Curious Cattleya Roots

[Claire25]

Hi Melody,

I would bet that your Catt's new growth is stunted due to lack of light. Unless you are providing supplemental light, a north window (in the Northern hemisphere, anyway) will not give Cattleyas anywhere near enough light to grow strongly or to flower.

Try moving your plant to a sunny window. But, be careful--suddenly increasing the light levels can burn plant leaves.

I think that having your orchid in basically two types of media (moss and bark, is that right?) is not optimal. (Bark and moss hold different levels of moisture and dry at different rates). I'd recommend you repot it soon, check on the roots, and then repot into fresh media of your choice.

--Claire

PS Tucker, please do not stop posting. As a new-ish grower myself (I've only been obsessed with this hobby for the past 16 years or so, ) I have ALWAYS enjoyed reading your posts; they've been so helpful to me.

[Orchid126]

Never worry about the color of the roots. Worry about their condition and texture. Plump and firm means good roots. Mushy or dry means bad roots.

[Melody]

Ok, so I moved it to a South Window, and I am keeping an eye on it.

I am considering repotting, but it scares me.
I'm not that good at it yet and things seem to want to die right after I repot it. If I am going to repot it does anyone have any recommendations of what and where to get a good mix from? I think part of my repotting problem could be getting a good mix. Also not sure if I want to go with bark or like coconut husk chips.

It's currently in like a 6 1/2 in. clay pot, but the bark and roots are only about 4 in. diameter. I'm thinking it would go into a 5 in. when I repot since the new roots on the new growth are growing into the sphag.

Thoughts?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Melody

Ok, so I moved it to a South Window, and I am keeping an eye on it.

I am considering repotting, but it scares me.
I'm not that good at it yet and things seem to want to die right after I repot it. If I am going to repot it does anyone have any recommendations of what and where to get a good mix from? I think part of my repotting problem could be getting a good mix. Also not sure if I want to go with bark or like coconut husk chips.

It's currently in like a 6 1/2 in. clay pot, but the bark and roots are only about 4 in. diameter. I'm thinking it would go into a 5 in. when I repot since the new roots on the new growth are growing into the sphag.

Thoughts?

Well...

What's your repotting procedure?

Do you end up breaking a lot of roots?

Do you end up damaging a lot of roots by removing pieces of media that are too firmly attached to the roots?

Do you end up ripping a lot of roots off from the pot?

Do you wet the roots thoroughly prior to repotting?

What kind of media were you using on which kinds of orchids?

Repotting doesn't kill orchids. I just repotted a bunch of Masdevallias and they aren't dying.

You need to be clear on what procedures ensure the least amount of stress and damage to your plant, then make sure that the correct media or method of growing is used for each plant for your given growing environment.

[Claire25]

Melody,

As Philip's comments make clear, in no way should repotting be considered a harmful experience for your orchids. In the absence of any information regarding your own repotting procedure/medium used (or even what type of orchid you repotted last time), it's difficult to say why your last orchid died after you repotted it. Could it be that you waited too long to repot it and it died as a result? In that case, you may be setting yourself up for a repeat of that result if you delay repotting this one.

I repot some of my orchids every year and I (almost) never go longer than two years between repotting any given orchid. Quite a few get repotted at odd times when mini-disasters befall them, such as getting knocked out of their pots by my cats, or having pots broken when they fall off my deck railing during summer thunderstorms. However, I can definitely say that no orchid in my care has ever died as a result of repotting, though I have lost a few because of not repotting soon enough. So there...please don't be afraid of repotting!

By the way, in general it is better to repot during the spring and summer months because many orchids are in strong growth at that time. However, in your orchid's case it may be necessary to repot it immediately, just to make sure there aren't worsening root issues due to improper medium that are contributing to its "stunted" growth. Anyway, it seems that its roots are actively growing...if gently repotted and perhaps staked to keep it secure, it should restablish itself quickly as its new roots grow in.

Regarding what medium to use, you could probably start an entirely new thread on this topic. There seem to be as many preferences on this point as there are orchid growers. In general, the bagged "orchid bark mix" you find at Home Depot is fine. Personally, I use sphagnum moss for nearly all of my orchids (even Cattleyas), though I mix it around 50/50 with bark when I pot up my larger orchids. I also like to experiment (usually successfully) with making my own homemade blends using stuff like dead pine needles, leaf mold, granite chips, etc. There's no one answer, though there are many, many options for you that should work fine. No worries!

--Claire

[Melody]

First of all, if I knew what I was doing wrong when repotting I wouldn't do it...hahaha
Second of all, it's not just orchid repotting I have been unsuccessful with. I repotted a succulent less than a week ago and it's now at death's door.

I haven't had any orchids directly die as a result of repotting, but I have had them go from being happy to being very unhappy and just surviving. The last ones I repotted I ended up taking them with me to an orchid nursery because I wanted some advice as well as getting another orchid..hehe Anyways, the greenhouse manager took one look at them and decided to repot them for me since I did such a poor job. I can't seem to get the plants very secure in the pot. He also said the bark mix I was using was too big.

I don't think I damage any roots through the process. And I have watched the videos online and such and try to follow directions. I do presoak the bark and wet the roots.
I feel the problem is more of skill then information. I was thinking how nice it would be if I could just volunteer for a day at some orchid nursery somewhere that has a lot of plants that need repotting. That way someone could check over my shoulder and slap my wrist when I'm not doing things correctly, and I could get enough practice to build up my confidence. I don't think they would let me though.

[BobInBonita]

Understand completely, and sorry if in trying to help we've made you feel less confident.

Locally, Sundance Orchids used to hold periodic free classes on repotting where you would bring your own orchid in, and they would oversee and comment. Not only did you get your own comments, but seeing and hearing other comments was very helpful. It was a great sales opportunity for them, because it always ended with a tour. Everyone walked away with at least one new orchid. Don't know if they still do, but they're located between San Carlos and Fort Myers, east of 41.

Maybe a grower or even garden center in your area could be persuaded to do something similar.

For whatever it's worth - I still have more damage whenever I repot a phal. They always seem to suffer more after, whereas Cats or Dends don't even notice. It's some weakness in my technique or greater sensitivity with the fatter roots. I'm better now than at first, but still not as good with phals. Keep plugging at it and it WILL get better.