At what point would you move a Phal species seedling out of a 50mm pot

[OzPhal]

Hi Everybody,

I'm interested in your thoughts on re-potting Phalaenopsis species seedlings... I've got quite a few seedlings that are currently in 50mm pots - I've also got some others that are in larger pots that I'm thinking about potting down to 50mm as the pots are too big (100mm). At what point though would you say that a species Phalaenopsis should be moved out of a 50mm pot to say a 75mm pot? My potting media is:

4 parts bark
1 part perlite
1 part charcoal

[zxyqu]

I only pot up when the plant is actively in root and the roots are crawling out of the pot it's in. Some species are particularly sensitive to repotting, so you have to be careful.
Are the roots of yours too big for the 50mm pot?

[OzPhal]

Originally Posted by zxyqu

I only pot up when the plant is actively in root and the roots are crawling out of the pot it's in. Some species are particularly sensitive to repotting, so you have to be careful.
Are the roots of yours too big for the 50mm pot?

Thanks for your reply... of the seedlings that I have i wouldn't say that any of them are really crowding out of the pot... and some of the ones in larger pots could almost benefit from being potted in smaller pots.



I'll be transferring all of the ones that are in sphagnum moss in to the bark mix over the coming weeks

[naoki]

I think it is safe to go up to a bigger pot when the root ball after cleaning doesn't fit snuggly in a 50mm pot. It's a matter of control: smaller pots dry quicker, so it is easier to fine-control the watering.

[Mira-Claude]

I like to think of orchids as cat:
"If I fits! I sits!"
Try different size pots, the smallest it fits in the best. First because some orchids will stop making growths are leaves as long as they are not pot bounded (not all of them but some will). Second because as Naoki said it is easier to control watering. Most orchids prefer to dry out between watering and will rot if they don't. And third because it takes less space for more orchids!
I like to use 2cm for very small seedling (plastic pill cups) and 4cm one (pudding cup) for the ones that are don't fit in the 2cm pots. I found my grocery very helpful and often I chose what desserts I'll eat by what kinds of pots I need!
Just out of curiosity... what species?

[FairyInTheFlowers]

I also thought that I would add this: if you are going from sphag to bark, I would wait until there is prolific root growth, and you will have to water frequently until it has grown new roots that are used to bark.

[zxyqu]

Agreed with Cody. Going from Sphag to bark will be quite a shock to a seedling especially. You'll have to water a lot to keep the bark as moist as the sphag would've been to prevent rot. Seedlings just dont do as well with the transplant if not in really nice root growth phase.

[naoki]

I'm not trying to contradict wih Jared, but my "thinking" is that I would keep the media drier right after potting (even for transition from sphag to bark). Roots could have small damage, and it is better to keep them drier. Also, the drier condition (in pot) probably encourages new root growth. However, it would be helpful to have higher humidity around leaves after transplant to minimize water loss due to transpiration. Compared to sphag culture, you do need to water more frequently, but I wouldn't overwater them to suffocate the roots. This is just my educated guess, and it's not based on any evidence, so I may be wrong.

[FairyInTheFlowers]

Reducing the watering after transplanting is a common practice, but that is usually just after repotting in the same media, and would be more applicable to sphagnum. Bark, on the other hand, doesn't hold as much water when it is brand new then when it is older, and coupled with the roots being adjusted to sphagnum, I would be water very frequently. Actually, since these are seedlings, and your goal appears to be growing them in bark, I would suggest growing them in a mixture of sphag and medium bark for a year or so, and then when the plants are larger and have more roots, then go to bark. I think this procedure could save a lot of plants, regardless of age or genus. In all reality, since they are still in 50mm pots, if the root systems are large enough for 75mm pots, I would then transplant and then do maybe 50/50 for bark and sphagnum. Just my !

(EDIT: Since I know it is usually best to keep Phals relatively pot bound, I think it would be best to move the pot sizes up by .5", from 2" - 2.5", or 5omm - 62.5mm.)

[CTB]

When did you pot last? Once a year potting is usually enough and then sometimes it just needs fresh media not a bigger pot size. I wait till I can see roots, either climbing out or coming out of the bottom, then I go to a bigger pot. The smaller the pot the better. Less chance of overwatering and over fertilizing.