A Weekend Chore Complete!

I had been putting off a particular chore for a while now. The chore that I have been procrastinating on getting done, was repotting Orchids. Well, last weekend I partially checked that off the 'To Do List' that has been ever steadily growing since last summer. I say "Partially" checked off the list, because I wanted to repot most of them but only had pots enough for three plants.

Sometimes It's Hard Finding That Perfect Pot ..

Let's face it, I'm a bit particular when it comes to certain things, and an Orchid pot is one of them.. or so I found out.

I didn't know I was being so OCD until I just couldn't make up my mind to which pot to buy. So I did what any guy would do in my situation, I procrastinated. I put off this weekend, what I could do next weekend. Sounded good to me, that is until the Orchids were crying out to me saying, "Repot me. Repot me." That was enough to get me moving on this project. hehehe..

To be totally honest, I would have still been pushing this chore off a while longer if it wasn't for the free pots I just received. My mom saved these cylindrical, clear, glass pots from the recent wedding of my niece. She had no use for them, so she handed them down to me. We met up last weekend for a beach bash, and that's when the exchange of goods took place.

I would never have thought to choose a clear glass vase or pot for planting anything in.

My mind was changed when we received Pepper's Sympathy Orchid, which came in a square glass pot. The pot is filled with these tiny, smooth stones. Stone was also something I never would of considered using to plant Orchids in. Stone as a planting Media? Okay.. Cool! Looks great too.

Changing Up The Media To Add Textural Interest ..

On occasion I have been know to think out side of the box. It's not often, at least when it comes to interior design, but it will happen occasionally. I'll add this one to that short list. I thought that there must be some other sort of media I could use that would stand up over time, and one that would not need replaced one or two times a year. But what?

Lava Rock!!! That's it and it wasn't even my idea. Dang it! I was chatting it up with my neighbors son, who happened to go to school for plant biology, and we got onto the Orchid topic. I took him inside to show him my collection of Phalaenopsis Orchids. I was explaining to him that I have been putting off repotting most of them due to laziness and because I was trying to find another type of media to plant them in. He gave me the idea of Lava Rocks.

The Benefits .. He said that they naturally hold water, do release some nutrients, and the roots love to attach themselves to the porous surface of the rock, like they would naturally do with a tree. He said the texture of the stones doesn't look all that bad either. He didn't know that I was going to be placing them into clear glass containers at this point. He said the only drawback may be that I will need to feed my orchids more often due to the lack of nutrients found in the rock as compared to bark or any other media types subject to decay.

I was hooked on the idea .. And furthermore, he is giving me the Lava Rock for free! He said he bought way too much and that he would never use it all. I was welcome to it. I took him up on that offer, which leads me to my next segment of this post.. The actual work of repotting the Orchids.

Taking Time To Clean And Sanitize The Lava Rock ..

This part was essential .. And a bit of a chore. I didn't realize how much dirt these rocks contained until I started to rinse them. I started out by placing a good bit of the rock into a clean bucket. I added some water and began to agitate the rocks. I wasn't to aggressive as I did not want to damage their delicate surfaces. I gently moved them around and let the water do most of the work.

**After about 3 minutes of adding water, agitating, and pouring the dirty water off, they were just about clean enough to use. I think the bottom two photos above, show the before and after the best. Look at that dirty water! Here, I will tip the bucket over to give you a better look at the rocks and their texture.

The Lava Rock wasn't ready yet.. Why you ask? Because I have one more thing to do yet; Sanitize them! I broke out the trusty Clorox and added a small amount into the bucket with enough water to cover the rock. I used a 10:1 ratio. After I sanitized the new media, I let it dry for a little while and only then was it ready to use. I think it is always important to sanitize new stuff like this. It may be overkill, but I am sure it didn't hurt.

Which Orchids Should I Repot?

I milled around and gave this some thought. My wife can attest to it. She was actually getting tired of me staring at them trying to decide on which ones to pot first. She said to just pick a few and get going. I agreed that I was putting way to much thought into this, so I chose the two smallest Orchids and a larger one which had some awful looking roots.

I held the new pot up to the Orchid .. That was going to be repotted, as to finalize my decision. I was also wondering if these new pots would provide enough space for the root system. I think so. There is one Phal at the very end of the wall that needs repotting more, but I don't think it will fit into this medium sized pot. It will have to wait on a larger pot. It's root system is growing like mad, and I think it could use the extra room.

