Rootbound Oncidium Heaven Scent ' Sweet Baby'

[Fran20]

This oncidium orchid arrived like this from the grower. Needs a repot. How do I get this out of the pot without damaging roots? is this a candidate for full water culture?

[Roberta]

If you gentlly squeeze the sides of the pot you can probably loosen the root ball enough to slide the plant out. If the ones coming out of the bottom have wrapped around into other holes (so that they're "tying" the plant in place, you may be able to tease them out) You may lose a few roots, but it looks like you have plenty to spare. I would suggest a larger pot (enough for 2 years' growth, not bigger), with small bark. These like to be moist, but also need air around the roots, and small bark accomplishes that. When you repot, add a small amount of bark, tap the pot to settle the pieces into the crevices, add a bit more, repeat. This works much better than just dumping it in, where the bark will mostly stay round the outside.

[OrchidBro]

Do you want to save the pot? If not, I would just cut the pot with a pair of scissors and peel/cut the pot away piece by piece. Of course, make sure to sterilize the scissors first in case you do happen to cut in roots in the process.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by OrchidBro

Do you want to save the pot? If not, I would just cut the pot with a pair of scissors and peel/cut the pot away piece by piece. Of course, make sure to sterilize the scissors first in case you do happen to cut in roots in the process.

Good point. A lot depends on how easy it is to cut the pot. The ones with sort of a mesh on the bottom are easy to cut away from the escaped roots. The ones with only holes on the sides and a few in the bottom can be more stubborn. But certainly sacrifice the pot not the roots.

[SouthPark]

To cut pots (and also to cut those pesky tough plastic shell packages which some items from supermarkets etc come in) ------ the good 'ol metal cutter 'tin snips' is always handy.

The bigger and heftier the tin snip, the better.

But - definitely ----- the squeezing of the pot method to try loosen things up, followed by sliding the plant out - is always nice. I like to save pots whenever I can. But if really stuck or jammed in the plastic pot, then cutting the pot away is a fair option - less fuss and stress on the plant.

[Fran20]

Thank you all for your advice. I will try to squeeze the sides, but the pot is really hard plastic. I think I will need metal clippers. Would it help to soak the roots first to make them more pliable?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Fran20

Thank you all for your advice. I will try to squeeze the sides, but the pot is really hard plastic. I think I will need metal clippers. Would it help to soak the roots first to make them more pliable?

If the roots are wet, they will separate from the plastic more easily . But if you squeeze the pot from the corners, you will find that it "gives" - and even a bit of pressure on the sides can be enough to separate most of the stuck-on roots from the pot. Your new roots are on the outside already (a hint that the roots do need air as well as moisture) so you can probably avoid damaging them. If you lose part of some of the old ones, there is no shortage. The roots at the back of the plant are, very likely, not very good anyway. It's the new ones that you want to be careful of.

For a pot that size, I have found that I can cut it with my garden shears - the problem with the tin snips is that they are thick. You can slide the blade of your garden shears into the pot, against the side, so that when you cut you won't hit too many roots. The cut won't be straight and pretty, doesn't matter. But if you can slide the plant out, even better.

[Fran20]

Thank you, Roberta!
You mentioned previously that small bark is ideal for repot. Can I mix it with some NZ sphagnum moss to retain moisture?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Fran20

Thank you, Roberta!
You mentioned previously that small bark is ideal for repot. Can I mix it with some NZ sphagnum moss to retain moisture?

If you need in your growing conditions, you can... It depends on how fast things dry and how much and how often you water. I don't use sphag mixed with bark, but I water frequently, especially when the weather is warm. If you water less, you'll want the extra moisture retention of the sphagnum. The goal is moist not soggy, with room for air in the medium. You adjust your medium to achieve that.

[Fran20]

One more question, please? When I repot, do I leave all those air roots above the medium or try to tuck them into the bark?