Orchid Pots With Holes on the Side: What to Be Aware Of

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If you are making a switch to using orchid pots with holes or slits on the side (or perhaps you already have), there are some very important things to be aware of. If you’ve ever made this change with your Phalaenopsis orchids and your plants have struggled, you know exactly what I mean.

Keep reading to discover the pros and cons of using pots with holes on the side, and what you need to be aware of so that you don’t kill your orchids.

I’ve lost track of how many people have approached me after they have switched their orchids into pots with holes or slits on the side and their orchids suddenly took a downturn. There are a number of “orchid pots” available on the market. Many are clear plastic, and there are even more aesthetically pleasing ceramic ones like in the photo below.

Now, take a look at the photo below of a Phalaenopsis orchid that was sent to me by one of my online orchid care course members in Become an Orchid Master.

You can see that the leaves are heavily wrinkled, and if you look closely at the roots above the bark mix, you can see that they are shriveled and very dehydrated. If this has happened to you, you may have the false illusion that orchids don’t like pots with holes.

However, moth orchids (or any epiphytic orchid) can grow in a staggering variety of pots and growing mediums. But the key is knowing that you’ll need to adjust your watering routine.

Allow me to list the pros and cons to using orchid pots with holes on the side.

GROWING ORCHIDS IN POTS WITH HOLES ON THE SIDE

PROS

• The increased air provided by the holes or slits on the side of your pots are wonderful for orchid roots. Any epiphytic orchid, like Phalaenopsis, will benefit from the increased air flow.
• If you have clear plastic pots with holes on the side, you will also have increased light to the roots. Phalaenopsis roots can actually photosynthesize, but the leaves will do most of the photosynthesis and it is NOT a requirement to grow orchids in clear plastic pots!

CONS

• Because of increased air flow, your potting medium can dry out exceptionally fast (particularly if you are growing your orchids in a bark mix). This can make it very difficult to keep up with watering!
• Roots will grow through the holes or slits, making it more difficult to repot in the future. If this happens, you’d either have to cut the pot off carefully (if you have a plastic pot), or trim the roots to remove the plant from its pot. If you have a ceramic orchid pot, it can be quite difficult to manage any roots that have grown through the holes.

Anytime you switch your orchid’s pot or potting medium, or both, you need to be aware of the repercussions of the change. By switching an orchid to a pot with holes on the side, this will cause the bark to dry out much more rapidly than it used to.

OTHER TIPS

There is nothing wrong with using orchid pots with holes on the side, however, if you are growing in a bark mix, you may find it really difficult to keep up with watering, this is exactly what happened in the photo from my course member that I presented earlier in this post.

Even though you may have read somewhere that you need to grow orchids in pots with holes on the side, this is not true at all. Be careful of your sources. For over two decades, I’ve been growing orchids in a variety of pots, including terracotta pots, clear plastic pots, opaque pots, solid ceramic pots, and more. It is NOT necessary to grow orchids in pots with holes on the side!

So unless you want to be watering every 2-3 days, I would avoid using bark mixes with pots that have holes on the side.

However, one configuration that you might want to consider is using sphagnum moss in these types of pots. Many people hate using sphagnum moss for orchids, but it is actually a wonderful medium as long as you know how to water!

Sphagnum moss holds a lot of water and takes pretty long to dry out indoors (especially if it is packed tightly). So by using sphagnum moss in combination with pots with holes on the side, the holes will allow the moss to dry out more quickly. You will still run into an issue of roots growing through the holes or slits though.

The moral of the story is that if you switch your pot type and/or potting medium, as long as you adjust your watering, your plant will be fine. If you fail to adjust watering and keep doing what you’ve been doing in the past, it will likely result in a wrinkly orchid.

If you want to learn all about how to get your orchid to rebloom reliably and have healthy, thriving moth orchid plants, don’t miss my signature, online orchid care course, Become an Orchid Master. It also includes bonuses with support from me, personally, to guide you in your orchid journey!