So how do I repot these

[ArronOB]

In early spring I repotted a bunch of small cattleya alliance hybrids into these ventilated pots. It probably was a good idea in the sense they have grown well, but the roots have grown through the gaps. Next spring, when the new roots appear, I would like to move them up to a larger size but there will be awful problems getting them out of the pots without damaging the roots.

Are there any tricks to this?

I have heard of people soaking the roots to make them pliable but I’d like to confirm there is no downside to this.

I was also thinking I could cut the pots up but the plastic is quite tough and I think there will still be a lot of damage anyway.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks
Arron

[malteseproverb]

There's no downside to soaking. I don't know if that would really make the roots pliant enough to slip them out of small holes like that, though I really couldn't say. Some people might just dump that smaller pot into a larger pot and add some bark around it instead of dealing with getting the smaller pot off, and this totally works. For me, I like to get all old media out, especially with cattleyas, as I want to see if there is any rot or bugs in the media. If I were you, I would cut off the pot as I think that would ultimately only cause minor damage and I've come to accept that there is always some root damage when repotting. I'm a pretty aggressive repotter (as I said, I try to remove as much old media as possible) and my cattleyas don't seem to mind!

[Paul]

Originally Posted by malteseproverb

There's no downside to soaking. I don't know if that would really make the roots pliant enough to slip them out of small holes like that, though I really couldn't say.

There is no downside but, no, highly unlikely the roots will slip out through the slits.

Originally Posted by malteseproverb

Some people might just dump that smaller pot into a larger pot and add some bark around it instead of dealing with getting the smaller pot off, and this totally works.

That is also a possibility though I would say you would be best off removing all the old media from the pots. Had you potted in a totally inorganic media which would not break down over time, this would be a more likely option.

Originally Posted by malteseproverb

If I were you, I would cut off the pot as I think that would ultimately only cause minor damage and I've come to accept that there is always some root damage when repotting.

You could indeed cut away the old pots though some root damage would absolutely occur. A strong pair of shears should do the job or even a dremel.

All things considered, I'd just cut off the protruding roots, remove the plants from the pots, remove all the old media, dust the cut ends and otherwise damaged areas with cinnamon, and repot in larger pots. Again some root damage is inevitable and there aren't that many roots sticking out the sides nor are they incredibly long.

[No-Pro-mwa]

I would try and cut them out of the pots. And I don't think it is a good idea to put cinnamon on roots.