which pot size to use? advice/opinions, please!

[NatalieS]

I'm not sure if anyone else does this (it might be common practice), but I was advised that if you are potting into a bigger pot, you can lessen potential water-logging issues by potting the plant's oldest growths against the side of the pot and the newest growths pointing into the centre. This gives the new growths plenty of room and the whole plant doesn't have to sit in the middle of the pot where it tends stay wetter. I've tried this with one miltonidium and it's been growing in the bigger pot very happily for over a year. Based on that I'd go with the shallower, wider, pot.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by tucker85

The tall pot doesn't look like it has room for a year or two of new growth which is the standard I go by. I would use the shallow one. Oncidium roots can fill a pot pretty quickly.

Thanks tucker - I think you are right. I tend to pot small, and am now having the problem of mature Oncidium alliance plants outgrowing their pots within a year lol - I need to give them more space.

So - I went ahead and potted this one in the wider pot.

Thanks for your advice!

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by NatalieS

I'm not sure if anyone else does this (it might be common practice), but I was advised that if you are potting into a bigger pot, you can lessen potential water-logging issues by potting the plant's oldest growths against the side of the pot and the newest growths pointing into the centre. This gives the new growths plenty of room and the whole plant doesn't have to sit in the middle of the pot where it tends stay wetter. I've tried this with one miltonidium and it's been growing in the bigger pot very happily for over a year. Based on that I'd go with the shallower, wider, pot.

Thanks Natalie

With all the recommendations for the wider pot, that is the one I have used. I'm so glad I asked here. Nice to get a number of helpful replies

[Call_Me_Bob]

Wow Sonya!!! Those roots are the fattest things I've ever seen on an onc!!!' good pot choice!

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Call_Me_Bob

Wow Sonya!!! Those roots are the fattest things I've ever seen on an onc!!!' good pot choice!

Aren't they crazy? They're like Catt roots!
Yeah - I think the advice to use the wider pot was good, it has room to grow for a couple of years this way - I sometimes forget to take into account the size of mature pbulbs on a plant - this one has big, fat pbulbs that take up a fair amount of space.

[Call_Me_Bob]

They are almost tree times the size of onc roots!

[keithrs]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

Thanks tucker - I think you are right. I tend to pot small, and am now having the problem of mature Oncidium alliance plants outgrowing their pots within a year lol - I need to give them more space.

So - I went ahead and potted this one in the wider pot.

Thanks for your advice!

Onc. love baskets with CHC.... Once they get established there almost impossible to kill.... Even in Cal dry air.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by keithrs

Onc. love baskets with CHC.... Once they get established there almost impossible to kill.... Even in Cal dry air.

Thanks for the advice - I do have a Milt flavescens that I am thinking of putting in a basket with chc - it has a sprawling rhizome and grows like a weed, and it's hard to contain in a pot Seems to grow at least a couple pot sizes a year ... I'll give a basket a try. I was excited to see the wood baskets being stocked at my local HD last time I was there -hopefully they will still have them.

Do you line the baskets with something to keep the media in?

Thanks again!