Paph. delenatii repot yes or no?

[Marc]

Since a couple of weeks I have a delenatii, after I recieved it my parents suggested that I repot it as soon as possible because the medium looks pretty bad.

On the other hand the plant looks happy and started making a new growth that is currently 1 - 2 cm big and in of the growths I see something coming up that might be a leaf but might be something else. It's to deep in the growth to make a picture of.

Now the big question is to repot yes or no?

Acc. to Paphiopedilum by Braem delenatii is best repotted in March or April after flowering. But I'm not even sure if it's going to flower.

I'm personally inclined to wait with repotting. The risk of damaging the new small growth is not worth it at the moment. The plant doesn't look unhappy at the moment.

And then there is the question of the growing medium. It's currently in a medium that looks like some kind of bark.

I'm currently thinking about repotting it in a mix of bark and perlite. Other sources on the net state that spagnum should be avoided.

Materials available to me:

Bark ( medium + coarse )
Perlite
Spagnum ( dry + living )
Charcoal
Limestone
Expandec clay pallets
Styrofoam chips

 

[NYEric]

Depends on your culture, the need to add medium tht holds moisture or not. If I had the chance I would repot every year.

 

[Shiva]

The best time to repot a plant is when it's healthy and it shows new signs of growth. If you wait for signs of stress, then you'll be adding another stress to the plant when you repot. If it was me, I would repot it now.

 

[likespaphs]

i almost always repot everything as soon as i get it
it goes into the potting mix with which i am familiar so that i can best monitor it

are you able to see the roots on the plant?

 

[Marc]

i almost always repot everything as soon as i get it
it goes into the potting mix with which i am familiar so that i can best monitor it

are you able to see the roots on the plant?

No it's in a non transparant pot. So I'm really guessing what the status of the root system is.

 

[Rick]

Agree with the above.

Repot in a medium that you have good experience with. It's not so much a matter of what the plant likes as rather what your watering practices are compatible with.

The sphag basket system I've been potting into lately, has been working great with no transfer shock. I've repotted a few things now in low bract, and the spikes are moving right along without a hitch.

I water heavy, and maintain a high air humidity. So I can't recommend it universally.

 

[likespaphs]

...I'm really guessing what the status of the root system is.

they say people don't grow orchid plants, you grow orchid roots. get good roots, you have a strong plant

i have almost everything in clear pots

 

[Marc]

they say people don't grow orchid plants, you grow orchid roots. get good roots, you have a strong plant

i have almost everything in clear pots

Going to ravage my parents stockpile tomorrow to see how many transparant pots they have.

 

[Ross]

Most Paphs generally like fresh mix and this is the ideal time to repot in the northern hemisphere, with the day length increasing daily. I would repot. Just be a little careful to not damage the new growth.

 

[Paphman910]

Definitely repot it if the mediums is poor otherwise you will lose all the roots. What are your conditions like? ...temperature (day and night), humidity

Paphman910

 

[Marc]

I grow on my windowsills, nighttime temperature is somewere around 10-12C, daytime temperature is currently 15-19C. Still working on the daytime temperature because the plants are in a different room then were the thermostat of the central heating system is located.

Humidity is unkown.

 

[GaryB]

If the mix doesn't look good repot it. Why wait for the plant to bloom and risk the plant declining in bad mix?

I am moving all of my paphs into a mix of bark, perlite,charcoal and sand (river sand, not the white play sand). The Bachy's seem to really like it.

 

[Marc]

I am moving all of my paphs into a mix of bark, perlite,charcoal and sand (river sand, not the white play sand). The Bachy's seem to really like it.

I was thinking of this mix minus the sand + spagnum. That's more or less the mix that I've got a couple of paphs in allready. Only difference is that I've added a bit of limestone as well. But will leave that out for the delenatii.

 

[W. Beetus]

Depends on your culture, the need to add medium tht holds moisture or not. If I had the chance I would repot every year.

I agree completely with this. All of my plants get repotted every year in April unless they are new plants that were repotted within a few months of then.

 

[Rick]

I was thinking of this mix minus the sand + spagnum. That's more or less the mix that I've got a couple of paphs in allready. Only difference is that I've added a bit of limestone as well. But will leave that out for the delenatii.

I'm seeing some good results with sand addition in bark and sphagnum mixes. I'd add sand in replacement of the limestone.

 

[Howzat]

Rick
If you are in a dilemma, and if I were you, I will dip the whole pot in fresh water, to buy time, once a fortnight. This will neutralise the PH, if it were too acidic.
And once the new growth is strong enough you can repot. Good luck

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

delanatii takes very well to repotting. Put it in the same mix as the brachy's, but add a little sphagnum. delanatii likes it acidic and moist.

 

[Clark]

Take plant to parents.
Use their medium.
Stay for dinner.
Go home with yummy leftovers.

 

[Marc]

Take plant to parents.
Use their medium.
Stay for dinner.
Go home with yummy leftovers.

I left the plant at home, but went to my parents
I took four 10 liter buckets with lids and filled them at my parrents place with various potting materials.
I stayed for dinner and had a wonderfull meal.
We ate rabbit so there were no leftovers. :clap:

At home I repotted the plant, here are some pictures of before, w.i.p. and after.

I potted the plant in a mixture of bark, perlite, spagnum and a bit of charkoal. I will water it for the first time in a couple of days. My parents thought me that it's better not to water after repotting to prevent rot forming on places were the plant got damaged a little while repotting.

Before:

W.i.p.

Result:

The perlite was a bit finer then expected so it gathered at the bottom of the pot. We'll see how the root system will develop. Will update this topic in a month or two.

 

[likespaphs]

not to be a j@ck@ss but i think you may have potted it a touch too high

{but visually, and because sometimes i am a j@ck@ss, i would have centered the plant differently....}
oke: