Psychopsis Repot - Moss? black roots

[kmccormic]

Good Evening:

Hi! Newbie here. I have a Physchopsis Kalihi and I think it may be time for its first (by me) repotting. I'm reluctant to do so because

1) I've had it not yet a year, (6-9 months) and I understand they really don't like repotting
2)It just got a new spike (2nd on the plant) which put forth its first flower

What prompted this? I found a spot of moss on one of the black roots. At first I thought it was mold, but then I noticed the top had green hairs. Alas I rubbed it off before I thought to take a picture of it.

Am I over-reacting? The medium, small bark mix with some charcoal, seems to be ok, and it looked like it had just been repotted before shipping. About 1/4-1/2 inch in on all sides you can see the roots wrapped around itself as it was pot-bound in a smaller pot. The roots are mostly black, but then they always have been, and it makes sense if you're trying not to shock it badly that you'd disturb the root system as little as possible. Psychopsis leaves and new live roots will snap rather than bend, as I have found to my chagrin. Training that 2nd spike was/is an exercise in controlled terror.

So the questions:

1. Do I really need to repot?
2. Should I just flush it with a fungicide instead when I water it next?
3. Is there a fungicide that works as a water mix, or do the effective ones all tend to be undiluted spray bottle type deals?
4. If I repot should I take the leap and trim out all the dead roots from the root ball?
5. If I repot, I'm assuming I'd let the remaining roots sit in fungicide for an hour. Should I use a root hormone afterwards or will that only encourage more mold/moss?
6. Anything I should beware of?
7. I'd welcome any specific links for instructions/products and best methods to use said products.

Thank you for any help you can lend!

[Zoi2]

Welcome to the OB. If you could post a picture or two it would help in answering your questions.
Joann

[RJSquirrel]

finding some moss growing on the bark isnt a bad thing.. leave it alone

[camille1585]

Yup, moss is isn't a bad thing to find in a pot providing it doesn't completely take up the pot. Do you have photos? This would help a lot to know if anything should be done.

But if you say that the plant seems to be in a fresh mix, it may be better to leave the plant as it is since they really, really hate repotting! As for the black roots, without seeing them it's hard to judge, but since the medium has charcoal in it the roots may simply have gotten stained from it.

[Paul Mc]

I agree that without seeing pictures it is hard to diagnose or give thoughts.

I thus far agree with everyone else's comments.

The first thought that came to my mind in regards to black roots were in relation to water. Do you know the PH of the water you are using and is it tap, RO or distilled? What is your watering schedule like? If you are over or under watering it may kill the roots. Likewise, if the water quality is not quite what it wants then this could be a cause as well - with salt and or mineral deposits building up in your mix and killing off the roots.

On the same note, how much fertilizer, if any, do you use and what type? Not all fertilizer's are the same and some can do more damage than good. It really depends what your current water has (PH, minerals, salt, etc...) in relation to what you are adding to it. It could be that the fertilizer you are using may have urea in it, or it could be adding too much salt or other ingredients to a water supply that already is rich in it.

[Paul Mc]

In addition, you will find that mosses and orchids tend to have a symbiotic relationship in nature. Both grow in trees together. Mosses tend to hold water from dews and rains, and orchid roots tend to love crawling all over them as they retain the water orchids need without being overly wet. That having been said, if the moss overtakes an orchid there is a possibility that the relationship changes and a moss can kill the orchid. But generally speaking, they are quite healthy for each other.

[Daethen]

I keep hearing how much these hate being repotted. I have not repotted my 2 larger ones, but I also have 2 small ones and repotted both of them recently. I dug out most of the old medium and potted them up in small bark with charcoal and a bit of sphag and they have taken off. One it getting 2 new growths, either that or it may finally be getting a spike. If yours has been in the same mix for a year, it may be time, but only pictures can help us know.

[kmccormic]

Okay, here are some pics. I hope they come out clear. I actually do not use any fertilizer. I just use tap water, sometimes filtered, sometimes not. I water every 2-3 days, if I let it go any longer than that they bulbs start to shrivel. It's in a window ledge at work, lots of light, and a central air vent nearby circulates the air without blowing directly on it. I am relieved to hear about the moss being ok.

In one of the pics you can see silvery ariel roots with some brown bruises on them, that's when I touched them and attempted to train them into the media. Another root snapped off entirely when I pushed a little. I've had one of the leaves snap in half when I hit it just wrong while watering. So, I can easily see that they might be damaged during repotting.

Thanks!

[kmccormic]

So I guess I will be repotting as a last resort. If I do suspect mold in the future, which fungicide do you recommend, one I mix with water and flush the roots with like Physan, or a spray bottle fullstrength?

I appreciate your help and comments. Take care!