Repotting Den. with roots entangled in coconut husk

[Annika]

I have a Den. Burana Princess and Den. Salaya Pink that were potted together in large coconut husks. I don't mean small loose pieces of coconut---these husks are 3-4 inches large. The roots of both plants are completely entangled with the husks. Can anyone suggest how I might go about removing them from the husks so that I can repot them? The husks look pretty deteriorated to me.

Also, the Den. Salaya Pink has a keiki growing on one cane. How and when do I detach and plant it?
Many thanks, everyone! These are my first dendrobiums and I'd like to do well by them.

[Donald]

Hello. I was in the same situation a couple of years ago. What I did was to soak the husks and roots until the roots softened somewhat, then I carefully separated them some will break but I wouldn't worry about it. As far as the keiki. Mist the roots and wait until they are 3 to 4 inches long then plant. I'm sure you will get more info on this from others with more knowledge than I, but the above has worked for me. Good Luck.

[Annika]

Thanks for the advice, Donald---it's nice to know that someone's been successful at this!

[Orchid126]

Ditto what Donald said. Soak the roots for several hours or overnight to soften them. You can let the mother plant take care of the baby until it's strong enough to go on it's own.

[Blueszz]

I learned not to remove husk too aggressively in orchids with fine roots. I had the same problem in March this year and removed the husk, working slowly and trying to avoid root damage. However, the mature canes suffered a lot from it and never looked well hydrated afterwards. When I started to remove the husk the roots looked fine and looking at the canes they still were functional for the plant. During the process of removing the coco husk a lot of roots got damaged. Two months after this surgery on the plant, I wondered why I couldn't get the old canes well hydrated. I unpotted and found a lot of root rot. I guess the wounds I made by removing the husk were an entrance place for bacterial infections, despite I didn't over water (IMHO).

The new canes that grew this spring and summer look fine. I think next time I might decide only to up pot one or two sizes.
The Den. was very root bound when I bought it but after repotting it for the first time I was left with roots as short as 1-2 inch. It was a mess! It has seriously set back the plant.

My advise would be to work not too aggressively but maybe you have to, if the husk stays wet too long in your climate.

Nicole