Re-potting Phalaenopsis using same big pot

[annie1931]

I was over in Advanced and in the discussion about foliar watering, but then the conversation led to repotting.

My Phal. is huge - just finishing blooming. The down-growing root system is like the back of my computer, and all growing into the water at the base. The upward ones are growing root tips on themselves. There is NO room for a bigger pot, but would break a dozen roots just getting them out of the holey pot.

Don't know what roots I could chop off, and don't know how I'd get the upright roots to bend downward into a pot. It just seems so happy the way it's going that I really hesitate to disturb the status quo. There is a new leaf, and a baby. Now the baby I can do without - I think it just sucks energy/food from the main plant. Can I take a sharp knife and slice it off at its base? It's a two-leaf growth, hasn't changed in 18 months.

[mayres]

How long has it been since you have repotted and what is it currently potted in/on? Soaking the entire root mass in warm water prior to depotting will limber the roots so that you can manuever them without breaking. Air roots will need to probably need to be sprayed over and over awhile to accomplish the same thing - if you intend to gently nudge some of them downward.
I have a couple of phals in 8 inch pots that are definately NOT too large for the plants - barely fit. Yes, you can certainly remove the basal keiki/plant if you choose any time.
Can you post a pic - I'd like to see it.

[Tropicgirl]

I was under the impression that air roots will die if you put them in the bark. Hopefully someone can clarify.
I agree, soaking the roots will make them a little more bendable and easier to get out of the pot.
Pictures always help-if you can post some that would be great.

[RosieC]

To get it out the pot I would soak it, perhaps for arround an hour. Then you want to very gently ease it out a little at the time. You will probably have to be very patient.

As for potting it back up, I would try and get the pot roots back in and leave the arial ones out if there is not room for them. There is no reason the arial roots need to be in the pot if you have plenty of roots in the pot and if it has been happy with them out in the past. The main thing with repotting is to get rid of the old stale medium and replace it with something new.

Sometimes arial roots will die in the medium if they go from being quite dry as arial roots to quite wet as potted roots. You can however pot arial roots if you make sure they dry well between waterings and get plenty of air as well. I tend to keep them near the surface if I pot arial roots and they seem to adapt OK. I think if you bury them deep in a denser medium you are more likely to get problems simply because they are not adapted to that.

[annie1931]

thanks, RosieC, I'll note that and keep it in mind when repotting any older orchid - I have a 'what to do' binder and your tip will be entered! Thanks again.