Aside from the known requirements of a particular orchid, to be learned by experience and research, there are certain indications of a need for repotting that will be obvious to any beginner.

One such sign, although not always to be trusted because of the sprawling nature of some roots, is the appearance of many roots ranging out of the pot and over the potting material.

There is an urgent need for repotting when new bulbs are crowding or overhanging the edge of the pot or climbing awkwardly in the air.

Repotting should have taken place long before such conditions appeared and the plant may be retarded by this neglect. Equally obvious is the case of a plant that has exhausted its compost.

The compost will appear entirely decomposed and will feel spongy and soggy. In spite of the risk involved in potting at the wrong time, it is best to remove plants at once from such unhealthy conditions, since otherwise rotting of the roots, loss of leaves, and death of the plant may result.

The question of the most suitable material for potting orchids is a matter of considerable debate among hobbyists. In making a decision it will be wise to refer to the native environment of the orchid.

Many of the showy orchids popular among amateurs are aerial-rooted epiphytes, receiving much of their sustenance from mineral salts in the moisture of the jungle air and from the debris washed into the crotches of trees on which the plants hang for support.

It cannot be expected that they will thrive after being cramped and packed in ordinary garden potting material. A special medium is required—some coarse, fibrous, and porous substance with an acid reaction of 4.5 to 5, which will not decompose too rapidly and so make the need for repotting too frequent.

English growers formerly used with success a native fibrous peat, but the supply of this material is near exhaustion. Since the war many fine British and Continental orchid collections have suffered from the lack of suitable potting media.

Potting in tropical localities, where orchids can be brought in from the jungles and hung in the garden, presents no difficulties. Cocoanut half-shells with broken shells for a medium are frequently used. Manuring is usually an essential part of such outdoor culture.

While the problem of the American grower is not so easily solved as that of the orchid enthusiast in the tropics, he is more fortunate than European orchidists. The special needs of orchids are met very satisfactorily by the use of Osmunda fiber—the root of the cinnamon fern, either Osmunda cinnamonea or Osmunda Claytonia.

In addition to providing the required drainage and pH, it is clean, easily handled, sufficient in itself as a medium for most orchids, and found in abundant quantities in New Jersey, Indiana, and the swamps of Florida.

The only rival of Osmunda as a general orchid-potting medium is Polypodium, root of the fern Polypodium vulgare. It is found over much of the world, with the Pacific Northwest of the United States as a favored locale. In certain respects Polypodium is better than Osmunda. It decomposes as rapidly and has a finer texture, particularly suitable for tiny seedlings, back bulbs, and sick plants.

A mixture of chopped, live sphagnum moss and finely chopped Polypodium is a recommended formula for plants in poor condition.

The drawbacks of Polypodium, however, still make Osmunda the choice of most growers: it is more difficult to water plants in Polypodium; if not saturated it dries out more quickly; and when saturated it does not drain so well. It is difficult to change plants from Polypodium to other media without setbacks.

Proper equipment is the next requirement for a successful re potting operation. A sharp, strong knife will be needed to make a clean cutting of roots clinging to the pot.

A screw driver is valuable for freeing the compost and plant without damaging plant or pot. It is also handy for tucking compost into tiny seedling pots. Some type of shears will be indispensable. Grape shears with long, slightly curving, pointed blades are excellent.

The potting tool proper is often a matter of the grower's ingenuity. Many types are in use. Highly recommended is a piece of hardwood (such as a broom handle) about 12 inches long and from 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches thick, smoothed to fit the palm at one end and sharpened to a point, or flattened to a sharp wedge, at the other.

Some growers prefer a metal tool, since it allows the use of more pressure in packing the medium firmly. This may be a flat blade of heavy metal about 1/2 inch thick and 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, shaped to an 'L,' and filed to a flat, moderately sharp edge at one end. The other end may be covered with a piece of rubber hose to protect the hand.

Some growers use stakes of redwood or bamboo to support weak or leaning bulbs, but supports of heavy galvanized wire, cut to a suitable length, will best survive the continued damp. String or flat dental floss may be used for tying material; raffia is not advisable as it deteriorates too rapidly when it dries out.

Tweezers are useful for removing dead tissue from the bulbs and decomposed compost from roots. At times the dry tissue at the base of the new bulb may become chilled when wet and a wet fungus sets in that may affect the entire bulb if not removed. Care should be taken not to injure the dormant next-year growth under this tissue.

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