I'm ready to grab the three orchids and head outside to get started on repotting.

Removing The Old Material ..

This is actually one of my favorite parts of the repotting process. By removing the old material, like dead roots, spent moss, and other dried up stuff, I feel like I am giving the plant a breath of fresh air. I can almost hear them saying "aaaaaaahhhhhh..." I simply start at the bottom of the root mass and work my way up, gently removing the old material and media. I will try my hardest not to snap off any green roots. It will happen, but I want to minimize the damage thus limiting the stress this process will surely invoke.

When all is said and done, and I feel like I removed all I could without harming the living plant material, I call it good enough. As you can tell (in the lower right hand photo), one root bit the dust, but I was able to free up and remove a lot of junk too. The plant now looks ready for it's new pot and new media. So I grabbed the freshly cleaned lava rock, a glass pot and brought them into my work space.

It's time! Let's get this girl into her new environment!

AAAH ... Finally The Repotting Of The Orchids

After I rinsed out the new pot with a bleach water solution.. The Lava Rock was ready to be placed inside. I placed an even layer of rock at the bottom of the pot, then gently set the Orchid in on top. I don't want to force the plant down and risk breaking any of the roots or leaves. I sort of hold the Orchid with one hand, and use the other to place additional rocks in around the roots. Every now and again, I make sure the bottom leaves are just above the edge of the glass.

I keep adding layer after layer of rock to the pot.. making sure not to leave any large air voids. I don't want to pack the rock down, more so let it naturally fall into place around the delicate root system. I had to make a few adjustments here and there, but overall things are looking great at this point. I can already see that these new rocks are going to do well at holding in the moisture and keep the humidity levels nice and high around the roots.

We are almost done.. I add a few finishing touches to the rocks and consider it a successful repotting. That Lava Rock really looks sharp inside those clear glass pots. At least in my opinion. Everyone's taste is a bit different, and that's okay. As long as my wife likes it too, then all is good. And for the record, she likes it.

From Start To Finish ..

I can't believe that I actually accomplished something .. And can cross something off my 'WEEKEND TO DO LIST'. It's a great feeling and now I have a sense of accomplishment. A beer or glass of scotch may be in order as a means of celebration. hehe.

It wasn't the worst project to take on, and one that I rather enjoyed doing. Those types of projects or chores are the best ones to do. In the end, I was able to repot three of my Phalaenopsis Orchids with the new media. It took about an hour and a half out of my weekend (not including the thinking parts).

I brought the three new pots inside and placed them back onto the wall in their previous spots.

They were happy to be back AND someone didn't even notice what I was doing! MOLLY!!! She is sitting there very quietly. Maybe I should introduce her to the newly potted Orchids. Hehehe.. I Know, I am so bad.

Let's Introduce Molly To The Newly Potted Orchids ..

Poor girl is just sitting there minding her own business. Now this bum (me) is going to ruin her relaxation by slowly lowering the Orchid into her line of view. Here we go!

It took about all of 5 seconds before she noticed the oddity in her living space. She scrambled back as fast as a cat being sprayed with water. She took up a spot about 10 feet away and took a second look at the situation from behind some furniture. Smart I suppose. One never knows what may be friend and what may be foe. Better to play it safe!

I Hope You Enjoyed The Weekend Story ..

It was a bit long, so if you made it this far, you also deserve a beer, whiskey, or glass of wine. So go enjoy that and I will do the same.

Let Us Raise Our Glasses To A Job Well Done, AND Of Course The Weekend!

“In the rain forest, no niche lies unused. No emptiness goes unfilled. No gasp of sunlight goes untrapped. In a million vest pockets, a million life-forms quietly tick. No other place on earth feels so lush. Sometimes we picture it as an echo of the original Garden of Eden—a realm ancient, serene, and fertile, where pythons slither and jaguars lope. But it is mainly a world of cunning and savage trees. Truant plants will not survive. The meek inherit nothing. Light is a thick yellow vitamin they would kill for, and they do. One of the first truths one learns in the rain forest is that there is nothing fainthearted or wimpy about plants.”
― Diane Ackerman, The Rarest of the Rare: Vanishing Animals, Timeless Worlds

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