Sarcochilus hartmanii, can they be split up like cattleyas?

[headbanger333]

Hello all, my friend has inherited a huge very old Sarco that has innumerable lovely spikes every year. Is it possible to split it up? I am not sure if they have only a central rooting system or whether the new growth clumps grow from a rhizome with their own root system, like cattleyas do. Any advice greatly appreciated, as I would like a piece of it.

[Orchid Whisperer]

The only information I can offer is that they are vandaceous plants, so think of it as a branching monopodial, rather than a sympodial like Cattleya.
But, Vandas can be divided. Maybe someone with more experience with the genus can provide more information?

[headbanger333]

Thanku, if that is the case then I don't have the experience to tackle it.

[Roberta]

Sarcs make multiple growths (basal keikis) with their own separate root systems. When it's unpotted it may actually just fall apart. These are actually easier to divide than Catts because the individual growths really are pretty independent when a plant gets that big.

[headbanger333]

Thanks Roberta, I will try to talk her into letting me have a very close inspection of it with a view to taking a piece.

[jkofferdahl]

As Roberta said, each separate growth on a Sarchochilus is essentially a basal keiki. Most monopodial orchids will put out basal keikis. Phals do it, Gastrochiluses do it, Sederias do it, etc. Often they will have a small branch between the mother plant and the keiki, which looks similar to a section of flower spike between the plants. If the keiki has developed enough of its own roots to survive, just cut the little branch to separate the plants. Dab cinnamon powder on both sides of the snip. In other cases the mother plant and the basal keiki may seem to come from a common base. In this case, separation can be more difficult. On an older plant like yours it's quite possible that, as Roberta pointed out, when you unpot everything a lot of the plantlets will simply come apart because they've grown enough from the common base that they've essentially formed into separate plants. When the plantlets still share a common base and don't want to come apart it is my preference to leave them, and pot them together.

[headbanger333]

Wow, that was so comprehensive! Thanku for taking the time to help with so much info.

[Roberta]

If the plant is big, you could probably get one of these peripheral pieces with just a gentle tug... I don't think that it will take much "persuasion" to grab a growth or two from a monster plant like this... just untangle from the main growth, give a little tug or twist, and it will very likely come loose.

[headbanger333]

Ok, I will take a bottle of wine to my friend and hope it is sufficient inducement to allow me to handle the sarco! Lol