New Den. goldschmidtianum

[JKeys]

I just recieved a den. goldschmidtianum in the mail. It is nice sized plant, and has lots of canes. But I'm wondering about potting it and taking care of it. Any tips? I have some pictures:

The plant soaking in a superthrive solution. (used a rock to weigh it down)


I went online and it seemed like the best thing to do was to pot in a 2 inch pot with fir bark-charcoal-perlite.


However, the plant is very off balance.
Also, should the media be loose or tightly packed?
Any watering tips, or light tips? Thanks a lot.

[cbuchman]

Sometimes when a pot doesn't balance, I put it in a larger heavier pot just to give it stability, The larger pot must have drainage holes and a gap between it the inner pot for air circulation. I usually use a clay pot for this purpose as it is heavier, and if necessary put rocks or other heavy material in the bottom for added stability.
There is nothing more frustrating than damaging an orchid, but knocking over! And when it had flower spikes it will be even more "top heavy". I've lost many spikes by knocking over unstable plants - very frustrating!

As for watering, the key is to let the medium dry out quickly before watering again. You may need to monitor the medium for a couple of cycles before you can determine the watering schedule. This orchid likes to be moist (not wet!). Also remember that this orchid has a winter rest period during which it requires less moisture, just don't let it dry out completely.

[Vanda lover]

Potting it as you have in a netted pot should be perfect. It will dry out quickly and be easy to tell when it needs water again. It looks like a really nice, vigorous plant! You should get lots of bloom.

[JKeys]

Ok, thanks a lot.