Your help with Onc. Sharry Baby repotting

[Dollythehun]

I got Onc Sharry Baby from Hauserman's last fall. It's in a 4" plastic pot, over flowing with air roots. Overflowing! I have had her in a large glass box all this time do I can keep the air roots moist. Anyway, she is losing her second set of blooms and it's time to repot.

My question: what to do with the air roots? Inside or outside the new pot?

[jkofferdahl]

Aereal roots typically don't like to be in media. I'd leave them out.

[Dollythehun]

Yeah, thats what I thought. Just needed confirmation.😄

[fishmom]

I make a distinction between the ones that are pointing at the sky and the ones that are hugging the pot. The skyward ones stay aerial, but the ones that are surrounding the pot end up in the new container. It seems to work for me.

[Dollythehun]

Most are down around the pot...Hmmm, conflicting advice...

[estación seca]

The old roots don't do much anyway. The new roots from new growths do most of the work, and they will grow where they want to grow.

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Most are down around the pot...Hmmm, conflicting advice...

How long are the aereal roots?

[bil]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

I got Onc Sharry Baby from Hauserman's last fall. It's in a 4" plastic pot, over flowing with air roots. Overflowing! I have had her in a large glass box all this time do I can keep the air roots moist. Anyway, she is losing her second set of blooms and it's time to repot.

My question: what to do with the air roots? Inside or outside the new pot?

I wonder if you can guess what I will say?

I think that 4" is too deep, and not nearly wide enough. In your shoes I would repot in shallow fine bark with maybe a ball or two of sphag to keep it damp, altho the best solution is, I think, to mount.

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by bil

I wonder if you can guess what I will say?

I think that 4" is too deep, and not nearly wide enough. In your shoes I would repot in shallow fine bark with maybe a ball or two of sphag to keep it damp, altho the best solution is, I think, to mount.

John has been encouraging me to mount, I have several mounted now and several Tolumnias hanging. While I knew you would say that, I think that would ( pardon my opinion) look silly for this plant.

How many roots and how long? A ridiculous amount and if straightened out, some might be a foot. If it had been only a few, I would never have asked. But it is pushing new growth and the flowers are (finally) dropping. It has been in flower for at least 6 months. So, I asked the experts...

[bil]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

John has been encouraging me to mount, I have several mounted now and several Tolumnias hanging. While I knew you would say that, I think that would ( pardon my opinion) look silly for this plant.

How many roots and how long? A ridiculous amount and if straightened out, some might be a foot. If it had been only a few, I would never have asked. But it is pushing new growth and the flowers are (finally) dropping. It has been in flower for at least 6 months. So, I asked the experts...

I think that if you did mount it, the aerial roots would stop being produced and gradually die off, equally if not, once it is established you can always cut off the troublesome ones.

Interestingly, I am finding that the drier and more open the media is with epiphytes, the heavier the root growth becomes.. It's as if the more they have to work for their water, the better they grow.

Can you post a pic please?

I would look at a branch mount if it is an odd shape. I find that if you have a variety of branch shapes to look at, sooner of later one will fit.