How to Cultivate Orchids in Pots
During the pandemic, many people were sent home. Starting to work from home to school from home. Sometimes this makes the mind tired due to boredom. This is very natural considering the previous habit of going out, but now you have to stay at home more.
Some people relieve the fatigue of working from home with the hobby of cultivating orchids at home. For ornamental plant lovers, planting plants at home has become a common thing. However, for friends who are new to planting plants at home, this can be quite a challenge. Especially for friends who choose to cultivate orchids in pots. If you take the wrong step, the planted orchids may not grow well, and they could even die.
Here are the ways to choose the right planting media for cultivating orchids in pots and how to plant them.
Planting Media
Cultivating orchids in pots is indeed a bit tricky. Difficult for beginners, but easy for those who have tried it several times. Orchids have the characteristic of not being watered too often because their roots can rot.
Therefore, friends need to choose the right planting media. The chosen planting media should not retain too much water. Some suitable planting media for cultivating orchids in pots are as follows.
Fern Fiber
One of the media often used by someone who cultivates orchids is fern fiber. The advantage of fern fiber is that it retains very little water. Thus, orchids that require minimal water—such as moon orchids—are safe to use this planting media.
Wood Charcoal
If friends have difficulty obtaining fern fiber, you can replace it with wood charcoal. Wood charcoal is easier to find and is widely sold in markets even if they are not specifically plant sellers.
Coconut Fiber
Like fern fiber, coconut fiber also has the characteristic of not retaining much water. Coconut fiber is also very easy to find. You can ask for it or buy it cheaply from coconut ice sellers.
Broken Tiles or Bricks
This planting media absorbs more water. If you use this media, you do not need to water it too often. Coarse broken tiles or bricks can be found in many places, usually at neighbors who are renovating their houses.
Leaves and Wood Shavings
For friends living in rural areas, leaves and wood shavings will be easy to find. Leaves and wood shavings also do not retain much water. They are also suitable for use as planting media for cultivating orchids in pots.
How to Plant
After you know what planting media can be used, you just need to buy orchid seeds at a plant store. However, if you have neighbors, relatives, or friends who have many orchids, you can buy them at a cheaper price. The price of orchids at plant stores usually ranges from 70 thousand to 150 thousand depending on the type of orchid.
The way to plant orchids is quite easy. First, prepare a small pot for the planting place. After that, put in the planting media. You can use easy planting media, such as wood charcoal, coconut fiber, and the like. Put in a little first. Then insert the orchid plant. Bury the orchid plant until its roots are covered with the planting media.
Once the orchid plant is properly placed in the pot, the next step is to water it and let the water drip out of the pot. Avoid any standing water in the pot.
For the initial planting, try to place the orchid pot in a shaded area for 2 days. This is done so that the orchid plant can quickly produce new roots. After 2 days, you can place it in the location you planned earlier.
That is how to cultivate orchids in pots that you can try. Happy gardening!
Author: Iskael
