Should I divide or pot this L. anceps??

[Austin Powers]

Thanks for all of the input. This is an SBOE plant, and has no media, except for the pebbles. I wish I could mount outside, but that is not possible in Canada. My mounted anceps seems very happy hanging by the window.

I agree that division is less desirable in this case. I just need to find a suitable basket/container that can account for this growth and new growth. Time to start the search.
Stephen

[cday2inflorida]

I grow many of my anceps and Laelias in general in fern fiber baskets. Of course, I have the luxury of growing outside in Florida.
And for what it's worth - When I divide active leads on Laelias and Cattleya bifoilates from backbulbs I never slice all the way through. I make the cut half way. I make a sort of tiny wedge (with a razor blade) cut and dust with a good fungicide. I normally see eyes swell and start producing. I then cut and separate.






Cathy

[Austin Powers]

I saw mention of the cut part way through technique in another post. In terms of timing, when do you cut part way through?? Do you wait until you see the lead start to grow, or before the lead is really active? The plant I have is growing several roots just under the lead pbulb. With the lengthening days I imagine the lead will become active in the next few weeks.
Thanks for the input,
Stephen

[silken]

Austin Powers, with spring just around the corner (or so they say), the garden centres should be putting out those coir basket liners. They come in various sizes up to quite large. Would something like that work, and then fill it with whatever you are using for potting media? You could put it in a one of those metal open type baskets that are meant for hanging. Just a thought.

[cday2inflorida]

Steven, You really don't have to wait till the lead is active. You wait till you see that the plant is starting to stir and new roots are emerging. You know then the plant is starting to actively grow . How ever you cut, you want to make sure you leave yourself with at least a 3 bulb lead.
I sort of look at it a little different. I decide where I'm going to make my wedge by back bulb count. I'm always going to make sure I have sufficient lead...but I also want to make sure I have sufficient back bulbs. Does that make sense? I try to give myself 3 or 4 viable bulbs. You can accomplish with less...but I have better results. It just works for me.

[Becca]

Originally Posted by thumperinflorida

I grow many of my anceps and Laelias in general in fern fiber baskets. Of course, I have the luxury of growing outside in Florida.
And for what it's worth - When I divide active leads on Laelias and Cattleya bifoilates from backbulbs I never slice all the way through. I make the cut half way. I make a sort of tiny wedge (with a razor blade) cut and dust with a good fungicide. I normally see eyes swell and start producing. I then cut and separate.

Attachment 53881

Attachment 53882


Cathy

Wow your plants are amazing! How do you keep the new growths from growing in an upward fashion?

Mine is potted in a 5 inch slotted plastic pot. It's a pretty deep pot, and I am using a chc mix for the potting medium. From what I can see, I don't have any major root rot and most of the roots seem pretty happy. But like everyone else I am having a problem with mine crawling out of the pots and I don't know what else to do other then just let the roots do whatever they want to.

[cday2inflorida]

Morning Becca

I think orchids love fern fiber. They just seem to sort of hunker down and hug the fern fiber. I know there are lot of people that don't like it. It just works for me.
I use totems to mount the majority of new mounted plants. They usually do extremely well. If I want to change one over to say, cork the FF can almost be squished down in the 2nd mounting on the cork. Within a season or two it can hardly be recognized as ever being there.
...oh and thanks

[Austin Powers]

Hi,
Thanks to all for the input. In the end I decided to divide. I took a less then ideal two bulb lead because the third bulb back was not really easy to get out of its current situation. I went for a walk in the snowy woods and brought home a nice chunk of deadfall. Here is the end result. It looks to me as though both of these bulb are activating a new lead. Not sure if both will progress now that I have cut. The mother plant looks to be activating a back bulb as well. It would have been interesting if I had left it with three new leads.
Now for the nail biting in hopes that the division mount does well and survives.
Stephen

[peeweelovesbooks]

Looks very neat. However, just a suggestion---I would have put the plant more in the center--that way it has room to grow.....I fear this way you will soon be in a similar situation you are in now.

good luck!

[Lorraine]

I think you did a great job mounting It looks like there is plenty of room for this chid to travel all around the mount. I hope you remember to post pictures after it gets established and blooming.