den nobile repot

[Jeff214]

Got a nice show this year. Has a sweet smell in the morning.

This dendrobium isn't spreading laterally, but keeps producing basal keiki's keeping the plant compact. While that's convenient for me, I'd like to repot as soon as it finishes flowering.

The pot's saturated with roots (in pro-mix), and I'm wondering if anyone had any advice in how to repot this thing. I have another one growing in bark, but i doubt that I can get this plant's tight roots in with bark without major damage. sphagnum moss...?

Also, it's so top heavy that I had to use three pots to weigh it down...

thanks.

[No-Pro-mwa]

No I think you need to use bark. I don't think they do well in Spagh. They need to be re-potted when the roots start to grow. At least the ones I have but I don't have any Nobile ones. Hopefully some one else will chime in here with this kind.

[estación seca]

You're describing normal growth from the base. Keikiis form up on the stems.

Medium depends on your conditions. If you have lower humidity you can use something like sphagnum moss or ProMix. Dens shouldn't dry out completely during active growth or they are set back almost immediately.

When you repot, slide the plant out of the old pot. Don't remove old mix, and don't disturb the roots more than you need to. Put it into a pot one size larger. Add new medium around the root ball. You might need to stake it to keep it stable.

[Jeff214]

Thanks for the advice. I repotted in bark without removing any of the pro-mix.

Most of my new growth are emerging from the second node above where the older p-bulbs started (some higher up). I assumed that the plant was stressed and produced keikis.

[estación seca]

The higher-up ones are keikiis. They're not always triggered by stress.

[Fairorchids]

I am astonished that a Den nobile did well in Promix. I consider that totally unsuitable for epiphytical orchids, and inferior for terrestrial orchids.

Where I borrow greenhouse space at the moment, they have 1500 sqft with Den nobiles, all in clear rubber pots (from Taiwan) with 100% spaghnum.

My personal preference is clay pots (due to top heavy plants, which like being in smallish pots), with a spaghnum/bark mix (3:1 ratio).