Should I repot my Mlttssa Royal Robe ?

[rdiwsky]

Hello everyone 😊 I'm nervous about what I need to do with her...should I leave her in the pot she came in? Which she seems to be planted in lava rock...the store I bought her from said she's from Hawaii. I water everyday, if I miss a day I can tell she isn't happy. There is at least 3 new growths and looks like 2 for sure has some new roots but the smallest 1 doesn't look like it has any yet. I've been reading everything I can on how to care for her and what to pot her in I'm just not sure if I should do it now or wait. The picture that has the clear pot next to it is a 5 in. to compare. I would love to get your opinions since I obviously don't know what I'm doing 😉 Thank you!

[JScott]

Yes, that plant has outgrown that pot and is in need of a larger one. If you are having trouble keeping up with the watering, you might consider an organic medium like small bark rather than rock. Bark will hold moisture longer than rock.

As far as rather to do it right now or wait, it depends on if there are new growths, and I think I can see some. If there are new growths, there will be new roots, and that is the correct time to repot. If it is in bloom, you may want to wait until the blooms are gone.

[estación seca]

You don't say where you live, nor where you are growing the plant. This information is important to answer you fully.

Miltassias need very large amounts of water. A plant in lava rock or large bark would need to be watered every day; in a lower humidity environment, like many homes, it might need to stand in a dish of water. In finer or more water-retentive material you would probably not need to stand it in a dish of water.

JScott is correct about when to repot. Fine bark works well. So does sphagnum moss.

[rdiwsky]

Originally Posted by estación seca

You don't say where you live, nor where you are growing the plant. This information is important to answer you fully.

Miltassias need very large amounts of water. A plant in lava rock or large bark would need to be watered every day; in a lower humidity environment, like many homes, it might need to stand in a dish of water. In finer or more water-retentive material you would probably not need to stand it in a dish of water.

JScott is correct about when to repot. Fine bark works well. So does sphagnum moss.

I live in the Western part of the United States. More specifically Salt Lake City, Utah 🙂 It's been in the high 90s and mid to high 60s at night, but my plants are inside and probably closer to low to mid 80s in the day and 65-70 at night. I have no idea what our humidity is but we have a swamp cooler so I imagine it can add to the humidity.

[estación seca]

It will tolerate those daytime temperatures better if nights are as cool as you can keep them. Your humidity should be fine with a swamp cooler.

Fine orchid bark or long-fiber sphagnum moss would both work well. Note that the peat moss and peat moss based mixes sold as potting soil are not long-fiber sphagnum moss, which most people must mail-order.

I can't find long-fiber sphagnum moss at any store in Phoenix, so I doubt would find it in SLC. "Green moss" sometimes sold in hardware stores is not the same, and doesn't work well, in my experience.

[rdiwsky]

I have the New Zealand Sphagnum moss that allot of people recommend. I got it from the only store in our Valley that I can find the clear plastic orchid pots in. And I have seedling orchid bark, I was thinking to use mostly bark with some moss mixed in.

---------- Post added at 01:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:32 PM ----------

Thank you guys for the help! I really appreciate it!

[rdiwsky]

So very root bound! 2nd pic is after working on her for a bit and looking up into the bottom of the mess of roots. Not sure how to proceed? I'm soaking her in water right now hoping to loosen up some of the mess. It smells mildewy and the bits I've gotten out have some mildew on them so I want to get as much out as I can. It is a mix of bark and lava rock and just solid roots all the way through pretty much. I'm poking between the roots with a wood skewer to get the bits out. I can't really tell the dead from good roots though so I'm being as careful as I can.

[estación seca]

There are differing opinions on what to do with this. There are people who viciously rip up root balls like that to remove every speck of old medium. I don't think that's a good idea.

I do not try very hard to remove old media. I would rather have a lot of good roots with some old media than lots of damaged roots with somewhat less old media. I pull out what I can very easily, then drop the mass into a newer, larger pot, with room for about 2 years' further growth. Then I add with new medium. Water.

My thinking is that older orchid growths rarely produce new roots. Almost all the new root growth comes from new top growth. So old medium will only be a problem for the older roots, which aren't doing much, anyway. If you rip up those old roots trying to get out all the media, the roots will probably be so damaged the plant may struggle to take up enough water to support the new growth before it makes its own roots.

The mildew is attacking the old bark and dead roots, not living roots. Fungi attacking dead material only rarely feed on living material, and vice versa.

[rdiwsky]

Thank you for quick reply! I'm going to just pot her up instead of picking her to death😕.

1 more question... Should I put the arial roots down into the new media?

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by rdiwsky

...Should I put the aerial roots down into the new media?

It doesn't matter, so long as the bases of the pseudobulbs are not buried in the new medium.