Bifoliate split and repot

[luvmyorchid]

So I'm a total rookie this is my first bifoliate and I got her from krull Smith a couple months ago. I just plopped her pot and all into clay and filled in around the edges as to not disturb the roots at the wrong time. Now she is walking out of the pot🙄. Can I take her out now and cut off the back 4 PBS and propogate them then put the rest minus the plastic pot into the clay pot? I grow under Jeff Young lights now till summer then they go outside in a shade house. I've gone from 0 to 60 orchids in a year.....I'm sure you can all relate lol. Thanks for the help!

[Roberta]

I would not divide, unless it is actively growing in two directions. Older "back bulbs" provide energy for the new growth, and this is still a rather small plant. If you got out of that inner pot (a good idea anyway, it'll keep the middle too wet) you can probably reposition it in the larger outer pot so that it fits. Put the oldest growth (again, assuming it's not growing in two directions) against the side of the pot, so that it has room for two years' growth. After that, you can remove shriveled back bulbs - the plant will have sucked them dry.

[luvmyorchid]

Thanks Roberta that's what I will do. I'm still scared but that is some of the fun of this hobby!!

[Roberta]

No need to be scared... You're dong the right thing by repotting with the new roots. Also, be gentle. There is no need to take off all of the old medium. Just shake off what comes off easily. Anything that is stuck to roots, leave it. Especially on a fairly young plant don't be aggressive with less-than-perfect roots. If they aren't rotten, leave them.. they can still hydrate the plant. I have found with a new plant, best to leave in place anything that isn't obviously bad. In a couple of years, there will be more "junk" amenable to tidying up because there will also be more new growth making for a strong plant.

[isurus79]

I would leave it as-is in its current state. It won't fully walk out of the pot for another growth. Even then, you can just put another put underneath the growth walking out of the pot and cut when it starts to walk out of the second pot. Then you've got another clone to sell/trade/give/bloom/etc.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by isurus79

I would leave it as-is in its current state. It won't fully walk out of the pot for another growth. Even then, you can just put another put underneath the growth walking out of the pot and cut when it starts to walk out of the second pot. Then you've got another clone to sell/trade/give/bloom/etc.

I thought about that too... the reason that I'd lean toward a gentle repot is that plastic pot inside the terracotta pot, which I suspect could hold more moisture than desirable.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by luvmyorchid

Now she is walking out of the pot🙄.

If the growing conditions are ok in your region (eg. humidity is ok, and some gentle air-movement etc), then it's actually ok for some bulbs to be outside of pots. If the aerial roots are doing just fine, and the bulb is supported by its backup crew further back in the chain, or rhizome chain, then no need to rush with repotting.

Pics like the following one (click here) have been seen a lot before ----- just showing that catts can have no problem growing out of their pot and they can just do the usual things like flowering etc.

[luvmyorchid]

thanks you guys! I'm running out of space in my indoor grow room which is why I wanted to cut the back bulbs off. I think i will just try to make room for a pot to put under it as Steve said and I will have a new plant to separate and dont have to touch the root system for a while.

---------- Post added at 09:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 AM ----------

Originally Posted by SouthPark

If the growing conditions are ok in your region (eg. humidity is ok, and some gentle air-movement etc), then it's actually ok for some bulbs to be outside of pots. If the aerial roots are doing just fine, and the bulb is supported by its backup crew further back in the chain, or rhizome chain, then no need to rush with repotting.

Pics like the following one (click here) have been seen a lot before ----- just showing that catts can have no problem growing out of their pot and they can just do the usual things like flowering etc.

yeah I'm going with not touching it. Im in Massachusetts and my plants are all in under lights untill may or so. Im running out of space so I was looking for an efficient way to grow this plant. I have decent air flow with fans and my humidity is about 60 % now but will drop once the heat is on and I will supplement with a humidifier.

[rbarata]

Here's another good example of your problem, which I already had too...this Catt, mixed uni and bifoliate, was really small when I bought it (first photo). One and a half year later I had to give it to a friend who owns thousands of orchids (in several greehouses), which obviously has the conditions to take good care of it.

This one was a pain to water...too many roots, most of the plant was growing outside of the pot and its growth rate was too high.

If all our problems were like this one, we were all fine.

Here's the photos:

[luvmyorchid]

Looks like I'm gonna need a bigger growspace🤩