Help me repot

[RoseSD]

This Catt is growing quickly but all the new roots are growing upwards because the bulging root mass came with the plant and can't be bend to go lower than the level you see. The new roots developed from the mass and now I don't know how to maintain it's moisture needs. I sure don't want to keep adding moss to it.... Help?

[Roberta]

Those new roots indicate that this is a good time to repot (last week or two weeks ago would be better but still within the "window") You can go with a slightly larger pot (not much) . You can likely position the plant closer to the medium. Don't worry about the root that is going upward... As long as it has some roots in the medium it will get all the moisture it needs, aerial roots on epiphytes are quite normal. If it were my plant I would be leaning toward a basket (wood if available, plastic is OK too). Think if it as a three-dimensional mount. For me, Catts do much better that way than in pots. They really do like to have roots running free.

[RoseSD]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Those new roots indicate that this is a good time to repot (last week or two weeks ago would be better but still within the "window") You can go with a slightly larger pot (not much) . You can likely position the plant closer to the medium. Don't worry about the root that is going upward... As long as it has some roots in the medium it will get all the moisture it needs, aerial roots on epiphytes are quite normal. If it were my plant I would be leaning toward a basket (wood if available, plastic is OK too). Think if it as a three-dimensional mount. For me, Catts do much better that way than in pots. They really do like to have roots running free.

Would it be "safe" to pot it in a small 4" basket using only moss?

[Roberta]

I would not use sphag for Catts. I think 4 inch basket is too small - does not leave room for growth. 6 inch with medium bark would be better. (with that arrangement, it dries fast, you're not going to get that soggy wet spot in the middle that you'd get with a pot. Or, a 5 inch clay pot (with bark) would also be good for a plant like this.

---------- Post added at 08:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:29 AM ----------

If you use a plastic basket and want to prevent the bark from falling out of the holes, those mesh bags that vegetables sometimes come in, make a great material for lining the basket without impacting the air circulation.

Also, the choice of basket vs pot decision should be influenced by your watering practice. In a basket, the plant will need to be watered every 2 or 3 days (more in summer). Pretty impossible to overwater in that arrangement. But if you want to limit your watering to once a week or so then pot is better.