Substrate change annually ???

[paphiopere]

Hola Paphioadictos. Una pregunta. ¿Con qué frecuencia cambia el sustrato en su Paphiopedilum?
He estado cambiando el sustrato todos los años durante mucho tiempo y me funciona perfectamente.
Desde que leí el libro "Le genre Paphiopedilum" de William Cavestro donde aconseja cambiar el sustrato anualmente en plantas adultas y cada 6 meses en plántulas, lo hago y funciona muy bien. Además, esto sirve para detectar la calidad de las raíces y posibles problemas. ¿Qué piensas?

 

[orchid527]

I go as long as 3 years with mature plants, but I use Orchiata, and I do check the roots, if a plant is having problems. The seedlings probably once a year after they have been moved into individual pots. Mike

 

[JLOG]

Hola Paphioadictos. Una pregunta. ¿Con qué frecuencia cambia el sustrato en su Paphiopedilum?
He estado cambiando el sustrato todos los años durante mucho tiempo y me funciona perfectamente.
Desde que leí el libro "Le genre Paphiopedilum" de William Cavestro donde aconseja cambiar el sustrato anualmente en plantas adultas y cada 6 meses en plántulas, lo hago y funciona muy bien. Además, esto sirve para detectar la calidad de las raíces y posibles problemas. ¿Qué piensas?

Yo lo suelo hacer una vez al año para todas, tanto pequeñas como adultas. A los únicos que les dejo más años sin cambiar el sustrato son a los Brachys, que los pongo en maceta más grande de lo normal para no tener que cambiar cada año, ya que no les gustan mucho los transplantes.

 

[orchid527]

Yo lo suelo hacer una vez al año para todas, tanto pequeñas como adultas. A los únicos que les dejo más años sin cambiar el sustrato son a los Brachys, que los pongo en maceta más grande de lo normal para no tener que cambiar cada año, ya que no les gustan mucho los transplantes.

I agree regarding the Brachys. Their roots seem to break off for no good reason. It is best to leave them alone as long as possible. Mike

 

[Sky7Bear]

It's been a few decades since I last talked to Terry Root of the Orchid Zone about this, but I believe he repotted at least once a year, and that with high-quality (at that time) Sequoia brand California red fir bark (not the garbage that's made from Doug fir). The whole problem with all growing in any kind of medium made from organic material is that it tends to decompose and upset the oxygen/water ratio needed for most orchids (with some variety by genus), and eventually it is "too wet" (but really "too little oxygen for that amount of water"). This is why some of us are going to inorganic media, often semi-hydroponically. It is true that Orchiata and Kiwi Bark, made from Pinus radiata does decompose much more slowly.

 

[Ray]

I think one significant key to good culture is consistency, and that is especially true of the root zone.

As roots grow, they “tailor” themselves on a cellular level to the conditions they are in, so that they may function optimally. Once they have grown, they cannot change. That is why the best time to repot is just when new roots are emerging, so that they can grow optimally, but it is a good reason to change the existing potting medium relatively frequently, too.

If the roots grow optimally for fresh potting medium, they will be suboptimal in that medium as it ages and its properties change, so will slowly fail.

Steven Male (Fishing Creek Orchids) is a spectacular grower. Every plant is repotted annually.

 

[Sky7Bear]

Thanks, Ray. Well said. I've added that concept to my slide program on semihydro. Thanks. LOL. I have found, though, that the critical factor here is the air/water ratio, which I believe varies by genus. This is what explains why some orchids just seem to do best mounted, for example (like Tolumnia), or must never dry out (like Masdevallia or Disa). Adapted orchid roots can take a lot of water, at least in some genera, if they have adequate air. And of course, it's the decomposition of organic media that robs the roots of air (and we often somewhat inaccurately say they are "too wet"). I think we sometimes forget about how many of them are truly epiphytic. I also find that transplanting from one medium to another tends to be easier if they have similar ratios, and indeed the roots aren't necessarily lost in those cases.

You didn't mention semi-hydroponic here (surprise!), but the lack of decomposition of the rock medium is one of its prime advantages. And while "repotting" generally tends to stimulate new root growth, in S/H as long as steps have been taken to keep salts from building up in the medium can last for years. One way I do that is lots of flushing, and even annually I have a water-only period of about three months (right now) during the "death quarter"--Halloween to Hamsain. The media should be ready for fertilizer by late January as the plants go back into heavier growth.