Psychopsis has arrived in mail...repot?

[Plantcrazed101]

I just got a Psychopsis Mendenhall that arrived in the mail, should I repot it? I hear lots of different things about this.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I recommend repotting.

[disalover]

Repot it, people sometimes say they don't like it but mine has only gotten better after the repot.

PS. Remove all the old potting media, especially if it is in spagnum mos. They like a bark mix.

[Orchidgirl83]

I agree with the above. I repotted mine and it has been very happy since.

[Plantcrazed101]

Well I followed y'alls advice, and repotted the Psychopsis.

I waited for a clear pot with slits to arrive in the mail so that I can watch for root growth/rot and have an easier time figuring out how to water.

I love this plant, but it is SO different looking that it makes me nervous when it comes to care. The leaves have a thickness and texture like a succulent, but it's related to Oncidiums, and they seem to like constant moisture. Confusing.


When I repotted, it didn't have a whole bunch of roots, it certainly doesn't look unhealthy in the least, but it seems like it had to go in a four inch pot because the roots, though shallow, are so horizontal! So what I did was add a bunch of lava rock to help limit the water-holding capacity a bit, and I always add lava rock in the bottom of my pots now so that if I forget that a plant is sitting in water for a few hours, the water is only in contact with rock, not bark, so that plants aren't bothered by bark wicking up too much water.


The mix I used was lava rock, and a mix of small and medium bark, and I put more bark towards the top of the pot.

I don't think I've got repotting down with medium bark. It is SO large that I feel like the roots aren't really in contact with it, and the Psychopsis roots seem so delicate that I didn't want to force bark in, so I mixed some smaller bark.

I don't think I broke any roots. I also kept the pseudobulb a bit lifted from the mix, is that correct? I heard that the pseudobulbs can rot if they are planted deep, so I tried to also put lava rock around the pseudobulbs so water isn't in constant contact with the pseudobulbs (the way it would be with spaghnum moss)

Do you think it will be okay with that mix?

What kind of fertilizer schedule does Psychopsis like? When do you think it's safe to start fertilizing it?

[silken]

Usually if roots are fine, like Psychopsis and Oncidium roots in general, I use a finer mix. If they are large like Cattleyas, I use medium bark. It sounds like yours will be fine. Mine does seem to like a fair bit of water, especially in the warmer summer months, it currently has 3 blooming spikes and a new leaf and new spike growing. It is quite pot bound in a clear pot and seems to have quite a few roots. You could use some seaweed to help encourage more root growth.

[Plantcrazed101]

Okay, what kind of seaweed do you use?

[silken]

Originally Posted by Plantcrazed101

Okay, what kind of seaweed do you use?

I have used several different brands and types. I have a dried fine powder type but have used the liquid kind also. Add to your fertilizer water or plain water and mix according to directions. They all seemed to help. I found mine in hydroponics stores.

[Leafmite]

I bought my Psychopsis Medenhall 'Hildos' as a tiny seedling and put it immediately into straight red lava rock and a six-inch basket pot. For the past four years, it has been happily growing in this. I like not ever needing to disturb the roots.