Oxygen Core Dual Pots Advice

[KristenJ]

Hi,

I need to repot 4 Phal keikis & 2 Nobile Dendrobium keikis. I was thinking about getting the Oxygen Core Dual pots from Repotme.com. Has anyone tried these before? What is your opinion of their effectiveness over a normal clear pot? I've looked around & it seems like people have success with them with their Phals but I haven't seen anything about using them with Dendrobiums.

Also, this is my first time having Phal keikis. I read that they should be potted with a piece of the mother's stem still attached. Is this true? I have also read that the mother plant should be repotted after the keiki is removed. Should I do this as well?

Thanks for any advice.

[WhiteRabbit]

Haven't tried those pots, sorry

I don't think it's necessary to keep part of the spike the keiki is growing on. I usually just twist off the keiki. I also don't know that it's imperative to repot the parent after removing the keiki. Unless of course the parent has produced the keiki because it (the parent) is in poor shape...

[tom_e_boi]

I purchased some of the 5.5" Oxygen Core Dual Pot's at the beginning of this year and repotted some of my Phals into them. I liked their design so much that I went ahead and ordered some more of them, and plan on ordering more later on.
In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned about how I widened the spacing of the inner net pots. Which isn't necessary, but I did it for my own preference, and to perhaps make it easier to remove the plants later on when they need repotting again. But if I still can't remove them safely, then I can just cut the pot off. RePotMe sells replacements for a couple of bucks, so it's no big deal. I did try threading the Phals roots through the net pots afterwards, but I found that they didn't like it and preferred to remain on the inside instead. All of the newer roots though have grown through the net pots and around the outside, giving them access to plenty of sunlight and air, while still remaining pretty humid.
The potting medium that I settled on using, and found to work the best, was a 50% bark/charcoal/perlite & 50% sphagnum moss blend. I've also planted a newly acquired NoID dendrobium phalaenopsis into one of these pots, also using a 50/50 bark moss blend, and noticed that it too was growing roots at a much faster rate. As well as sending out four keikis. It hasn't yet become established in the pot, but I look forward to seeing it as it progresses. I plan on eventually transferring all of my Phals and Dendrobiums into these wonderfully designed orchid pots next season.

[merkity]

I had some pots very similar to the link in the second post - not quite the same, but same idea. black inner basket with outer clear pot - my orchids love them - they grow the roots right through the openings and out the bottom of the pots....

[KristenJ]

Thanks everyone!
I guess I know what I am ordering today lol

[KristenJ]

I have an additional question. When you repot your keikis, do you repot them with the mother plant? I saw this recommendation on Repotme.com and I was wondering if anyone has tried this? Thanks again

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by KristenJ

I have an additional question. When you repot your keikis, do you repot them with the mother plant? I saw this recommendation on Repotme.com and I was wondering if anyone has tried this? Thanks again

I've potted keikies with the mother plant and without. They've done fine either way. One of the keikies that I planted with the mother is on a phal that always has two spikes so I'm hoping that with the keiki in the same pot I'll get 4 spikes in one pot. So it just depends on the effect your looking for. I think phals that have branching spikes might be better off in separate pots. When I plant a keiki by itself, I plant it in the smallest pot the roots will fit in. Usually 2" or 2.5".

[KristenJ]

Ok. Thank you

[LadySoren]

I have a question to add here (I know this is old)

RepotMe.com suggests that once the roots are growig out of the pot, you should remove the black net pot and repot it in the outer clear one. Does anyone actually do this or do you ignore that advice?

I am wanting the carousel pot, but don't want to pay $24 plus shipping quite yet and I figured the oxygen core pots were a somewhat similar idea, letting the roots do as they please for a little while longer without walls.

[Island Girl]

Originally Posted by LadySoren

I have a question to add here (I know this is old)

RepotMe.com suggests that once the roots are growig out of the pot, you should remove the black net pot and repot it in the outer clear one. Does anyone actually do this or do you ignore that advice?

hmm... I haven't heard that, but it's been awhile since I read about them on their site... I like using them, and just move to a larger net pot, inside a clear one (to a new, complete (that has both net, and clear pots) Oxygen Core pot). I don't see why you couldn't do what you suggested, it's just personal preference. Seems that moving it out of the net pot, and into just the plain clear outer pot, would kinda defeat the purpose of the Oxygen Core pot? If you did that, why not just pot it into a regular clear pot to begin with? ...but I dunno It's up to you!