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edge of the pot toward the center, using a round tapered stick or metal potting 
tool for this purpose, We prefer packing the fiber tight around the roots of the 
plants, although we do not pot as tight as some growers prefer, How tight the 
fiber should be packed depends on what genera you are potting, Plants will be much 
easier to pot if before using the osmunda is moistened, When potting monopodial 
orchids the same procedure is used, except the plant is placed in the center of the 
pot, and the fiber is packed loosely instead of tight, 
Certain species of vandas have many large fleshy roots and one should not be=- 
come alarmed if they persist in roaming out of the pot, Phalaenopsis also have 
large roots that like to roam out of the pots. Because Phalaenopsis are sharacter= 
ized by this type of roots, we like to pot the plants in six to ten inch baskets so 
that the roots may penetrate the fiber and grow out of the sides and bottom of the 
basket, Often when the plants are in pots the roots do not penebrate the fiber, 
but grow over the top of it and out of the pot. 
REPOTTING ESTABLISHED PLANTS 
In repotting established plants the same procedure is used as that used for 
unestablished plants except that the dead roots are removed from the plant and the 
live roots are not clipped, If the fiber is still in good condition it is left on 
the plant ; however if it is decayed it is removed and replaced with fresh, 
CARE OF NEWLY POTTED PLANTS 
Plants when first potted should have a good watering, and watering of the 
potting material should be withheld until active growth starts, water being added 
only in sufficent quantity and frequency to prevent compost from drying out com= 
pletely, In this period, on sumny days, leaves and bulbs should be moistened 
several times a day with water sprayed from any type of spraying equipment or an 
ordinary hose. Spraying should be done at a time which will allow the plant to dry 
off before nightfall. Care must be taken to keep temperature above minimum and to 
prevent excessive light from reaching the plants, Only during the extreme winter 
months can orchid plants tolerate direct sunlight, and shading must be used from 
March thru November, Light should be even more reduced until unestablished plants 
have begun definite root growth, which will usually be two or three weeks after 
potting. 
CYCLE OF PLANT GROWIH 
Species orchids, aS imported will be found to develop in the following cycle:= 
Condition on arrival "will usually be dormant. Root action then commences; with 
sympodial orchids this is followed by development of a new growth or lead from the 
front of the rhizome, This growth will develp into a pseudo=bulb and leaf or 
leaves, From the pseudo-bulb will develop, upon its maturity, a sheath from which 
eventually will come the flowers, The sheath is not characteristic of all species, 
but is generally limited to cattleyas and related genorae Immediately after 
flowering some species enter into a resting or dormant period after whith they 
again pursue the above cycles; other species start making a new growth immediately 
after flowering, The complete cycle of growth, flowering, and dormancy usually 
takes a year for a given plant, Flowering seasons, once established for a given 
species tend to occur at the same time each year, With monopodial orchids the root 
growth is followed by new leaves, 
