How to unpot this catesetum for repotting?

[Cymbaline]

It was suggested to stop watering and repot this guy here on this prior post Catasetum and it's two new bulbs? .

But it's really root bound now. Would it be okay to soak it in water to loosen the medium so I can repot for fresh medium?

Thank you

[isurus79]

You could use water on the old roots, as long as the new roots stay bone dry. This one probably should have been repotted a few weeks ago to prevent breaking the new roots.

However, I don't see anything that would prevent you from just working your fingers in the old roots to break it up without water. That media should just fall away once you start getting your fingers in there.

Alternative suggestions to using water would be to simply cut off the old roots. Or simply just put the whole mass into another pot! There's no need to remove the old media since its not broken down. Additionally, Catasetums don't mind a bit of broken down media compared to other orchids like Cattleyas.

[Cymbaline]

Originally Posted by isurus79

You could use water on the old roots, as long as the new roots stay bone dry. This one probably should have been repotted a few weeks ago to prevent breaking the new roots.

However, I don't see anything that would prevent you from just working your fingers in the old roots to break it up without water. That media should just fall away once you start getting your fingers in there.

Alternative suggestions to using water would be to simply cut off the old roots. Or simply just put the whole mass into another pot! There's no need to remove the old media since its not broken down. Additionally, Catasetums don't mind a bit of broken down media compared to other orchids like Cattleyas.

Thank you! So it doesn't seem like it matters if I damage the old stuff as long as I don't damage the new. Got it! Thank You so much!

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by Cymbaline

Thank you! So it doesn't seem like it matters if I damage the old stuff as long as I don't damage the new. Got it! Thank You so much!

Exactly! Many growers in Brazil just cut off the old roots each year when the plant goes dormant. Seems like extra work, so I don't do it

[WaterWitchin]

So Question... Now that I'm the owner of five new cymbidiums and have never grown them before. They're all dormant now (three of them sort of forced into dormancy). This is the appropriate time to repot, while they have no new roots, right?

[DirtyCoconuts]

I assume you mean catasetums?

i repot mine when they are too big for the current pot and dormant (ie not every year necessarily)

i try to orient them so where i think the new growth will be is in the middle of the pot but they grow in all directions and from any bulb they please so it is fine to just put it in the middle.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

I assume you mean catasetums?

i repot mine when they are too big for the current pot and dormant (ie not every year necessarily)

i try to orient them so where i think the new growth will be is in the middle of the pot but they grow in all directions and from any bulb they please so it is fine to just put it in the middle.

Well crap. Yes. Cymb-brain attack!!!

---------- Post added at 10:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:10 AM ----------

Hey DC... are you doing SH with any of them?

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

i repot mine when they are too big for the current pot and dormant (ie not every year necessarily)

i try to orient them so where i think the new growth will be is in the middle of the pot but they grow in all directions and from any bulb they please so it is fine to just put it in the middle.

[Cymbaline]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Exactly! Many growers in Brazil just cut off the old roots each year when the plant goes dormant. Seems like extra work, so I don't do it

LOL.
So dumb question perhaps. When should I expect these to go dormant? This year I was expecting the leaves to die off on their own but obviously that is wrong .

Plus two of my Catesetums developed bulbs at the start of the season last year in the summer.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Well crap. Yes. Cymb-brain attack!!!

---------- Post added at 10:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:10 AM ----------

Hey DC... are you doing SH with any of them?

I have only one little guy in SH...doing it as an experiment and i am not sure if i like it...i know a few folks on here grow them in SH and they post some awesome looking plants so i know it works

for me it is just a little more delicate than the way i like to grow them and it is a lot like SH.

plus they are big and sprawling plants and lean weird ways and i could not keep up with them in SH containers