Repotting Catasetum

[camille1585]

Last year I filled the bottom third of the pot with composted horse manure, as advised by someone here. The rest was sphag and I sprinkled some time release fertiliser on top. My Catasetum grew like a weed!

[Afid]

Interesting, I might have to try that!

[camille1585]

I'll try to find that thread for you, it was an interesting discussion.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by Afid

Great, thanks!

It's the only way I'll grow Catasetum. And once I start watering I place the pots in a tray in which I continuously keep an inch or two of water.

[Afid]

So I have now unpotted it and it has TONS of roots, what should I do now? I think that any attempt to get rid of the old sphag will break most of the roots (although I think many of them are dead anyway).

[Roberta]

Those root look quite good, and the sphag in the middle looks OK too. I'd just move to a slightly larger pot, stuff sphagnum around the sides, add some time release fertilizer on top and let it be. You can clean it up more next year (if the spirit moves you). These things can be quite happy when potbound.

[DirtyCoconuts]

those bulbs look real shriveled to me...keep an eye on them as dormancy progresses and maybe give a little water if they get any more shriveled.

as for untangling that root mass- it can be done with patience and some standing water....about 3" of water in a pot will allow you to dunk and gentle squeeze that root mass moistening and loosening the sphagnum until it will all eventually allow you to untangle it....it is a learned practice (buy rescue Phals for major practice) and you have to go quite slow, i often have to leave the pant in the water for a few minutes and do something else for it to soften and loosen.
All that said, i agree and would not upset the roots at this stage and wait for next season

[Afid]

Sounds good! I had noticed the bulbs were shriveling quite a bit, but I opted to hold off on water anyway, perhaps the water from repotting will be enough.

[Roberta]

Yeah, but you would not want to soak Catasetum roots at this time of year (and at this stage of dormancy). And unlike Phals, Catesetinae basically rebuild their roots system (as well as their leaves) every year. The year-old roots are still functional, the older ones basically become part of the medium in a couple of years (and if the mass opens up, can be pulled off pretty easily) I wouldn't worry too much about the shriveled pseudobulbs... maybe one drink of water and let the plant go back to sleep. These things are pretty amazing when they come back from the (apparent) dead.

[Afid]

As an update on the shriveling, I checked on it just now and the bulbs are WAY less shriveled and nearly twice the size they were yesterday!