help with repotting root bound dendrobium

[mnguyen110]

Im in the middle of repotting and it seems like im at a point where more roots are break than bark falling out. I still have about 2 inch of the root mass untouched. Moving from a 4 in pot to 5 in.

Please help, soaking the roots again as i type

[bethmarie]

can you post a picture?

i haven't repotted one in this condition before, but online research suggests you may have to "cut a slit in the root ball to clean the old bark and any dead roots out. This is a very important step to ensure your orchid will grow well and not succumb to root rot over the next couple of years. Remove as much old bark from between the roots as you can, using your fingers or a blunt point, so little or no old bark remains to decompose over the next two years."

I'd get direct feedback from some of the pros here before I cut anything, though.

[WhiteRabbit]

A chopstick or sturdy skewer can be helpful. After soaking, use chopstick or similar tool work it gently into the media and wiggle it around. Keep doing that at different spots.

[mnguyen110]

Tried but dont have permission to post

---------- Post added at 05:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:52 PM ----------

Ok, i will try soaking for a couple hours and something to pick at it

[greengarden]

Try again now that you have more than 5 posts, photos should work now.


What type of dendrobium is it? I'm pretty rough with mine, I rip them out of the pot, pull any old roots out and throw them in a new pot. All in the space of about 5 minutes... Haven't had any get too upset yet!

[mnguyen110]

Here is the pix

[silken]

Wow! Nice specimen! If you can't get the centre cleaned out with a skewer as advised above, then you could cut this in one place to open it up. Soak and poke, soak and poke.... will do it It took me an hour or more recently to clean one root ball up.

You may want to put a tiny net pot upside down or something in the centre of the root ball when you pot it just to let air in there, It will be easier to clean next time you re-pot also.

[mnguyen110]

One down, one more to go. Thanks everyone!

[bethmarie]

Look at those roots! I'm impressed.

[Vanda lover]

That is a really happy den! Good luck.