Mesh pots, net pots and baskets

[eds]

Hi all,
I'm just getting back into orchids again after losing them all a few years ago.

I've always been ok with Phals but struggled with others. With Paphs I'm sure I either over or under watered them so I'm thinking of using a potting mix to give them more air spaces but was also wondering about using pots with holes.

I've bought these mesh pots;


They're pretty big (140mm diameter) but with the central cone I'm not sure how much media will fit in! Do you think they'll be ok for Paphs or shall I keep them for some Phals or Catts?

I've also got some more traditional ones too as alternatives. For some background I'm growing inside on a south-west facing windowsill and in a cool conservatory on humidity trays

 

[mrhappyrotter]

I've used mesh pots before (and still do to a limited extent). What I don't like about them is that the roots eventually grow through the holes. Once they do that, repotting is a time consuming annoyance that usually ends up with some combination of a ruined pot or ruined roots.

It's basically a matter of cutting the pot away from the roots and plant, or painstakingly fishing every bit of potting mix from the pot so that you can refill it with fresh mix and set that down into a larger pot. Neither is ideal, and both tend to damage the roots. Otherwise, you're left with simply ripping the plant out of the pot and doing significant damage to the plant.

The pots you are considering using might be a tad easier in this regard if those holes are large enough and you repot frequently enough.

 

[Hien]

that looks amazingly intricate.
The manufacturer probably studied and researched a lot to come up with something like that. very good drainage & providing fresh air.
Must be very expensive ? who is the manufacturer?

 

[eds]

Thanks for the replies. They were amazon purchases from a company listed as Meshpots and about £4 (~$5) each IIRC but they're very sturdy and should be able to be cleaned and reused as long as they don't degrade in the sunlight too much and I don.t have to cut them out!

I have got some more conventional mesh baskets too and thinking of getting a few seedlings and trying them in a range of pots and see what happens.

As I'm growing inside on humidity trays will baskets with coarse mix get too dry? Will I need a finer mix or use sphagnum to line the baskets especially the more conventional ones)?

 

[emydura]

I always line mine with sphagnum to ensure they don't dry out too fast.

 

[musa]

I'm with Mrhappyrotter, repotting will be a pain in the ass! I don't see the great advantage, your potting mix will dry out fast. You will have very good air movement but you can reach it with a coarser medium, too.
I use medium and coarse Orchiata, water twice a week and never had any Problems.
If you use the new pots it would be greate to Keep us posted about your experiences!

 

[masaccio]

Does Orchiata hold more water than regular bark? Sorry - non-paph question: I have a standard Cattleya that I suspect is potted in Orchiata (not sure, never used it). I'm watering it like regular bark. I hope I'm not overdoing it.

 

[Bob in Albany N.Y.]

Masaccio, it is my option that orchiata holds less water than regular bark.

 

[eds]

Does Orchiata hold more water than regular bark? Sorry - non-paph question: I have a standard Cattleya that I suspect is potted in Orchiata (not sure, never used it). I'm watering it like regular bark. I hope I'm not overdoing it.

It seems to hold less at first but once it settles in I find it easier to wet. They key for me is it doesn't break down very quickly so it keeps structure and air spaces. I've kept Phals in the same pots with orchiata for more than two years before they've needed reporting.

 

[masaccio]

Thank you both.

 

[eds]

I've been looking for some more size options with these pots and others. I bought some seedling sandies and a roth and wanted to put them in baskets to prevent them rotting. I got 12 of these 3 inch net pots online for under £5. The seedling pots fit in perfectly with a sphagnum liner (obviously just the content of the pots - not the pots too!)


Looking for a slightly bigger option I seem to be running lower on choices. I can find 5 inch versions of the above and I have taller 12cm diameter net pots and have drilled large holes in the bottom and used those with a healthy layer of polystyrene chunks in the bottom to reduce the volume.


I also potted a couple of smaller paphs in octagonal plastic orchid baskets in 4" but now struggling to find a source this side of the Atlantic for anything other than 4" ones (I think the 6" might be perfect).

Here they all are on the windowsill to hopefully thrive!
From left to right along the back are:
P.rothschildianum 'Hulk' x 'sib Reachout self'; P.haynaldianum 'Ron' x self and P.St.Swithin
Front row left to right is:
P.roth x sib 'Giant Wings x Pyto'; P.henryanum; P.sanderianum x sib 'World 101' x 'Bionic Man'; P.philippense var. roebelinii and P.sanderianum x sib 'Red Delight' x 'Bionic Man'.

 

[eds]

Forgot to add I bought some smaller clear mesh pots about 12cm diameter. I've got two hybrids and when they've both finished flowering one will be going in the larger pot in my first post and the smaller one in the one below.

 

[eds]

Well I found the first disadvantage of the pot in the first post. I went to reply this hybrid paph. https://www.slippertalk.com/threads/paph-villosum-x-amber-star.47532/ but the roots were too solid that I couldn't fit it in there with the sloping sides and central cone. It ended up in a clay pot with a 2" inverted mesh pot squeezed in the centre instead.

 

[eds]

Forgot to add I bought some smaller clear mesh pots about 12cm diameter. I've got two hybrids and when they've both finished flowering one will be going in the larger pot in my first post and the smaller one in the one below.View attachment 14979

I've finally got round to potting up a paph in one of these pots to try. This is a yellow/green No ID hybrid from this thread, https://www.slippertalk.com/threads/no-id-hybrid.48789/




It's in a mix of Power and Power+ orchiata with some sphagnum mixed in at the top to keep the humidity of the media up as I find it dries too quickly otherwise.

Will be interesting to see how it does.

 

[Ozpaph]

IMHO I think sphagnum around the base of the plant is a 'risky' option for rot. I think you might have created one problem trying to fix another and end up in the same place. I believe rot is about 'wetness' and air movement. The sphag around the base of the plant adversely affects both factors.

 

[eds]

It isn't tucked around the base of the plant (I keep it a few mm away from the plant at least), there's just some of it mixed in with the Orchiata at the top. I've also found, in my growing conditions, that I struggle to get live moss growing without some sphagnum at the top to help keep it moist while it establishes.

 

[abax]

I've solved repotting problems by using clay pots
with holes around the sides and just smash the
pots when I need to repot. The pots are cheap,
excellent air movement and the roots aren't
damaged. :>)

 

[Tony]

I'm growing half a dozen tigrinum and a large PEoY in wooden or plastic baskets with great results. Anything that outgrows a 5" aircone is going to get a basket, along with epiphytes/lithophytes like tigrinum.