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

[WhiteRabbit]

I went to repot a plant (Onc. alliance, no i.d. - most likely an intergeneric hybrid) - it isn't very large, and was previously potted in an approximately 3 1/2 inch wide x maybe 4, 4 1/2 inch deep pot. It has masses of good roots, some quite long, and they are quite fat! After teasing apart the roots, even a standard 6 inch nursery pot was not big enough to accommodate the roots (and get media in there), without the plant being too high up.

-- So my options seem to be either a 1 gallon pot (6 inches wide, but a couple of inches deeper than the standard 6 inch pot), or a standard 8 inch pot (which is a fair amount wider than the plant itself, tho not too big for the roots). The 1 gallon pot seems to be a decent fit for the roots (a number of the roots are as long as, or nearly as long as the pot is deep), but I generally go with shallower pots for orchids, with the exception of Cyms. I'm leaning towards the 1 gallon pot, but thought I would ask here if others thought differently.

(last pic - there was a tiny, leafless old pbulb that was loose, so I pulled it off - even that had some really long roots!)

Thanks!

[bballr4567]

I know Im a total noob at the Onc. alliance but I repotted one bag baby into a bigger pot that was slightly bigger than the one it came in and it is still sulking almost two months later. The other, I just pulled out some of the medium so it wasnt so packed together and shoved it back in the same pot and there has been zero change in that guy. From now on, Im literally putting it in a pot that will barely fit the roots.

[Arenalbotanicalgarden]

8 inch teak basket with charcoal and lava rock.Put the media in gently on top of the roots.Poke some through the slats in the basket and tie it to all four corners to keep it still.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Arenalbotanicalgarden

8 inch teak basket with charcoal and lava rock.Put the media in gently on top of the roots.Poke some through the slats in the basket and tie it to all four corners to keep it still.

Thanks, but that would be much too dry for the climate here in summer (daytime humidity low 20s down to single digits sometimes) - need to retain moisture. I grow mostly in plastic pots with coconut husk chips.

But, do you think the 8 inch pot would be a better choice than the deeper 6 inch one?

Thank you!

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by bballr4567

I know Im a total noob at the Onc. alliance but I repotted one bag baby into a bigger pot that was slightly bigger than the one it came in and it is still sulking almost two months later. The other, I just pulled out some of the medium so it wasnt so packed together and shoved it back in the same pot and there has been zero change in that guy. From now on, Im literally putting it in a pot that will barely fit the roots.

Thanks - yeah - I generally pot to just fit the roots and get media in there - either the pots I have work in that respect, but I am wondering if there would be a good reason to use one over the other.

[silken]

I've read quite often Oncids like shallower pots. But your roots seem to go against that rule! You have a wonderful dilemma! I think I would go with the more shallow one. Maybe it would dry out more evenly.

Any tips on how you are getting roots like that?

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by silken

I've read quite often Oncids like shallower pots. But your roots seem to go against that rule! You have a wonderful dilemma! I think I would go with the more shallow one. Maybe it would dry out more evenly.

Any tips on how you are getting roots like that?

Yeah, I generally like shallower pots for orchids (other than Cyms), which is why I asked about this. Both pots accommodate the roots about the same ...

I too was really surprised to see the length of these roots! (and how fat they are too!) I wish I could take credit for the awesome roots this plant has, but it's only been in my care a few days I got this from a neighbor with a plant service business - she had a bench full of orchids all looking worse for wear (these are the ones pulled out from offices after they have finished blooming), but most likely just in need of some tlc. I grabbed this one because it looked to be in pretty good shape, and I didn't have time to look over more. You would never know by the roots that this one was potted in what looked like peat moss (?)! Might have been very broken down media, but did have a good amount of chunky pumice in it.

[Bud]

I am with silken on this... even moisture is with outmost importance and there is room for more pbulb growth...that plant can really get big quite fast...love those long noodle fat roots...

[WhiteRabbit]

Sounds like a good argument for the wider, but shallower pot. Thanks silken, and Bud


hehe - I love those crazy fat roots too - never seen roots like this on Oncidium alliance before ...

[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.