repotting zygo

[Rhynno]

Hi everyone,

I picked up a zygo titanic seedling about a year or two ago. When it came to repotting I didn't remove the old bark and sphag as it looked go so I just potted it into a larger pot and kept going. It grew a ton of roots and a few new bulbs.

I went to repot it recently and I just couldn't get the bark off of the roots so I ended up doing the same thing again... Again, the bark and sphag looked good (even the original stuff). I think that I've been underwatering the poor thing (I've since started using a wooden scewer to determine when I need to water which should help).

Should I un-pot it again and take off the old media? I'm nervous that I'll really hurt the roots as they're stuck so strongly to the bark that I can't get much of it off without losing most of the roots. I'm not sure what to do.

Thanks for the help!

Ryan

[WhiteRabbit]

Zygos can be challenging to repot with all the long thick roots. I have soaked the root mass for 15- 30 minutes or longer - sometimes returning it for more soaking. A chopstick, or something similar is helpful too. You can poke it into the mass and gently wiggle it around. Do that in a couple places, especially into the center from the bottom. If you have one - the hose sprayer attachments with a jet spray can be very helpful too. A piece or two of old bark attached here or there wouldn't worry me too much, but I do think you should get that old sphag out, and as much of the old bark as possible.
GL