Repotting my bifoliate catt
 

Hello, my friends

My catt is the one discussed here.:)

Since I couldn't find a basket big enough I decided to make one myself. Today I finished it.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/...pshfeyy3r8.jpg

Its inner dimensions are 20x20x15 cm (7.8x7.8x5.9 in). Don't know if it's big enough or too big. I think it will allow at least a 3 year growth.

When you divide the plant, put half into a basket like this, and half into a much shallower basket. I don't know which would do better for you, but I suspect the shallower.

But my intention isn't to divide it, although I suspect it could be done at this stage (it has 6 pbulbs, two of them, the oldest, much smaller than the other).
Now I'd rather have a large plant than two divisions. Unless there are cons that I'm not aware of.

I mean the next time you repot, when the plant has filled that basket.

I see, I thought you meant now.:blushing:
Do you think this size is ok for it? Now it's in a pot with approx. half the volume of this basket.
But it rows roots like crazy almost all year round.

It varies so much with climate. I always worry a deeper container will stay too wet in the center. But you often have low humidity, and if the plant has a large root mass, it will suck the water out of the medium rapidly, even in a deeper container. I would just be careful and check the wetness as you learn how it behaves in that basket.

That's what I thought too. Now I've been watering it once every 12 days. As you might remember I have moss growing inside the pot so I decreased watering frequency. I can put a stick on the side to check humidity.

I was not planning to put a liner inside to give it more aeration. What do you think? Is it a good idea?

I would think there would be more aeration without the liner. Is your medium large enough not to fall through the openings between wood slats?

I was distracted while writting...My plan is to not use a liner.
The bark falling through the slats could be a concern but I will use coarse bark instead of medium size. Also, with such a large basket, watering management will be easier, I think.

As a reference, now it's 13:00 and I have 24 ºC (76 F) and HR=20%.

When working w/my larger catts I often use pots that most would consider far too large for the root system but I do it because I don't want to disturb them for 2 or 3 years. What I do to avoid any problems at the center and/or bottom of the pot is to stuff the center of the root mass w/a very large/open bark, styrofoam peanuts, or a plastic net pot/basket. I also use extra large bark or p'nuts in the bottom section of the pots. Anything that is large and open and won't pack down or break down would work. In some cases I have even used clay shards...anything that takes up space and allows for extra drainage would work.

So, basically, I put a bunch of the large medium in the bottom (up to half depending on how much root mass I'm working with) of the pot, then put a net basket or similar in the center of the root mass...then back fill w/the bark or other medium that I am using. This allows the center/bottom to be very open and I've never experienced problems from using the large pots.

And, if the plant tends to be top heavy then I use rhizome clips to keep the plant from moving in the pot. In a basket you can run wire (cloth covered flower arranging wires work great) through the basket slats and secure it until the roots have taken hold. Once the roots have grown out and around and taken hold, you can then cut the wires and remove them...or just leave them indefinitely and then remove when you eventually divide.

:Tup:

That's what I thought when dimensioned this basket.
As I said before, I was considering using large bark in the whole pot, probably with Leka or something else to create voids. I even considered to use ONLY an inert medium such as Leka but, for now, that is out of my plans.

Thanks for the info, katrina.:)

Something I remembered this afternoon from another thread...to avoid the bark falling from the basket I could use this net as liner.
Sorry for the photo but, after all, these are also bulbs.;)
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/cebo...e-18553348.jpg

Any sort of mesh screening would do the job and still allow plenty of air flow. I don't do wood baskets anymore but when I did I used a black tulle (large mesh) fabric. Not the fine mesh but the largest available...and I secured it inside the basket with staples. Easy to do and worked like a charm. The tulle is a nylon type material so it held up very well and the black color made it nearly invisible.

Yes, the ones available here are also nylon, but the color...I haven't thought about it, they are almost always red or orange, sometimes yellow.:scratchhead:
Anyway, I'll find something in black.:)

The fruit and veggies stuff is always colorful over here too. I got the tulle at a fabric store...not expensive but free is always good. Plus, you're up-cycling when you use the produce bags. :)

A. The basket might be a little too deep. 10-12 cm inside depth would be what I recommend.

B. You do not say which bifoliate Cattleya this is for. Some species are VERY particular about when they want to be repotted (when new root tips appear from the base of the new growth).

I don't know its name. Here's a photo of the flower.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/...pswflfz51h.jpg

I'm aware bifoliates can be picky about when are reppoted. I reppoted it for the first time a month after I got it (in Nov 2015) and again, if I'm not wrong, one or two months later, so both out of the most recommended time. But the plant didn't show any stress and grew vigorously.

Please tell me if you still think that way after seeing the photos here.
Please note these pics were taken last July so now it's bigger, as well as the roots.

Based on photo, this is a hybrid, which is probably less particular about repotting time.

Re basket depth: Most Catts have shallow root system, thus my suggestion that basket is a bit deep.

I would suggest large bark, which should stay within the basket (very nice one!) with no screening. I have been starting to use wood baskets for Catts a lot, the plants seem to love them - roots grow between the slats, wrap around, it's like a three-dimensional mount. With large bark and the basket it is nearly impossible to overwater. As long as it is actively rooting, the timing is fine, your temperatures are quite moderate (neither hot nor cold). With that low humidity, and the good air circulation with the basket and large bark, you can (should) increase water frequency with no harm.

Yes, my plan is to use large bark+leka. I could put a layer of leka at the bottom to follow Kim's advice.
Would it be ok?

