subject: Orchid FAQs: In Orchids Propagation How Do I Avoid Killing My Plants? [print this page] You can easily avoid killing your plants during and after dividing them by making sure you correctly do three vital things for your orchids.
You must only divide your orchids when they need it.
You must use only sharp, sterile tools
You must pot orchids in the correct sized pot with a medium mixture for your type of orchid
By the way: the same is true if you are using cuttings from your original orchid.
1. Only divide your orchids when they need it
This means they need to be big enough and have enough growth to support being divided. Remember the largest divisions with the most pseudobulbs will swiftly grow (well, as swiftly as orchids generally grow!) to blooming plants.
If your plant is too small meaning you will only have maybe 1-2 pseudobulbs per plant after dividing you increase the probability that you will lose at least some if not all of them. So avoid willfully dividing your plant before it wants to be divided.
Additionally generally only divide your orchids after they have finished blooming. For most orchids your most opportune time is late autumn through winter (unless of course you have a winter blooming plant. Then the opposite is true.)
2. Use only sharp, sterile tools
This can be the most frequent cause of killing an orchid while attempting to propagate them. Let's face it using a dull knife to cut almost anything; including orchids as well as ripe tomatoes has a disastrous effect on the object. You tear, not precisely cut, an orchid when you use anything but a very sharp cutting tool.
And when you combine that with a knife or other cutting tool that has not been sterilized you are compounding your chances of killing the orchid. Quite honestly, considering how easy it is to sterilize your cutting tool, it is amazing why anyone wouldn't do it. You can accomplish this simple task by either wiping it down with alcohol or running a small flame over all cutting surfaces.
Remember to re-sterilize your cutting tools in between using them on each division.
3. Use only the correct size pot and an orchid medium mixture that's designed for your particular orchid
Some orchids like their roots somewhat crowded while others like lots of room to breathe. So the first step to take is to understand your orchid's needs. (The best place to find out is from your local orchid society.) After you have this information you need to find a pot that is designed specifically for orchids. And this is where some orchid enthusiasts fall down on the job. They think just any standard garden plastic or clay pot will do. This can be a deadly mistake.
Orchids must have sufficient drainage or their roots become mush. Orchid pots have larger drainage holes and more of them than standard garden pots. What's more the drainage holes in orchid pots are on the sides as well as on the bottom. They also come in deep and shallow depths to suit different orchid needs.
As for the medium mixture that's best for your orchid, there are a few things to look for and to look out for. These include:
How long-lasting is the medium?
How effective is it for your particular orchid?
How easy is it to purchase?
If purchasing pre-made mixture, how careful has the manufacture been? Is the package filled with just the medium or does it contain a significant amount of dust particles in the bottom
As a general rule of thumb: the more finely rooted your orchids are, the more water retentive your mixture needs to be. On the other hand, the thicker and fleshier your orchid's roots, the coarser and well-drained your mixture should be.
So there you have it. Avoid the above mistakes and you'll be more inclined to orchids propagation that results in healthy, long-living orchids that will give you loads of blooms for years to come.
Orchid FAQs: In Orchids Propagation How Do I Avoid Killing My Plants?
