Dendrochilum magnum- time to repot?

[CarnivorousPlanter]

Hi all,

So my Dendrochilum magnum just got done flowering, and I’m thinking it’s time for a repot. I know this species likes to be pot bound, but it has grown over the edge of the pot and the new pseudobulbs haven’t even grown in yet. I was wondering if now would be a good time to repot(it still seems to be in growth?) and also how potbound should I keep it? For example should I increase from 3” to 5”? 6”? I’m not really sure what potbound entails…

[Roberta]

I'd repot (disurb roots as little as possible). Select a pot that is just a bit bigger than the plant and position it so that new growths will go in to the medium. (Put the oldest part against the edge of the pot) Mine do tend to climb out of the pot... and I tend to ignore it and let it do its thing. But yours is also "unbalanced"... it's growing pretty much in one direction. Once settled into its new home, it may grow in multiple directions, which will make a better display. I like to use shallow bulb pans for plants like these... high ratio of surface to volume, so that it's not so top-heavy..

[DeaC]

I agree with Roberta. My 2 sulked after a repot sev. yrs ago and no blooms as a result. I think they'll bloom in next few months tho, red and yellow. And aren't those leaves prickly at the end!

[CarnivorousPlanter]

Hm in that case is the reason for reporting mainly aesthetic? I also prefer to let my plants grow over the edge of the pot and into a wider one, but since I heard Dendrochilum likes to be potbound I was wondering if it had to be physically confined in a pot to flower well. If it’s fine to let it spill over though I’d prefer to not disturb it (I don’t grow show plants or anything)

[Roberta]

It's a balancing act... these really don't like their roots disturbed, but at some point, if most of it is outside the pot, it's not going to be getting the moisture that it also needs. If it were mine, I'd gently ease if out of the pot, put it into a wider pot (shaking off loose medium but not removing anything held between the roots). Fill in with small bark and let it go. It might skip a year but going forward, will be happier.

Here's mine... I got it in 10/14, repotted in 2/15 and haven't done anything to it since. It has bloomed almost every year since then. It would be a lot bigger (and probably bloom better) if it were warmer... I grow it outside, the blooming is always a couple of months later that those of other people who grow in GH but I'm not complaining. Note all the old back-bulbs in the middle of the pot. (You can see where I put it to start) They are firm, their roots are in the medium (if there is any...likely mud but doesn't seem to matter ) so stays on the damp side. Pot is 5 inches x 5 inches.

[DeaC]

Woops...fwiw I have Den. wenzelii not your magnum. Pretty sure my response made no sense!

[Roberta]

Well, the culture of D. wenzelii is the same... a pot full of pseudobulbs old and new. Another great species.