Overpot to retain moisture?

[vpsihop@hotmail.com]

So I have 2 beautiful paphiopedalums I bought at Trader Joe's. I left both in the original pots untill the flowers died. I don't think I watered them enough. When I took them out of the pot and media they seemed pretty dry. Only a few roots left on both of them. Had to cut off most of the roots as they were rotted. So they are overpotted now because I didn't know the root system would be so small. Will this help retain moisture? Or is over potting generally a bad idea?

[Subrosa]

I overpot my Gongora in pure sphagnum because they like their roots to be moist all the time and it reduces watering frequency.

[vpsihop@hotmail.com]

Thanks! Theoretically it makes sense to me, but is contrary to most recommendations. Maybe this is only for plants that like to dry out?

[rbarata]

Overpot can be used with plants that need moisture in the medium because it will dry slower. I don't know if this is your case but space (or lack of) is a problem that many windowsill growers have so overpot will take a lot of it. The solution is to change the medium into something more water retentive such as sphagnum mixes.
For orchids that like to dry out between waterings it might not be a good idea due to the potential root rot.

[orion141]

You could consider overpotting but I would imagine that you have to be very careful about root rot and overwatering.

[vpsihop@hotmail.com]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Space is not an issue, they just went back into the same pots, but with much less roots once the dead ones where trimmed. They were potted in bark ( broken down), but are now 50/50 sphag and bark, hopefully they recover. No white growth tips to speak of.

[orion141]

Originally Posted by vpsihop@hotmail.com

Thanks for the replies everyone. Space is not an issue, they just went back into the same pots, but with much less roots once the dead ones where trimmed. They were potted in bark ( broken down), but are now 50/50 sphag and bark, hopefully they recover. No white growth tips to speak of.

I also like to use the bark/sphag mixture for some of my plants, I think it's a good way to get a little moisture retention. Do you perchance have any kelpmax that you could use? It can really help with new root generation and establishment with new potting.

[vpsihop@hotmail.com]

Originally Posted by orion141

Do you perchance have any kelpmax that you could use? It can really help with new root generation and establishment with new potting.

I bought some Maxicrop a month ago and have only used it once. Does once a month sound good? More often? I understand Kelpmax is a great product, but Maxicrop is what was available to me.

[estación seca]

If you already knew this, please forgive me for mentioning it. Healthy Paph roots look different from most other orchid roots. They are light to very dark brown, and they might not be in active growth all year. They look a lot like dead Cattleya roots. I hope the roots you cut off were actually dead.

[orion141]

Originally Posted by vpsihop@hotmail.com

I bought some Maxicrop a month ago and have only used it once. Does once a month sound good? More often? I understand Kelpmax is a great product, but Maxicrop is what was available to me.

I think once a month is a good time frame typically. For the kelpmax I will use it an additional time when I am transplanting to help with establishment.