Repot or wait?

[JackiBlu]

This is a recent purchase I ordered online. It is a (bloom size) Enc cordigera alba 'C.G.E' x Enc. cordigera rosea 'Columbia'.

It looks really crowded to me. Besides the new roots all coming out of the pot, there are some even growing up thru the plant (toward the bottom).

Should I repot this baby girl or wait. It still appears in the growing stage... its bloom cycle is suppose to be winter to spring.

Thanks for your knowledge

[Leisurely]

I live in Central Florida and my Encyclia Cordigera always blooms in the spring. The flowers are very scented and long lasting. If you think you can re-pot your plant without damaging the roots you should certainly do so because they will be all outside the pot by the time it blooms.

[camille1585]

That's a lot of roots!!! I don't know much about these, but maybe you should repot now, while the roots are somewhat short and fairly easy to put in a new pot. And it will also have time to settle into its new pot before blooming time comes. My thinking is that is you wait, they'll be so long that you might end up breaking a quite a few when you finally repot.

[Sandy4453]

Hi ya JackiBlu!

Now is the best time to do a re-pot, when the plant is growing all these new roots which, by the way, look sensational! It will give the plant chance to grab on to it's new medium, a good thing!

If you do a re-pot and I highly suggest that now's the time to, when you remove the plant, rinse the medium off and what doesn't fall away, don't try to pry off. Cut any dead roots off and soak the plant in a Physan 20 solution with some rooting hormone for about 10 minutes. Again, what old medium doesn't fall away, don't bother trying to get off...just leave it. If you've got cinnamon on hand, generously sprinkle around where you've cut and put the plant in its' new home.

Expect to see pics of the blooms next Spring!

Enjoy!

[Swamper]

They sure look happy with whatever you are doing, beautiful roots. I would repot now but you could go either way probably. I have one and it's a very hardy and forgiving plant that seems to adjust to anything quickly inside, outside,watered, forgotten whatever it's tough.

[JackiBlu]

OK.. all for yes, none for no (which is what I expected, but just wanted to be sure).. All done.

I was quite delighted to see all the medium was 'new'. Some at the top was 'stuck' and so I left it. Seems as tho they had repotted it, but just didn't put it in a larger container . The plant was pretty much clean as a whistle!

Brings me to my next question while I am thinking of it.. When we are moving these plants to larger pots, and there is not a fitting plastic pot to go inside the new clay pot, (which was this case) what is it that one does? I just didn't put a plastic pot in it. The clay pot is a 6.5, the largest plastic I have is the 4.. Maybe I should have just slit one or two of the sides of a 4 to make it open and make room for the medium?

Thanks for your help. sorry to be a pita!

[Leisurely]

Plastic or clay, either one is fine. It is just a matter of personal choice, your growing conditions etc. Supposedly the roots stay cooler in clay but you will have to water more frequently than in plastic. I prefer to use clay for plants that like to dry out and plastic for those that like a little more moisture.

[Swamper]

whatsa pita?

[JackiBlu]

(sssshhhh: Pita = pain in the a@@)


I was told to use a plastic pot inside the clay for two reasons:

1 - when you go to repot, the roots won't stick to the plastic and will be easier to slide out

2 - The salts do not stick to or get absorbed in the clay pots, with plastic you can water thru them easier.

Is this not a good habit to have? It made sense to me.

TIA

[Swamper]

makes sense to me too. I just love looking inside too