Pot size--the smaller the better? Myth or fact.

[pedidiva]

well, the reason I ask is because I thought it would be good to pot my orchids in pots that allowed for 2 inches around the root system so that they could "grow" into the pot.

My thinking was that epiphytes are not constrained by nature.

After reading on this site & talking to some local orchid growers, it seems that my pots are too big. So, I repotted in smaller pots. The medium was not broken down, drainage was good, etc in the bigger pot. The roots looked OK upon repotting.

I don't mind repotting every year or 2, but then again I don't want to disturb the plant unneccesarily.

I appreciate the discussion, I have learned a lot.
Thanks~~
Pedi

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I think I figured out the whole Dendrobium thing.

I have the experience of having had trouble properly hydrating my Oeceoclades calcarata to thank for this.

The story goes. Oeceoclades calcarata is a lithophytic orchid, and I grow it just like that. However, I don't grow it in a very large pot.

Keep in mind Oeceoclades calcarata is a giant sized orchid that can reach 9 ft tall with spike. The largest pseudobulb on mine is about 4 inches tall. Some of the smaller growths have leaves that are about a foot long, with the smallest pseudobulb at between 1 1/2" to 2" tall, having leaves that are about 8" long. I think I have a total of 5 growths with 3 of them being pretty large.

After about a year of growing it in a 6" pot, I started having problems keeping it hydrated.

When I was about to repot it into an 8" pot, it turns out that the roots were starting to crowd the 6" pot.

Roots crowding the pot meant that the orchid was drying out the medium much faster than the medium could retain the water. Therefore it had problems keeping the pseudobulbs plump.

Once in the larger pot, the Oeceoclades calcarata pseudobulbs plumped right back up in a few days.

The Dendrobium's roots when it crowds the pot may be doing the same thing. Namely, absorbing the water from the medium faster than the medium can retain. Which means, the medium is drying out faster. Hence no root rot in Dendrobiums as a result of crowding the roots in the pot.

[RosieC]

I think what you say Philip is right, and also goes for not just Dens.

With all orchids, the more roots there are filling out the space, the quicker the medium dries. So with lots of roots that fill a large pot the medium still dries fast, and with any that are prone to rot that helps.

I'm sure that's what I'm seeing in my phals. Two phals in the same size pot and same medium... the one with the masses of roots does well (and grows even more roots), the one with only a few roots dries slower, the roots are less happy because it can take a month for the medium to dry, the plant doesn't do so well and doesn't grow more.

That's what I seem to be seeing.