Drilling Holes in Pots

[orchid_fan]

Can someone tell me why it is recommended/necessary to drill extra holes in the pots when repotting paphs or phrags? About how large should the holes be?

Thanks!

[Heather]

Airflow is very important, since Paphs and phrags tend to not like their roots to be wet. I guess in the wild, the roots tend to stay quite close to the surface of the ground.

My holes are about a centimeter or slightly less than a half inch in diameter. I can give you the drill bit number when I get home if you like. I tried w/ a slightly larger bit, but cracked a pot!

[Paphraguy]

Heather, a little correction if you don't mind. Some Phrag species are water lovers, so some like to be constant wet AT times and not all the time.

[orchid_fan]

I can give you the drill bit number when I get home if you like.

Heather, I would appreciate if you could do that. Thanks!

[Heather]

Will do, Nancy!

Thanks, Pete! I wasn't sure I got that right but knew you'd double check! Its like another little quiz for me! lol! I did know that, but didn't think about it at the time.

[Jmoney]

Extra airflow is always nice, even for terrestrials like the slippers. I wouldn't go overboard on it though, no need to make it look like swiss cheese.

Some phrags in the wild grow on the banks of streams, or better yet, in the stream itself. Hence the practice used by some of standing the pots in water.

[Heather]

I can see that about them. They look rather marshy. That probably makes no sense...anyway. I've wondered about that standing water thing. Just not sure which Phrags. like it and which don't so too nervous.

Um, oh, right, Nancy~ 25/64th drill bit. And it cracks the you-know-what out of leftover tupperware pots. Broke two! So, guess I'm going w/ the deeper of my options. Bummer.