How to transplant

' My roots are going to berotted.' ' Please change the compost now ! '

When we transplant ? Transplanting for Paphs should be faster than we expected basicaly. (1) when the roots grow too much and watering is 　　　noteffective. (2) when the materials in pot is aged too much. (3) when Paph is unhealthy for desease and/or salt 　　　trouble in pot and we had better wash the roots 　　in fresh water as fast as possible.

The materials for transplanting (1) sphagnum moss　 (2) sphagnum moss + stone (3) Mixed materials 　　stone + woody tissue + ion exchanger (4) skin of cedar (crypto-moss)

When you grow Paphiopedilum in the same compost without transplanting, the condition in the compost would be worse and cause the roots to be rotted and be died. For example, when you grow Paph in shagnum moss, not only the moss decayed but also the good grows of roots would make close for watering and airation and further more, the excretion from roots would be accumulated in the compost. In these case, you have to transplant the Paph as fasat as possible. But when you grow Paphs in your room , not in green house, the transplanting season should be limited in a year. It must be in spring, May , just after flowering. In this season, the plants are just going to grow in spring. But don't transplant some Paphs who have flower and expanding the stem for summer. Don't forget that you have to transplant the Paphs who have bigun to grow. In summer, you had better not transplnt because it is too hot and the plants are consumed by the high temperature. In autumn, it would be good season to transplant because they are going to grow again after hot summer. But it must be very dengerous to transplant for the beginners because Paphs will grow for a short period and sleep soon. But for the summer flower Paphs, you must transplant in this season sometimes. Of course, you never transplant in winter because they are sleeping. When you transplant, you take the plant off from the pot and clean up their roots including taking off their died roots. After washing by water , you had better treat the plants by medicine of an insecticide and a germicide. And then you transplant with a new compost. In this time, be careful not to hurt their roos, especially new roots with white and yellow points. Paphiopedilum have not so many roots and the roots will be much easier to break and to come off than the roots of other orchids. When the plants grow well and their roots looks cramped、you use the bigger pot. In many vase, you use the same size or the smaller size incase of theplants comming small.

The composts in pot is not too hard or not too soft. Basically, you have to make it hard around the base of plant ans very very sofy at the lower part of pot. After transplanting, you keep the plants in the darker area in order not to conssume too much for a month at least. They need the good winds in this period. And don't water too much and only spray water if possible. Because, after transplanting, their roots don't work so well. So the water you gibe is no meaning but it is very important not to dry plants, leaves. Of course, you never fertilize !

Mixed Materials

	(A)	(B)	(C)
(a) Hydrophobic materials
Volcano stones or Hyuga stone	4~5	3~4
Baked Aka-Tama			3~4
Ceraton			2
(b) Hydrophilic materials
bark or tips of coconut	5~4	4~3	4~3
(c) Ion exchanger
Activated charcoal or zeolite	1	1
Native ceramics			1

(A) is used in general, (B) is recomended generaly by me, (C) is used materilas by me now.

（Ａ）The mixture for general use

（Ｂ）The mixture I recommend for general using baked Aka-Tama.

（Ｃ）The mixture I'm using now. I prefer native ceramics, Silica.

Note: About native ceramics, I have special writings in other site. Please visit the site if you are interested in. Sorry it is in Japanese only now. In near future, I'll translate in English.

Continue to The control of Pests & Desease

Back to Index