Help! Repotting Den. Samurai potted in sphag moss!

[Becca]

Hi Everyone! I need some immediate help! I'm in the process of repotting my Dendrobium Samurai that I got from Jerry (Leisurely), I think it was earlier this year or late last year (time flies and I can't remember...lol). Anyways...I can't remember if it came bareroot to me or if it was already in moss at the time, but I potted it into a smaller sized rand aircone pot and it just took off like a weed. It's been very happy but it's roots were so rootbound and the plant its self was outgrowing its small pot so I decided to go up to the next size and just pack in a little extra moss....but now the moss isn't drying out as quickly...and you know what that will lead too....root rot! Plus that pot size still isn't large enough to accommodate the new growth that is just sprouting some roots. So I'm trying to avoid the root ro and I was going to change its potting medium to a supper chunky coco husk chunk phal mixture so I unpotted it .... again...I'm currently trying to get the moss out from between the roots but the roots are just though it so tight and I don't want to break the roots. So....what would you do if you were in my shoes? I'm starting to second guess the new mixture since the roots are so fine. Maybe get the moss out and add some styrofoam peanuts in the middle and repot with moss again?

Sorry this is so long.....but someone please throw some suggestions at me???

[Becca]

Ummm....anyone?

[catwalker808]

Becca. I think your original choice of a chunky loose mix was a good one. But get that moss off first. Otherwise, it will become a moisture sink in the middle of your pot and maybe rot out your roots.

To get off the moss without too much damage, soak the moss completely until it gets wet and soft. Then instead of yanking off the strands, just use a thin easy jet of water from a hose or faucet to loosen the moss. It should come off more easily. Also, you might need to make a cut into the old (back bulb) side of the rootball to loosen it more, then use the water stream again.

By the way, your plant, which you call Den Samurai was registered with the misspelling Den Samarai. Even though the correct spelling should be Samurai, this nice hybrid is stuck with the misspelling.
It should grow better with the well drained medium in a bigger pot. Good luck.

[Becca]

Thanks you for the reply! I was just getting ready to repot it back in moss with some styrofoam peanuts in the center so it would dry out quickly. I guess I'm just second guessing the chunky mix because the roots are so fine and I am affraid of how they will respond to the change in potting medium and I don't want them to die. Decisions decisions!

And yes I discovered the name misspelling while trying to search for it in OrchidWiz! Thank you for the info! I much appreciate it!

[Becca]

Well in case anyone else wants to chime in with their input, I have been a bad orchid mommy and have not finished repotting this one...lol. By the time I had soaked down the moss and got it all out using tweezers, it was getting late on Saturday so I decided to finish it Sunday....but then other things came up....so she's still un potted, sitting in her new empty pot...I really plan on taking care of her this evening after work....so anyone else?

[Becca]

Well here is a quick update. I had to go with my gut feeling and stuck with the moss since that is what it had been growing in. I put a few packing peanuts in the center of the roots and pack the moss in around the sides. Added a few packing peanuts at the bottom of the pot and a layer of moss just on top of them. It should dry out pretty quickly....hopefully not to quickly! Thanks for your help Catwalker!

[Bloomin_Aussie]

So how's this one going now?