Transplanting Pink lady-slipper (Cypripedium acaule) - William Cullina

transplant, they will stop growing and be vulnerable to infection. The loss of more than a
few can spell disaster for the plant, as it has lost a good share of its food reserves and will
likely wither away over the next year or two. This is a common occurrence in gardens,
where a rescued or wild-collected plant will come up the first year, come back smaller the
next, and fail to return the third. C. acaule’s roots inhabit what is called the F horizon in
the soil. This
is the zone or
layer just
underneath the
unrotted leaves
and other
debris in this
image. A few
roots may pass
through the
narrow H
horizon and
into the black
and gray A
horizon. The
H horizon is
not topsoil, but
rather a porous
blend of
partially
decomposed
organic
materials.
When
replanting the
orchid, it is
essential that
you relocate
the roots in
this layer as
they will
often
rot if buried in
the heavier
horizons
beneath.