Zygo repotting

[SteveM]

Hey All.

OK I got a NOID zygo that is just about done blooming, and I have a lot of repotting questions.

1. I still have one new growth that has not matured, that is a little bit shorter than all other mature or flowered growth. Should I wait until this growth either matures or spikes, or since other growths spiked already, that growth won't flower.

2. It is potted in a heavy peat moss soil with some bark, I am planning on cutting back on the peat significantly to be mostly fir bark, and sphagnum. I also do have a large orcheada bark. We have hot summers here and I want a retentive mix, but not as much peat as they have it in now. I know roots are sensitive, so should I get as much off without handling the roots much or should I get most of it off. and risk damaging roots. Also thinking on ditching the peat and adding some rockwool in the mix.

3. I know you want new root growth when repotting, when is this exactly for zygos, once shoots starts, after a few inches or after it matured, or right after blooming.

Sorry about all these questions but all answers that I found on the web were very general and wasn't very specific.

[Leafmite]

Zygos are not too picky about their medium as long as the watering is adjusted accordingly. I grew mine in moss for a year and then put them in 1/4 inch lava rock. I water every other day with the rock.

The roots tend to be quite brittle and so I try to be very gentle with them. If I think I have damaged any roots, I keep the medium dry for a day or two to let them heal.

I have not noticed that these care when they are potted. Just be careful with the roots.

[Dimples]

I bought one in September ’21 and it was in chunky traditional potting soil. The new growth was about the right size, so I bare-rooted it and repotted into small-medium bark with a little sphagnum moss in there to keep the moisture level from plummeting too quickly. The plant sulked for a year (took me a bit to get the watering right for it too) and I think the original root system died quickly, but it’s currently blooming and had successfully colonized the pot with roots when I potted it up in November/December as this year’s new growth was starting to show me that new roots were on the way.

I didn’t disturb the old roots this time because I use very good bark and it was in excellent condition, and the plant hasn’t missed a beat. I wanted to get the new roots from this year’s growth into nice new bark, just like I did when I bought it. Don’t be surprised if it sulks for a long time. Hopefully yours will do better under your care than mine did. Haha.

[Leafmite]

If the roots are cracked or scratched, this will allow an attack of root-rotting microbes. That is why it is important to be careful with their roots and even to let them heal over before watering after the potting process.

Some of them have ancestry from cloud forests and, if they take after those ancestors, do not like hot temperatures (prefer 80'F and lower). I have been using my tap water as it is heavy in Calcium.