Large Oncidium/Odont. - separate or pot up?

[aqualady]

I just received a gorgeous hybrid as a gift and I'm over the moon about this plant! It's definitely rootbound (from top and bottom, roots are growing out of the pot) and the flowering pseudobulb is hanging over the edge of the pot. I don't know whether to separate the plant or just put it in a larger pot. I separated a Zygo & a Colmanara a few months ago, (who formerly had the same problem) and I'm still unsure as to whether or not that was a good idea.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks

[WhiteRabbit]

Lovely! Looks like Miltassia Shelob, perhaps. Personal preference on dividing. If you have space for the larger pot, you don't need to divide. But! These can grow like weeds - just an fyi ... Should you wish to divide, each division should consistent of at least three older growths plus a new growth.

[CR7cristiano]

I recommend no repotting or dividing until after the blooms have faded. I don't believe that you need to divide this plant; it looks happy & healthy. Another thing to remember is not to repot/divide if you experience a significant drop in temperatures during the fall & winter months in your location because division take a lot of energy out of the plant, as well as re-establishing new roots in a bigger pot and new medium.

[RosieC]

My personal preference is not to divide unless I really have to. If I can accommodate the plant as one big one I will, I love big plants.

[orchidsarefun]

it is personal preference - and also whether you know somebody you can give a division to ! They only bloom off new growths so that is also something to bear in mind. Its doing so well that it could probably go another year anyway.

[nlm2951]

i will transfer from that pot to a bigger one, but not to big, remember they like to be tied

[aqualady]

Thank you all for your feedback Yes, I thought it was a Miltassia Shelob as well (based on my internet research) and it's gorgeous! It also has a faint frangrance, similar to a gardenia.

I'll most likely just move it to a larger pot and then maybe divide it next year. It's a very large plant and seems to be very happy - it has at least 5 new growths which *fingers crossed* will send up more flower shoots soon. Like you all suggested, I understand that I'll have a better chance of seeing more flowers soon if I pot up versus separating, which would cause the plant to focus it's energy on roots/growths instead of producing flowers.

Do these plants prefer a tall, slimmer pot or a short, wide pot (like phals)? I'll be using a fine bark mix because of the fine root system.

[orchidsarefun]

I have never tried cymbidium pots, so can't comment.
I have read that they prefer pots that are wider than deeper because of a shallow rooting system. Mine are doing well using those guidelines.

[lepetitmartien]

Bigger is better, right now it seems to have about 10 PB old and new growth. If you divide you'll have only small plants, so won't see much improvement in flowering. I'd keep it growing a year or two before eventually dividing to keep a big one and have a small one.

For the pot, I'll choose on a little larger, the idea is to give free estate for the new PBs, not the old ones.

[silken]

My thought is shallower and wider as I have never found this type to have really deep roots. But not real shallow either.