Need thoughts on potting my ancient den phal

[Dollythehun]

This was one of my first orchids.. years ago, many. Two years ago it fell outside and the only pot I had was this glazed one. It's been in this pot until now. It gets neglected because it's big and sprawling and gets pushed to the side to make room for the "choicer" plants. To be fair, it's ugly but a fantastic bloomer!

So, it was wobbly in this pot and I thought I'd pot it down a size and go shallower. I was thinking of moss, actually, or adding some to the dendro mix. There are some good roots. I'd love to cut out the oldest canes but, I know better...so, experts, give me your opinion.

[dounoharm]

dendrobiums (phal types) always have done better for me in clay pots...helps to balance all that weight! sometimes I just put the smaller pot inside a larger one till I get time, lol....I think they do best in as small a pot as you can, with some gravel at the bottom for extra ballast, like a ship, lol.... for that plant, I would 'comb' out those roots and get rid of any dead or dying ones, then put it in the smallest pot I could, with rocks on the bottom and maybe set that pot in a bigger one....that's a hefty plant! also, there is some wire stuff with a larger foam outside that wont damage your plant....I would pull it more upright with that so it is neater....just me, I like things tidy! gl!

[Leafmite]

It just depends on how these do best for you. I like to wire these into a basket pot with red lava rock and then keep them still until they get established. I usually select a pot that will give them four or five years of growth. Whatever works for one's Cattleyas usually work for these.

[Dollythehun]

just me, I like things tidy! gl!

Me too, and that was part of the problem. I almost always use clay, I just ran out that day and needed to take immediate action.

[Roberta]

I think any canes that are dead or nearly so (crispy, or at least brown) can be clipped. The bare ones that have any green (even if a little shriveled) I'd leave. As to whether the dead ones should be clipped near the base, or actually removed, depends on what they are attached to. If pulling them off would remove good roots, just clip near the base of the cane.

[Dollythehun]

Thanks ladies. You're echoing what I thought.

[WaterWitchin]

I'm not a very successful den. grower, so no advice here; however, wouldn't a shallower pot make it even more top heavy? What about a pot within a pot, the outer pot being heavy and taller, and it would contain some of the flailing around canes and make it more manageable?

Or a mini-tomato cage perhaps?

[Dollythehun]

Don't laugh about the tomato cage, I have one around my epi radicans! I had to trim a little though.

This morning I needed to be flexible. When I went to squeeze the den canes together, the oldest one gave way. The rest were not far behind, old, brown, dead roots... and athough I know they would feed the plant, I cut them off.😲 There was a new eye coming so, I potted the remaining two canes in a 4" clay pot and dropped it back into the catch pot. I stuck a rod in and tied the canes closer together. Done, decision was made for me. I appreciate you thoughts as it lets me know I'm on the right track with my instincts.