Potting Methods of Traditional Pot Plants

Potting Methods
for Traditional Pot Plants

In this section, I briefly introduce potting methods for the plants
that appear below.

Adonis amurensis, Farfugium japonicum and Primula sieboldii:
These plants grow well in the usual composts for gardening
plants. In Japan, people often use a mixture of Akadama soil and
leaf mould. Primula sieboldii originally grows in damp areas, so it
is advisable to sit the pots on a saucer so that the mixture will
always be moist.
Asian Cymbidiums, Rhodea japonica and Rhapis excelsa:
These plants prefer to grow in a well-drained soil. In Japan,
people use pumice or potting mix (mixture of various types of
pumice) for growing them.
Dendrobium moniliforme, Neofinetia falcata:
In Japan, people use sphagnum moss for growing them since
these are epiphytic plants. The images below show how to plant
them in a traditional way.

Put a very small pot
upside down

Wrap sphagnum moss
around the pot

Plant the Neofinetia on
the sphagnum moss

Pull off the pot and then
there is a hole that
promotes good
air permeability

Finally, place the plant
in a traditional pot.

Calanthe, Habenaria radiata, Hepatica nobilis, Saxifraga fortunei
var. incisolobata:
These plants originally grow on leaf mould under forest trees. In
Japan, people often use a mixture of leaf mould, small-sized
Akadama soil and small-sized pumice.
Ardisia japonica, Heterotropa, Orchis graminifolia, Sellaginella
tamariscina, Psilotum nudum:
In Japan, people often use a mixture of small-sized Akadama soil
and small sized-pumice.

Soil
Typical potting materials used for Japanese enthusiasts are as
follows:
AKADAMA TSUCHI: reddish clay granules produced all over
Japan. There are three sizes - small, medium and large. This is a
well-drained medium but the granules chip away little by little and
become fine soil later.
KANUMA TSUCHI: yellowish clay granules produced in Kanuma of
Tochigi Prefecture. The granules are more rigid than Akadama.
There are three sizes - small, middle and large. Well-drained and
acid-type soil.
KARUISHI: whitish pumice.
FUYOO DO (= leaf mould): often used with Akadama soil
MIZUGOKE (= sphagnum moss): used for potting epiphytic orchids
like Neofinetia falcata and Dendrobium moniliforme
*TUCHI or DO means "soil" in Japanese.