Growing medium for small Catts

[Zoi2]

You might try staking the plant to hold it in place untill the roots take hold. That will keep the plant straight and less chance of movement when you water.
Joann

[Jeffery]

Originally Posted by Zoi2

You might try staking the plant to hold it in place untill the roots take hold. That will keep the plant straight and less chance of movement when you water.
Joann

What made me realize I had an issue was I had these little wooden BBQ skewers in the pots to test moisture and when I was pulling one out to see how dry it was, the plant came out with it...oohh boy!! thats loose!!

[Zoi2]

Originally Posted by Jeffery

What made me realize I had an issue was I had these little wooden BBQ skewers in the pots to test moisture and when I was pulling one out to see how dry it was, the plant came out with it...oohh boy!! thats loose!!

I've done that too.
Joann

[Jerry Delaney]

Any of the discussed media will work. Pick one that matches your watering habits. It's a whole lot easier to change potting mix than your watering habits. Personally, I agree with Peewee. With the new root growth you have started on the plant, Hydroton or other appropriate LECA would be my choice.

[Brotherly Monkey]

how often do you guys water when using the LECA?

[SOS]

I would personally use the same media you initially used, and secure it. You can stake the thing up well. Or, get a long twist tie and run it through one drainage hole, over the rhizome, and back though another drainage hole then twist it tight.

When root tips are damaged, especially in the stage of your plant, the production of indole acetic acid is ceased there. That auxin is crucial to root production, so much that your plant could take a bit of a nap in response to this.

So, get it secured so the root tips arent going to break. Then, maybe assist it with a fertilizer with cytokinins to work in conjunction towards root production (there is a synthetic one, Kinetin? fyi).

[Jerry Delaney]

Originally Posted by Brotherly Monkey

how often do you guys water when using the LECA?

Ray would be a better person to answer this but if you are going to try true S/H the important thing seems to be to keep water in the bottom well at all times. I'm not sure you can really overwater them in true S/H.

[Izzie]

Would it be helpful to soak this plant in a rooting hormone like KLN or SuperThrive for an hour before repotting it?
And perhaps bagging the entire plant and pot and keeping it in a dark, warm environment for a while?

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by Jerry Delaney

Ray would be a better person to answer this but if you are going to try true S/H the important thing seems to be to keep water in the bottom well at all times. I'm not sure you can really overwater them in true S/H.

Ray has extensive information and instructions on his site here- All about Semi-Hydroponics

[Royal]

For me, bark dries out more quickly. I use a bark mix for all my Catts. Clay pots for the ones that like it on the drier side, plastic for ones I want to hold it a little longer.

When I repot, I make sure everything is snug by using the blunt end of a skewer or bamboo stake to poke the mix down into the crevices. I take a longer flatter piece of bark and wedge it into the pot near the side. It it still wobbles, I stake it until new roots bind everything together.