repotting Brassalova Little Stars

[VickiC]

Hi everyone,
I started repotting my Brassavola Little Stars today which I repotted about 2 yrs. ago in another clay pot. I ran out of time, so I plan to finish potting it tomorrow. The plant is healthy and the roots were great around the pot on the inside, very healthy and many of them.....BUT, the medium in the center was very broken down and smelly/"non-fresh".

When I have watered it in the past, ants would rush out of the bottom of the clay pot sometimes so I wouldn't have been shocked if I saw that they have been farming something. I saw no signs that they have, though.
My question is if it would be good if I soaked the roots in something before I repot it...hydrogen peroxide maybe ?? Whatever you think best.

I would appreciate your advice,
Vicki

[Discus]

Ants in pots are usually keeping their eggs and larvae warm (as pots sitting in the sun tend to get nice and warm); I'm not aware of any ants in the USA that would "farm" things like fungi inside a pot; they might "farm" scale/mealy bugs/aphids on your plants, but on the roots would be unusual (but not impossible).

When repotting, I chop out any dead looking roots; unless there's an obvious fungal infection or similar you don't need to worry about treating it. I tend to get as much old medium off the roots as I can, leaving anything that's really stuck on (I often wash under running water too ).

If this (rotting mushy middle) is a common problem for your brassavola, you might find inverting a smaller pot inside the bigger one in the middle of the plant helps (basically, make your own "aircone" pot).

[WhiteRabbit]

Agree that the center of pot is often a "dead zone". Media may never dry completely there.

I also like to use a small inverted net or orchid pot in the center, or tuck a bit of styrofoam into the center of the root mass.

[DavidCampen]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

Agree that the center of pot is often a "dead zone". Media may never dry completely there.

I also like to use a small inverted net or orchid pot in the center, or tuck a bit of styrofoam into the center of the root mass.

Using an inverted net pot is now my standard potting technique. I use one of these mesh pots inside my 4" to 8" diameter terra cotta pots:
Amazon.com: 2 Inch Round Orchid/Hydroponics Slotted Mesh Net Pot - 10 Pack: Patio, Lawn & Garden
(This reminds me that I need to order some more of these.)

I cut off the solid portion at the top of the mesh pot leaving a thin solid band to hold the mesh ribs together but I also notch all the way through the solid band at 4 places around the circumference so that water can drain completely through the center hole of the terra cotta pot. The cut down mesh pot is then placed, inverted, in the center of the terra cotta pot over the center hole and some perlite or leca is placed around the inverted mesh pot to keep it centered

[Leafmite]

Brassavola are very happy on mounts. I have a Little Stars and a nodosa happily mounted bare root. The other Little Stars parent, cordata (?), a tiny division, is bare root in a net pot, waiting for me to buy a decent piece of cork. It doesn't seem to mind.
I use the net pot in the middle idea, too, for some of my other orhids.

[james mickelso]

A lot of ants "farm" gardens of fungus and molds. What they take into the nest is chewed up and slathered on the walls of their nest where fungus and molds grow in the dark. The get their carbohydrates from that garden. I used to have trouble with ants in my cyms. They loved the coarse bark and sponge rock I used. It would take them less than a couple days to colonize the pot. I just used diazanon spray and soaked the pot. But a week or so later there would be another pot loaded with them. The main colonies were inhabiting the sidewalks all around my neighborhood. It was a real battle. But when they started trying to colonize my bonsai I went on an ant killing rampage. I sprayed all the sidewalks around my neighborhood one night with diazanon. Kept them down for a couple years. They are bad juju in orchids. They bring bad bacteria along with molds and fungus.

[BeachDadAtHome]

Good wisdom in this post. Thanks David & Sonya.

Vicki, I'm guessing yours lives outside (cause of the ants) - do you let it have full Alabama sun? Does it weather the winter outside also?

[NYCorchidman]

Reading this thread reminds me the tough job of repotting my B. Little Star that I got in bloom in December.
The pot is full of roots in and out.
I'm afraid I will have to damage quite a bit of roots when I repot it. but I really have to get to it soon. New leads and roots are walking all over and all around. lol

[james mickelso]

You don't have to tear up the roots. Let it dry thoroughly (and I mean thoroughly) and then just take it out of the pot and put it in the next bigger pot. As long as you don't try and force media into the central portion of the root mass, and you get out all the old media that you can without too much damage, there shouldn't be any problems with rot. You don't have to get new media into the central portion of the root mass as it doesn't need it. Then just put media around the outer edges of the pot and voila it's done with little or no damage.

[VickiC]

Thanks for your help, everyone! All of you have given me such good advice!

I just finished repotting my orchid today. I went from a 6" to an 8" clay pot. I teased the good roots a bit more in order to get a closer look in the middle. As I had said, the roots were very nice and healthy on the outside and wrapped tightly together but when I finally got a better look inside, what a mess. What I saw and felt was much worse than I thought when I started, day before yesterday. Actually a smelly disaster area. I knew I had to remove the "mushy decay" (putting it nicely..."very rotten" is more like it) but I just couldn't get it out without disturbing the good roots more than I had expected. Using a small inverted plastic net pot is great information to know. I ordered some yesterday for my next repot, but I had to use styrofoam peanuts today.

By the way, I used lava rock this time. I very seldom have in the past because of my growing conditions, so I'm crossing my fingers. There was so much decay that I just felt better using an inert media at this repot.

Thank you again! I always appreciate your help!
Vicki