Did I do the right thing?

[Junebug]

In May I purchased and received by mail a Dendrobium Spectabile. It appeared very healthy when delivered in it's 2" pot. When repotting I discovered a mass of healthy rootbound roots. There wasn't much potting media but the roots had grown so tight into the square shape of it's original container. The roots were incredibly intertwined and I basically left them alone and repotted into a 4" clear plastic pot. The plant still looks great but there has been no indication of new shoots or root growth. With the lack of any new growth I'm wondering if I did the right thing when choosing to leave the roots alone. Is it possible that it's just going through a natural pouting phase or should the roots be pulled apart a bit and repotted?

[addictedcountryman]

Hi Junebug- I would leave it alone. It looks super healthy.

[cb977]

I agree

It looks great, June

By the way, this one does really well mounted too.

[EdinAZ]

June,

It's generally better to spread the roots when you repot, but . . . if the plant is tightly potbound, you will break quite a few roots doing this, and that's not good either. To me it's six of one, half dozen of the other, and I generally leave them alone if they won't separate pretty easily without much breakage.

I've done as you did many times, and sometimes the plant seems to "sulk" a little longer, but they always come out alright. Eventually they grow new roots out into the new medium/pot.

I'm sure yours will be fine. By the way, these will grow quite large under conditions they like, so be ready. The blooms are fantastic though and it's one of my favorites.

Ed

[dgenovese1]

Hi Junebug....I'm with Abby and Suzanne...just leave it alone. It looks super healthy, and is probably just going through an adjustment period after having been repotted. I'm guessing that there are lots of new roots forming below the surface of your potting medium.

[Ross]

I was told early on, that many Dendros need to be root-bound to bloom well. Since I'm not, generally a Dendro person, take that for what it's worth. The info isn't from me, but from Dendro growers.

[addictedcountryman]

Ross I believe you are right- I have been told that dendros love tight pots.

[quiltergal]

I repotted a Den. atroviolaceum about a month ago. It's also from the Latouria group and was in a teey tiny pot. When I took it out the roots retained the shape of the old pot. I soaked it in a bowl of water for about 20 minutes to kind of soften things up. Then I gently worked as much medium out of the root mass as possible. I also separated roots that had stuck together and spread them apart. I moved it up one pot size and a month later it's sending up a new growth and lots of new roots. I did the same thing with a NOID nobile. The grower I purchased it from had repotted it exiting pot and all into a slightly larger pot. I removed them both and repotted in a slightly larger pot. That was a month ago. The plant is going absolutely wacko! It's growing new roots all over the place, and it's new growth is getting very tall. I don't know if I just have dumb luck repotting Dens but I have NEVER had one sulk on me after a repot. Not only do they seem to grow well they flower too.

[Junebug]

Thanks for all the encouraging responses. Dends have the reputation for sulking after a repot but I've always been lucky (with the exception of the Spectabile). I have several that were transitioned to S/H this year. After 5 weeks there was no progress so I switched them to Coco Husk and they really took off. One of them has had 2 blooming sessions and is in the process of it's 3rd.

[Anton]

Hi there, I have just bought this Dendrobium Berry x SQ/Josa. This plant looks pot bound in its tiny pot, and I think I am going to replant. Can I use spagnum moss for a Dendobium like this one? (I am still trying to find out what the SQ/Josa stands for in order to know what hybrid it is and what the flowers might look like).