Cattleya roots completely embedded in decayed potting media, please help!

[Wathepleela]

I’ve just bought a big cattleya that has grown large, all look healthy on the surface, except for (sunburnt) blackended tips on some of the yournger leaves. It has several spent blooms on it but still carries one pregnant bulb with flower bud in pouch and also a new growth. These seem to be doing fine.
However the potting media – coco husks - has become densely mushy with patches of green moss on top. It was moist when I got it home, I then dunked it in a basin for a few hours which I learned later was a big no no. So last night I got the plant out of the pot to investigate. Not much rotting that I could see, but the whole media has literally become a cake with roots totally embedded in it. I knew then that it was high time that it got repotted.
Problem is how do I extricate the roots from the media or is it possible to do it at all? I’m afraid the plant won’t survive the process, my gut feelings are that I would have to soak it first for everything to become loose or for the media to disintegrate more readily. My media of choice would be lava rock, is that okay?








Thank you in advance for any input/advice. For the time being, I’ve placed a circle of new coco husks at the bottom of the pot then put the plant back in, so it is now in a lifted position to get more air ventilation. I first posted my situation on the beginner’s forum for I wasn’t thinking about repotting so soon and so far I’ve got one response from a concerned member. She advised me to look into the root system ASAP, which I did and which lead me to the conclusion that I need to repot also ASAP!

PS -Here’s the link to that beginner thread with more photos.

Health diagnosis needed for newly purchased cattleya - Orchid Board - Most Complete Orchid Forum on the web !
Health diagnosis needed for newly purchased cattleya

[Cntry]

I would take your fingers and gently remove as much of the old medium as possible while it is still dry. Once you get most of the dry medium out and you find medium sticking to the roots still that is when I would soak or rinse off what is left as gently as I could. Then you place it into a new pot with holes once again and place new medium all around it as well as inside and on the bottom inside the pot.

I cant advise you on if would be lava rock, is that okay? As I have never used it but I am sure someone else will chime in and let you know. Check out one of the you tube video's on repotting it can give you a better idea on repotting your orchid.

Good Luck.

[weitoi]

I try and get as much of the media off as possible when it's dry. When you cannot take anymore off safely, I recommend soaking it well in water to get everything softened up including the roots of the Orchid. Usually you can work it all out after it's soaked long enough.
Best of luck!

[Bud]

I would put it under a sink and let the water run on the roots until all decayed media is flushed....I would invest in Cattleya mix....lava rock alone might just wont cut it.
Don't be scared on repotting your healthy plants....they have sprung new growths so its a good time to repot them. You might break some roots but your kind of plants wont sulk....they can take abuse....

[tucker85]

I agree with all the previous posts. The only thing I would add, is don't divide the plant. Repot the whole thing. A large orchid like that has a lot of stored energy to get it through times of stress and it should recover nicely after repotting.

[LovePhals]

I agree. Bud, why not lava rock? I use lava rock on all my Cattleyas and have pretty good luck. I usually do a top dressing of a more moisture retentive media, though. I know you are more experienced so am interested in why you don't suggest it.

[Wathepleela]

Thank you all for your kind and helpful guidance/input. All were timely and much appreciated.

The mission of the day was to get lava rocks, so I went to the nurseries first thing in the morning, showed the supply lady pic of lava rocks on my phone. She said no, “no rocks on orchids, you can only use coco husks.” I told her this is a special kind of rocks… She then ahhed, “rocks from fire mountains!” I nodded vigorously. “That we have plenty” she said and went to a corner where there were stacks and stacks of RFFM. The reason why she did not recognize them at first was the pic I showed her was red lava rocks, hers were just plaster-white. She sold me just one bag, saying that it’d be more than enough even though I would have wanted to get two, just in case. Btw, the idea to get lava rocks was from a youtube video where the hostess repotted her rambling, but with thinner and more elongated canes, bursting with health cattleya with only lava rocks. I took a snapshot of it and that was what I showed the vendor.

On the way out, I passed her neighbor stall, which not only has lava rocks, but also bins of mixes (like different toppings you get at the icecream store) though none sports any label even in Thai. I thought of taking pics of them bins and posting them here on orchidboard, because the mere idea of asking the boy which is which and what for was just overwhelming in terms of language barrier. But I was in a hurry to get back so I didn’t.

When I got home and was ready to get down and dirty, I checked the board for any last minute advice. Bud here recommends a cattleya mix, and I have no pics to post and ask which one? Which means I had to put the operation on hold and ponder making another trip to the nurseries tomorrow…

In the meantime, here’s a new pic with caption “House orchids looking with concern at their latest sibling big boy cattleya awaiting its re-potting ordeal.”




Again a big thank you to everyone who chimed in with your caring advice (and yes, I mean, no, I shall not divide!)
Will keep you all posted.

[oscar freak]

i had the same problem with mine it would certainly have been the death of the plant if i tried to extricate the roots from the medium so i potted up as is in new medium,plant seems alright with new roots growing into the new medium,which is plain stone.hope you come right with yours

[ddivey36]

In the meantime, here’s a new pic with caption “House orchids looking with concern at their latest sibling big boy cattleya awaiting its re-potting ordeal.”

That made me laugh!

I have gotten mixed feelings on lava rock versus a bark mix as well. I think overall what I hear is if all your plants are potted in the same thing- then your watering habits can be the same.

[Wathepleela]

Originally Posted by oscar freak

i had the same problem with mine it would certainly have been the death of the plant if i tried to extricate the roots from the medium so i potted up as is in new medium,plant seems alright with new roots growing into the new medium,which is plain stone.hope you come right with yours

Hmmm, I’m wondering if your re-pottting situation has got to do with your plant getting too big or the media starting to break down. If it was the former scenario then the media could still be ok thus the plant continued to do well within it. But if it was because of decaying media then it would be very peculiar to see the plant root system not being affected by it (ie no root rot and such)? Very interested in getting further feedback from you and thanks for the well wishes.

---------- Post added at 12:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:34 AM ----------

Originally Posted by ddivey36

In the meantime, here’s a new pic with caption “House orchids looking with concern at their latest sibling big boy cattleya awaiting its re-potting ordeal.”

That made me laugh!
.

And with subtitles:
“Oh boy, aren’t we glad we’re all mounted!”