Lycaste aromatica - repotting question

[pdxmaven]

Recently purchased a lycaste aromatica from a collector who is leaving the State. It was in a plastic pot, 9" high x 9" in diameter. There were two "clumps" of pseudobulbs on each side of the pot, each containing about 5-7 pseudobulbs, some pretty dead. The owner told me I should divide it into two when I got home.

So I took it out of the pot yesterday.The top 6 or so inches was full of roots, especially circling around the top 1inch, and mostly all dead. And lo and behold, I found the bottom of the plastic pot pilled with 4 little 2" clay pots, bottom side up, and about 30 rocks, and then a little 2" plastic pot, again bottomside up, up under that. Maybe this was to make a too large pot work? Or give aeration? Or the way I should do it again?

Again, after carefully cutting off the dead roots, I had about nothing left in the root department, and about 8 not very happy looking pseudobulbs.

My questions: how to repot? All the psuedobulbs and their (almost non-existant roots) fit into a 5" plastic pot. Or divide into two pots, 3 pseudo bulbs each? Or In the same pot as before, with the same set-up of little pots at the bottom?

I could see his notation that it was last repotted in '04. Is this why so many dead roots?

What sorts of light, temp and humidity would it prefer?
many thanks!

[stitz]

pdxmaven, I ass-u-me that you finished repotting. As for your discovery of the inverted pots in the large one, thanks for sharing that with us. It's an interesting strategy!

Lyc aromatica is often described as a lithophytic orchid. My guess is that the prior owner of your plant was giving the roots something similar to rocks to wrap around. As the clay pots dry from your watering, the evaporation will help keep the roots cool. As you noted, providing aeration may have also been part of the plan. Some people, including me, will place inverted small net pots for the benefit of roots in newly repotted orchid roots. It certainly helps keep them drier!

Last year, my aromatica had 6 psb. This year, the number has increased to 11. I expect it to begin flowering within the next week. At last count, there were 53 buds. I'm almost excited! That will change quickly!!

Let us know how your plant has progressed through the spring!

--Stitz--

[unhappykat]

You should put each division into its own pot. I would use the same arrangement with the smaller pots in a larger one. Try a four inch clay azalea pot in the bottom of a six inch standard plastic pot. leave the azalea pot empty and plant the lycaste in sphagnum or fine bark to retain moisture. Give the plant lower humidity humidity until growth starts to prevent any rot from occuring.