags is a waste of time when 99% of my customers pay no attention to when I repotted last. They either repot once they get a plant home, or they do as I do and they repot when the plant appears to need it, regardless of how long it's been in the pot already. So, why add all that work to my busy day. When you're dealing with a LOT of plants, it is a lot of extra work.

 

[abax]

I repot quickly as well, but I'd still like to know the last
potting date. Perhaps I'm a bit obsessive...yeah, I'm
obsessive. I get it.

 

[Ross]

I repot quickly as well, but I'd still like to know the last
potting date. Perhaps I'm a bit obsessive...yeah, I'm
obsessive. I get it.

That's probably in part why you are a good orchid grower.

Just to throw out another viewpoint, I try to put the repotting date on the back of all my tags, and sometimes when I'm breaking apart compots, that could mean 50 to 100 tags. Having the date on the back gives me information at a glance that helps me to determine:
1. How quickly a plant is growing in that particular mix.
2. How well the mix holds up under current conditions.
3. Which trays of plants are the most likely to need repotting next.
4. A series of dates gives me a good idea of how vigorous or not a plant is. A plant that blooms in three years is preferable to a plant of the same cross that takes 10 years to bloom, assuming the flower quality is similar.

 

[Wendy]

I don't even check the tag for potting dates....if they need it they get repotted. If the mix still looks good I wait. Even if I do repot I hardly ever write the date on my own tags.

 

[Rick]

I don't repot on schedule but based on what the mix looks like and how the plant is doing. So the dates are pretty useless to me too.

That's why I also switched a lot of stuff to baskets so that I would essentially never "repot".

Also unless you buy big adult plants (which may be in the same pot for multiple years), all your seedlings are one or two years old, and assume they were potted less than 2 years from purchase.

 

[chrismende]

I just reported lots of small plants and wondered why I was driving myself crazy writing dates on tags. Yes it was sometimes informative - "humph - this plant has been potted down twice... " but usually it is pretty uninteresting info. Think I'll stop.

 

[abax]

Exactly right, paphreek! Information on a particular plant
and it's progress over the years.

 

[Ray]

I find that blooming data is more valuable than that for repotting.

 

[Shiva]

I repot all my plants a few days after receiving them. I always put the potting date on the back of the label, only the month and year. I print stickers with my computer and a labeling machine. I simply print the same repotting date multiple times on a strip and cut one off with scissors as needed.

 

[abax]

I also include the bloom date on a second tag in pots, although I find that most of my plants don't bloom on
schedule...the rascals!

Aaaahhhh Shiva, love meeting up with growers who are
even more obsessive than I am. I want a labeling machine too...very handy.