The other month I asked for some help choosing plants for my boyfriend’s birthday. Many thanks for all the suggestions! I decided to go for a Philodendron Plowmanii and a Jewel Orchid. They came as unpotted plants, so I just wanted to check that I’ve potted them correctly.
I put some clay pebbles at the bottom and then filled the rest with multi use compost. I made some little holes in the soil and gently placed the plants in, then covered up their roots.
Will they be ok like that, until next week when I can gift them? How much water should I give them?
Thanks for your help :)
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That sounds like it should last the week to me. Could be wise to have your boyfriend repot them when you give them to him - my only concern about using multi-use compost is that it likely won’t dry out quick enough and could lead to root rot. Usually it’s good to mix some perlite or other substance into the soil to allow it to dry out faster. In terms of watering, you really just don’t want to let the soil dry out. Don’t keep it soaked, because that will make the roots rot, but also don’t let it dry fully, because then the leaves may start to brown & die off. Hopefully that isn’t too confusing… Good luck!
Thanks for this! So should I stick my finger in the soil to test the moisture level? Do you know how much light I should give these plants?
Sorry it took me so long to respond - yes, yes you should! Usually I keep it dry up to 1-1.5 knuckles if that makes sense. About 1-2 inches or so.
I’d just set them in any window for now - especially if they’ll be moving soon to wherever your boyfriend puts them, it shouldn’t matter too much as long as they get some.
Hi, sorry I’m a bit confused, so if you don’t mind you could maybe elaborate: why is it a problem that the soil won’t dry out too quickly if you don’t want it to dry out?
It can cause the roots to rot/bacteria/mold to grow if it stays wet too long and its unable to dry out. The philo in nature would grow in chunky well draining soil, so that when it rains the water drains quickly so that its not just sitting in wet soil but stays wet for bit before drying before the next rain (The orchid is less likely to rot but id be more worried about the compost burning the plant)
The idea is that you do want it to dry out some between waterings, generally when the first 2 inches are dry… if the soil is very thick and doesnt drain well it can also compact the soil taking longer to dry,
That makes sense, thank you for the detailed answer!
Bingo! Thanks for the response!
A Jewel Orchid! I bought one too about a week ago, very pretty! As far as I know it is possible to keep a jewel Orchid as a regular room plant. However, they do need higher humidity, they will grow better in a small terrarium of some sorts. Sphagnum Moss as a substrate also aids in keeping them hydrated. Otherwise I would suggest putting it in a bathroom, where humidity is naturally higher. They also prefer a shadier spot, similar to ferns. I hope this helps :)
That’s very useful info! Thank you :)
Putting clay pebbles on the bottoms does nothing bedside creating water retention over them; I also did that for may years but i saw a positive change when I stopped! Regular compost is usually too dense as a substrate try to mix it with some perilte to increase water drainage! Hope this was useful to you!
I recommend Sheffield made plants youtube channel, it is really enlightening!
Thanks for this! I think I’ll leave them as they are for the time being, and suggest a perlite mix once I gift them (don’t want to disturb them too much in a short space of time). I’ll check that channel out!
