Is it possible to plant an orchid in an opaque pot, what containers are used for planting?

Orchid - the plant is not easy to care for. To maintain its healthy condition, and moreover, to see flowering, you will need to work hard to create suitable conditions for the development of the plant.

Everything is important here: correctly selected planting material and substrate, location of the flower, frequency and quality watering, fertilizing. The question often arises about whether it is possible to plant an orchid in an opaque pot, or whether it is better to give preference to one through the walls of which the roots are visible.

Content:

1. Choosing a landing container
2. Orchid pot size
3. Additional requirements
4. Is it possible to plant an orchid in an opaque ceramic pot?
5. Plastic containers
6. Pros and cons of using a glass pot without holes for an orchid
7. A pot with automatic watering - is it possible to plant an orchid?

Choosing a container for planting

For the growth of most types of orchids in nature, soil is not required; they are epiphytes, their roots are able to strengthen themselves on rough rocks or tree bark. Normal plant development requires air access to the roots.

Therefore, it is recommended to give preference to perforated containers and pieces of wood with bark; they will serve as good support for the roots of the plant.

Lithophytes create fewer problems with care, i.e. terrestrial plant species.They differ in structure from epiphytes; they have tubers and roots; it is recommended to use a nutrient for planting them. priming special composition.

Naturally, such features raise many questions, in particular about what a special pot for orchids.

Note that if you use any container, it must have holes for drainage; this design will help prevent overflows and allow the roots to receive a sufficient amount of oxygen.

Orchid container size

The moment of choice is very important, the question of how many liters of pot is needed for orchids at the same time, it is not the least important.

The plant is not comfortable either in a container that is too small or in a container that is disproportionately large:

• too small, with a small supporting area tends to tip over, this can seriously injure the plant
• An excessively large amount of substrate leads to uneven drying, which increases the risk of rotting of the root system

The optimal solution is when the diameter of the container and its height coincide. The root system should fill the volume of the container; it should be somewhat cramped.

Additional container requirements

In flower shops, containers for orchids are presented in a wide range. Ceramics, glass, and plastic are used to make them.

In any case, a special pot for an orchid should:

• provide air flow to the roots
• allow excess moisture to drain
• the inner surface should not be such that roots can attach to it
• for plants with a photosynthetic root system, transparent materials are required
• transparency pot without holes will allow you to monitor the condition of the plant’s root system

Is it possible to plant a flower in an opaque ceramic pot?

Ceramics must be glazed and have additional side holes for water drainage and high-quality ventilation.

Among the advantages of ceramic tableware, we point out:

• breathability
• possibility of uniform distribution of moisture throughout the entire volume of the substrate
• the large mass of the pot prevents the possibility of it overturning
• light color can prevent the possibility of overheating of the roots when placing the pot on a sunlit surface

But ceramic containers have disadvantages:

• roughness of the walls, which provokes the growth of roots, this negatively affects the plant when replanting; in order to protect the root system, it is recommended to break the pot and, without separating the roots from the ceramic fragments, place them in a large container
• the tendency of the walls to accumulate salt deposits on the surface
• the porosity of ceramics accelerates the process of moisture evaporation, for this reason the watering regime will have to be observed

Before planting, the ceramic container is immersed in water for several hours so that it is saturated with moisture.

Using used pots will require careful treatment and cleaning of salt deposits.

Plastic pots, advantages and disadvantages

If we talk about what to plant orchids, then these are definitely not opaque plastic containers without holes. If there is no other option, the containers will need to be modernized: using a drill, soldering iron, or simply a hot nail, additional holes will need to be made.Their diameter should be about 5 mm, the recommended location is the bottom of the pot.

It is better for novice gardeners to buy transparent plastic containers. They allow you to track the standing of the horse system. In a plastic container, the substrate dries out more slowly, and salts are not deposited on the internal surfaces.

Plastic is a material that can provide a more or less stable temperature inside the container, i.e. in summer, plants do not suffer so much from the heat; at low temperatures, they do not experience discomfort from the cold.

Since plastic containers do not allow air to pass through, you will need to carefully monitor the soil moisture - you must not allow putrefactive processes to begin in it.

Glass pot without holes for orchid

Only experienced gardeners can use transparent glass containers without holes. It is almost impossible to make holes in such containers, i.e. There will be no drainage for excess water; watering the flowers in this case is done on a whim; it is important that the owner feels that the plant requires the next portion of moisture.

The peculiarity of planting in such containers is:

• use carefully prepared substrate
• laying a thick layer of drainage

If you do not follow the rules, then algae will soon appear on the walls, and the root system may suffer from rotting.

Let us conclude that you can use glass flower pots, but you must comply with all planting requirements and know how to water an orchid in a pot without holes.

Is it possible to plant an orchid in a pot with automatic watering?

Organization automatic watering orchids are a great idea, because the issue of soil moisture arises among gardeners quite often.You can make such a device with your own hands, from plastic bottles. You will need 2 of them, with a capacity of 1 and 2 liters.

The order of work is as follows:

1. A two-liter bottle is cut at a height of 20 cm, its lower part will be used
2. cuts are evenly made at the top with a depth of 4 cm, the resulting segments are folded inward
3. to add water it will be convenient to use a spout; it can be made from the neck of the same flask by cutting a hole and attaching the part using thermal glue
4. The container for planting is made from the second bottle, cutting it off at a height of 17 cm
5. A bend made in the upper part is used as a fastening device.
6. Up to a dozen holes are made in the bottom of the flask, and cords are pulled through them - this will ensure the flow of moisture.
7. Then water is poured into the lower part of the structure, and the upper part is installed with a flower planted in the substrate.
8. Periodically, as the water is used up, the water supply will need to be replenished.

In order to provide the root system with air to a greater extent, additional side holes are made.

With the help of such a simple design, it is quite possible to maintain sufficient moisture in the substrate.

Choose a container for orchids Given its appearance, you can use containers made of different materials. But at the same time, it is necessary to know the features of caring for a plant planted in a separate container.

To simplify the watering process, you can use an automatic watering system, and it is not at all difficult to build.

You will learn more about which pot to choose for planting a flower when watching the video: