Stupid, stupid, stupid. Orchid pots

[bil]

Originally Posted by Cym Ladye

We all try things out and if they work, fine. If not, we try something else.

What was wrong with the first repot you made? When you repot a Cym. there should be no more than 2" from the division to the sides of the pot. In my opinion, your new pot is the wrong size for a Cym. which has a very aggressive root system. I grow all my plants in standard 6"W x 7"H (1 gal) or 8"W x 8.5"H (2gal) plastic pots plus a few 3-gal for the very large specimen show standards. All Asian species are potted in tall, narrow pots. The primary differences are that all these pots have straight sides to allow for the heavy root mass a Cym. will develop. I use 14" terracotta cache pots with 3 - 3" pots upside down in the bottom to bring the level of the 3-gal plastic pot level to the top of the cache pot for the patio plants.

If you plant directly into a decorative terracotta pot, chances are you will have to break the pot down the road to remove the plant when it outgrows the pot. In any case I do not see the need for the saucer or for extra holes for drainage if you still want to plant directly into the new pot. After all your work on this remember: "The only reason we put orchids in pots is to keep them from falling over." In nature almost all are epiphytes , happily living on trees!

Your pot would be fine for a small Catt alliance orchid.

Slight misunderstanding, I fear. I would never put Cymbidia in a bowl like that. As you say, they have a way bigger root mass and aren't epiphytic, and I put them in more cylindrical pots.

These black bowls are plastic, and are more for plants where a more shallow medium is desired.

[lotis146]

My dumb moment came to me this summer and is waiting to punish me come repotting time. As I did what Cym Ladye was talking about and repotted into ceramic pots, ok what are "decorative cache pots". I don't see a good way to get my rather large Zygo hybrid out when the time comes other than breaking the pot, and it's a tall pot. Just repotted a Zglm tonight and had the wiggle the heck out of it to get out of decorative pot only to find I needed a taller pot to accommodate the roots! But since the main reason for repotting this plant was because it had sort of fallen over over the summer and the newest growth is up in the air in a manner of speaking I was just trying to get it slightly more upright. I just kind of jammed it down into the pot. I think it's too wide but not deep enough.

Ok, so I say all of that because in my limited time I've noticed plants stretching down into the "void". Case in point, another plant, a catt, I repotted tonight had styrofoam in the bottom. The roots had were all down in the stuff. Instead of creating a false bottom - and this wouldn't work if you don't have a decent supply of media you're willing to use - couldn't you put bigger less water retentive media like clay pebbles or large bark in the bottom? That way if/when the roots get down there it may just be to their liking... ???...

[bil]

Originally Posted by lotis146

Ok, so I say all of that because in my limited time I've noticed plants stretching down into the "void". Case in point, another plant, a catt, I repotted tonight had styrofoam in the bottom. The roots had were all down in the stuff. Instead of creating a false bottom - and this wouldn't work if you don't have a decent supply of media you're willing to use - couldn't you put bigger less water retentive media like clay pebbles or large bark in the bottom? That way if/when the roots get down there it may just be to their liking... ???...

Yeah, but the problem then is that media pparticles will wash down and turn the bottom anoxic if I'm unlucky..

[Optimist]

I like that pot, but I would use it more as the water tray with pebbles in it, and put a mounted phalenopsis or similar on a chunk of wood or rock. It would be like a bonsai.

That is, if it does not have holes in it already.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Optimist

I like that pot, but I would use it more as the water tray with pebbles in it, and put a mounted phalenopsis or similar on a chunk of wood or rock. It would be like a bonsai.

That is, if it does not have holes in it already.

It has no holes.. That's an interesting idea.

I like that plannter/bowl for a number of reasons. It's a nice, simple shape, and the sides come up in a curve, and don't nip in. I've had to bust a couple of pots like that to get the plant out, so I appreciate a simple curve.

[lotis146]

That's a great idea Optimist!

Bil that would present a problem now wouldn't it. Would it make much of a difference if you put a drain hole?

[bil]

Originally Posted by lotis146

That's a great idea Optimist!

Bil that would present a problem now wouldn't it. Would it make much of a difference if you put a drain hole?

Well, I can certainly appreciate that a mounted orchid set like that could look very nice, but I think the average phal would swamp it. A minature might well look very nice tho and more in proportion.

[Optimist]

I could envision a trio of mini orchids. I just mentioned phals because they seem ubiquitous.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Optimist

I could envision a trio of mini orchids. I just mentioned phals because they seem ubiquitous.

Or mini Catts, I quite like the bonsai idea of that.