I need some quick help!

[hevnbown]

Anybody out here know anything about repotting a Den. loddigesii? I need to know if & exactly how concerning the roots in the old potting medium (Sphagnum moss). Do I clear the old medium off before transplanting it? I'm kinda in the middle of it waiting for an answer...

Thanks to whoever replies

[WhiteRabbit]

I don't have experience with this particular plant, but in general, especially with sphag, you should try to remove as much of the old media as possible. Sphag breaks down quickly.

[amandarenee]

I just repotted mine in a tree fern pot, with a little sphag on top of the roots to help keep them moist. So far so good--the roots look healthy and there is a new little cane growing. I live in a dry climate, so the tree fern pot works well for me, I soak it every morning and it's dry by evening, with the sphag still retaining a little moisture.

[Paul Mc]

As already posted, the general idea is to get rid of all of the old medium as you don't know what condition it is in or what issues are growing inside of it (pests, bacteria, fungus, etc...).

If you think you might need a little sphag moss to assist with the transfer or keep the water/moisture requirements up, then you should add some to the new mix.

I do not have any experience with this particular plant, but am basing my thoughts off of past experiences with other orchids and dendrobiums.

I will say that the dendrobiums I have were not affected when I moved them from their sphag into a different potting material though. Again, I know nothing about this particular dendrobium however.

[hevnbown]

Thanks Paul. I repotted them into a tree fern pot. I've only had them for about a month so I didn't know the specifics. It's a job to get all the old potting medium out of this kind of Den. I can now say I have experience in repotting Dedrobium loddigesii ...definitely different from Cats & Phals

[Paul Mc]

I recently encountered not being able to get all of the medium out of one of my own orchids. I was terrified I would kill it if I kept going so I stopped as well. It should be fine, just keep a good eye on it in case there is a bacterial, fungal or bug issue. Also, be aware that since it is in new medium, the new medium may not retain water as readily as the old medium still bound to the center roots. I've actually elevated mine a bit so the sphag area is above the potting medium to help dry it out a bit.

Best of luck!