Orchid Plant Care

One of the most common containers used in transplanting the orchid you just got from the flower shop is the clay orchid pot. It has been used by a lot of orchid growers for a long time now and it still has a considerable following among those who love to grow orchids in pots. One distinct feature that this clay orchid pot had over its plastic counterpart is that it has a certain amount of weight, enough to hold the orchid steady even when strong winds blow.

Just like its plastic counterpart, however, its single most distinct advantage also happens to be its downside. Because it has a considerable amount of weight, some of the orchid growers try to avoid using it and instead opt for lighter materials such as the plastic orchid pot. Just imagine if your clay orchid pot has a weight of about one kilo, think of how much it would weigh when soil and orchid is added into it.

The other disadvantage of the clay orchid pot is that because it sheds too much of the water that you put in, the orchid is left with just a little amount for it to use in processing the nutrients it needs to thrive. Bear in mind that orchids require a specific amount of water and anything less would cause its roots to wither, ultimately causing the demise of your orchid.

This might probably be the reason why a clay orchid pot has only one drainage hole located at the bottom so that it would not shed water so much. There are some clay orchid pots however, that has several drainage holes at the bottom. These specially designed clay orchid pots are usually used for specific types of orchids that require only little amounts of water.

Some varieties of orchids, such as the Cymbidium orchid, is known to thrive well in a big clay orchid pot because its roots, which can grow in lengths of up to one meter, is able to position itself more freely to enable it to store more water and nutrients. This in turn will greatly help the orchid grow healthy and produce first rate flowers. Other varieties of orchids, on the other hand, like the Ludisia and the Anoectuchilus, is best put in shallow clay orchid pots for it to grow better.

That is why in choosing a pot for your orchid, it is crucial to first ascertain what kind of container will your orchid best vibrantly thrive. The more important thing is that you will be able to complement your orchid with the perfect pot for it to grow healthy, and produce those charming flowers that you had always wanted.

Related posts:

1. Orchid Pot
2. Plastic Orchid Pot
3. Orchid Repotting

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