Soaking cattleya roots to repot - Orchid Board

judith_arquette · #1 07-12-2014, 07:59 AM

My Blc Susan Harry arrived in yesterday's post. My heart sank as soon as I saw the condition of the box, it looked like it had been kicked from AR to NY and been stomped on every cpl hundred miles for good measure. Thankfully the eBay seller had done a phenomenal job of packing it, not only was it undamaged but it's a beautiful healthy looking plant. The problem is that it has such a strong root system that I can't get any of the old media out of the center. How long can I soak it before I have to worry about it being in water too long?

Bulbofett · #2 07-12-2014, 08:12 AM

If I've removed most of the media that's good enough for me. The orchid is going to throw new roots out anyways so I don't worry too much about a little leftover media.

judith_arquette · #3 07-12-2014, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulbofett

If I've removed most of the media that's good enough for me. The orchid is going to throw new roots out anyways so I don't worry too much about a little leftover media.

Thanks

There are a few chunks of bark that the roots just don't want to let go of and it's roots are so beautiful that I don't want to damage them any more than necessary. I'll let it soak a bit longer, get out what I can, and call it a day. It's been soaking over an hour now and I don't want to cause any rot

katrina · #4 07-12-2014, 08:52 AM

Soaking for an hour won't hurt it at all. I grow most of my catts in clay pots w/leca or lava and after a couple/few years of growing they are so attached to the clay pot (inside and even on the outside of the pot!) that I would destroy the roots if I were to try and just pull them out so...I soak them in a sink of water. I usually do it overnight or about 12hrs but I have gone as long as 36 hrs. I've been doing it this way for years now and I've never had any trouble or problems.

As for the medium stuck on the roots (w/bark or any other medium) I don't worry about removing every little piece. IMO, it's better to leave it be rather than damage the roots. Get out as much as you can...put something like those styrofoam packing p'nuts in the center of that root mass...plop in the pot...back fill. Easy and no fuss and because it's active growing season your catt should take off.

judith_arquette · #5 07-12-2014, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katrina

Soaking for an hour won't hurt it at all. I grow most of my catts in clay pots w/leca or lava and after a couple/few years of growing they are so attached to the clay pot (inside and even on the outside of the pot!) that I would destroy the roots if I were to try and just pull them out so...I soak them in a sink of water. I usually do it overnight or about 12hrs but I have gone as long as 36 hrs. I've been doing it this way for years now and I've never had any trouble or problems.

As for the medium stuck on the roots (w/bark or any other medium) I don't worry about removing every little piece. IMO, it's better to leave it be rather than damage the roots. Get out as much as you can...put something like those styrofoam packing p'nuts in the center of that root mass...plop in the pot...back fill. Easy and no fuss and because it's active growing season your catt should take off.

I'm putting it in a clay pot with leca, good to know its an appropriate medium!

Also good to know about the soaking times, thanks! I am the Master of rotting out roots so I'm extra paranoid I guess. Thanks so much!

katrina · #6 07-12-2014, 10:26 AM

When I first started out I had some rot issues too...I think it happens to many people and it's just part of the learning curve.

IMO, if you haven't killed (at least) a few then you haven't been growing orchids long enough.

tucker85 · #7 07-12-2014, 11:40 AM

Since the plant was in bark, I wouldn't worry about removing it all. When it's in old sphagnum moss, I like to remove as much as possible, but a few pieces of bark aren't going to hurt it.

silken · #8 07-12-2014, 11:55 AM

I agree, that it's not going to hurt to leave a few old bark pieces on rather than risk damaging roots. I recently heard Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids speak on general Cattleya culture and he said it may even be best to leave some of the old media as it will help the plant adapt better to the new media and may carry useful nutrients or symbiotic organisms that the plant uses. It made sense to me and since then I have done that without seeing any problems from doing it that way.

lotis146 · #9 07-12-2014, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silken

I agree, that it's not going to hurt to leave a few old bark pieces on rather than risk damaging roots. I recently heard Fred Clarke of Sunset Valley Orchids speak on general Cattleya culture and he said it may even be best to leave some of the old media as it will help the plant adapt better to the new media and may carry useful nutrients or symbiotic organisms that the plant uses. It made sense to me and since then I have done that without seeing any problems from doing it that way.

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

And thanks for posting the question Judith. I just repotted my first and only compact Catt (first Catt, and biggest, all the rest are minis or seedling compacts) yesterday. WOW! Honestly, that is not fun; it's like repotting my Onc. Heaven Scent. I whipped through several Phals, bam bam bam, then I got to that bad boy, sheesh... I digress... I was pretty nervous at first as it was sort of pot bound and the medium in the middle was basically part of the plant now. Honestly I start with care and then get a little impatient and just got to work (love my Orchids but I had other stuff that really needed to get done). With as many roots as this plant had I wasn't worry that damaging some would send it over the edge, more so I worry about damaging all the little new growths around the edges of it.

One thing besides soaking Judith that I've worked on when cleaning out root-bound plants is finding a spot where there are less roots and starting there picking away at bigger pieces especially. At some point you'll loosen up enough that the medium will fall away more easily. Also if you have long fingernails you can use them in a myriad of ways, great tools!!!

Or, if you can get outside for your repot get the hose and one of those variable spray nozzles. After loosening up a section, sometimes starting from the bottom, the hose works great with a bit of pressure to get in where you can't.

JMNYC · #10 07-12-2014, 04:50 PM

Lovely, healthy puppy! I never soak; I use a strong stream of running water in the sink, right temp and just tease out the old medium with my fingers. It has never failed me once regardless of the density of the roots.