Barbara <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> queried thusly: >An analogy I suppose would be similar to the timing of orchid repotting. >You would refrain from general repotting in the winter, opting instead >for the accelerated growth in the spring to jumpstart the plants into >establishing themselves in new media all summer before decelerated >growth in the fall and winter.
Perhaps a more correct analogy would be the difference between taking a plant in prime growth and throwing it in a new pot, versus one that is down to a leaf (and a half), two dead roots with no growing tips, the cut remains of a bloom spike, and a newbie grower who says, "I got this at Home Depot six months ago. Can you save it?" Yes, indeed. The fate of the ignominious windowsill refugee, lately of big-box store fame. "Will repotting it help?" There is a reason why every step of industrial production of plants starts with vegetative material in its prime of growth, and ends in vegetative material in its prime of growth. Any missteps or stumbles that lead to stalling growth increases the chances that the plants will not thrive. In this regard, it is similar to the manner in which bacteria are grown in liquid culture: the time to subculture the solution is when the material is in its log growth phase. -AJHicks Chandler, AZ _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com