Worried - Should I repot this Cattleya medium seedling? Roots appear poor...

[Lagoon]

I completely agree with Sue, Don't reuse!
Check your local petshops, go into the reptile section, many carry bark. Or pick out the smaller stuff in the schulth mix your using on your other 'chids.

[Twilight Orchid]

Well, there's something I didn't think of!! good job I've got you guys to tell me what to do.... :banghead:

Should I throw some Perlite in it as well?? ...and what happens if I do a quick repot now, and then get some better stuff, can I repot it again, or is that just too much trauma?

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Twilight Orchid

I dont have any supplies yet other than the large sized Shultz Orchid bark, and no tiny pots....does anyone have any suggestions what to do?

In a pinch, you can smash up the large bark mix with a hammer to make it smaller - don't laugh - it works! If your pots are all too large try using some styrofoam peanuts to take up space.

[Twilight Orchid]

I did laugh!!! LOL Seriously though, another great idea....why don't I think of stuff like that? Ok..got my hammer ready....

Yeah the pot thing is my issue...the only other pot I have is a 6"..wayyy too big from a 2.5" wee pot....

[cb977]

Do you have any disposable plastic containers? Most stores carry them in multiple sizes. You can use one of them if you create some holes in it

[Twilight Orchid]

I was looking around the house earlier for any of those salad type containers..couldn't find a thing!...who keeps cleaning my house!??!

[Ray]

I think you're overestimating the need for a fine medium. Those roots look pretty substantial to me, so need some relatively large air spaces around them (larger than a fine medium provides).

Consider this:

• Take some of the Schultz medium and pour boiling water on it. The hot water will be absorbed better than cold, and will open up the structure of the wood particles to allow them to absorb better in the future. (You might even repeat that process to really open it up.)
• Poke some holes in the bottom of a plastic or even styrofoam drinking cup for use as a pot. All sorts of sizes are readily available.
• When the bark has cooled, it's time to pot up the plant.

I'd bet that the plant will actually do better than it has in moss, and by pretreating the medium with the hot water, it will stay moist a lot longer than you may expect, meaning that while you may need to water more often, it shouldn't be a huge burden.

[Twilight Orchid]

Thank you very much Ray!! I will do that first thing tomorrow....I didn't know that you could use a styrofoam cup as a pot...

[Twilight Orchid]

Ok, here's an update...I've cut all the rotten roots..so basically there's only a couple left...eeek....I've repotted it, but because there's hardly anything left, I'm having a a difficult time keeping it upright in the pot, without it falling out...there's really nothing left to hold it.....is this little guy going to be ok??? :cry:

[quiltergal]

Put a couple of stakes in the pot and secure the plant to them with loose twistie ties. Put in a warm spot with low light until you start seeing new root growth. I'd water it in with a little KLN or Superthrive to help stimulate root growth. You could even tent it with a plastic bag to keep it a little more humid so the leaves won't shrivel. Now all you can do is wait and watch.