Sure. No harm. But if the bark does not fall out of the bottom of the basket, why bother? Just make sure that the plant is held firmly in place - if it wobbles, it is easy to tie to the corners of the basket to hold it still, so that the new roots don't get damaged until they grasp firmly. For most Catts, the less media the better, the roots love to ramble freely.

I use large chunks of red lava rock for all my Cattleyas and put them in large, over-sized basket pots so I don't need to worry about potting them up again for the next five years. I usually stake the orchid well so that it will not move. Only the roots go under medium, everything else is above. After a growing season, I usually do not need to worry about the rock moving as the roots tend to hold it quite tightly.

---------- Post added at 10:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:41 PM ----------

Leca is good as long as it won't move around the roots and your environment isn't too cool. I tried Leca as a medium and, except for the Phrag, I went back to Lava rock.
If your climate is warm enough or you can water every day, you do not even need medium in a basket. The medium helps to keep the air around the roots humid.
Different mediums work for different people. Good luck with whatever you decide!

---------- Post added at 11:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 PM ----------

With the bifoliate Cattleyas, I have never had a problem potting hybrids. The species, though....

I would fill the basket with coarse bark that has been sieved to remove the small stuff. It will need more watering, but it will be impossible to overwater.

That might also mean the basket will last longer.

Using coarse bark (2") you simply can't overpot.

You can use the fibre of Livistona chinensis to prevent little pieces of bark falling through. This palm has fibres that last very long, don't try Washingtonia nor Canary Date Palm (Phoenix), cause these last only half a year.
For me this basket is far to big (deep), but that may be my preference for under-potting anyway. These Catt-Emerald-Queen-lookalikes like to dry out in between as well as frequent watering, so a basket is the right way of potting them.
Have luck with your plant!

Thank you for all the sugestions.
The easiest for me is coarse bark. It will be difficult to find a 2" sieve so I'll have to choose the larger pieces from the bag. Corase bark here is, average, 1 to 1.5", with larger pieces mixed.
Now I just need to wait for the roots. If they take long to grow I'l repot it sooner than recommended (the pot where it's in is getting full of moss due to humidity retention).

1-1.5" (2-3 cm) bark should be perfect. That's the largest I can get, and it works well.

The point about the sieving is to remove the fine stuff. You don't need a 2" sieve. I just use a bit of weldmesh.

you want to ensure that there are no fine pieces blocking the flow or air.

I would add that fine pieces might be the starting point for premature degradation of the medium.

If you are going to use bark, buy a good grade so that it won't decompose at an inconvenient time. I just read an AOS article (1981) about the different medium and I found my question answered about why I was so dissatisfied with bark when everyone recommended it. I guess much of the bark sold is not of the quality that once was available. Here is the article on different mediums:

Potting Media Reviewed: Orchid Potting Media Reviewed

i have been using Orchiata, which is New Zealand pine bark. I am sure that it is sold quite internationally... for a price, of course. A top Cattleya (among other things) grower Fred Clarke (Sunset Valley Orchids) uses Kiwi Bark (also from New Zealand), different processing, and likes it even better. Both very long-lasting. But plain old fir bark, if the fine junk is removed, can be quite satisfactory. In an open basket, which dries out quickly, any even reasonably good bark will last longer than in a pot where it tends to stay perpetually wet.

That as well, of course.

I shoved all my catts up onto mounts.

I can't do that... With 15% HR in summer I couldn"t even go on vacation.

You can use automatic irrigation controllers, valves and sprayers to water for you. You can have your computer control the valves, or a separate clock controller that is wired to the valves. Better clocks can control many valves, be set to provide multiple watering times per day and variable watering times for each valve, between 1 minute and 4 hours.

Rainbird is a US company. They have a lot of technical and system design information available on their site, as well. I am sure there are equivalent companies in the EU:
Rain Bird Residential and Commercial Landscape Irrigation Solutions for Professionals

I would suggest looking at the Drip Irrigation/Xerigation section. I have used this one:
Rain Bird Xeri-Sprays & Misters Emission Devices

One of the few advantages of being a retired old git with time on my hands and no real desire to go anywhere. :rofl:

I am just a poor windowsill grower, without a garden or a greenhouse. I can't afford irrigation systems because I'm saving for....vacations.:biggrin:

Now seriously...Estación seca, thank you for the sugestions. I'll take a look but I think such a system might be too much for the plant qty I have. Plus they're all spread by different rooms in the house. That condition alone would increase the "project size".
I have someone who can attend my orchids twice a week. If I had mounts it wouldn't be enough but with baskets I think it's ok. Or not?

The more free time we have, the less we do. I understand you...;)

Well, as I have heard so many retired people say, I am damned if I know how I ever found time to work...

Don't forget, problems are just awaiting an engineering solution. If all I had was a window, I would turn it into a type of open greenhouse. I have seen some lovely examples. To spray a mount in the house is pretty easy. You make up a small lightweight spray booth that cups the mount and catches the spay and drippage, that you an hold with one hand. With the other you operate the spray, then wait a minute as it stops dripping, and you are done.
Mounts need watering every day, but they need so little time. I have about 100 mounts and they take me about 40 - 45 minutes the lot.

Here's my spray booth. Not exactly how you've designed it but.... it works and keeps both hands free.:biggrin:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/...pswg16x08a.jpg

Some updates... there's something growing in the plant. It is continuously growing new roots but this doesn't seem to be one. It looks more like a new pbulb. Or am I wrong?
It's not growing on one end of the rhizome, but on the base of the pbulb from 2 years ago.
I'm trying to determine the best time to repot it.

What do you think? Pbulb or root?:)


http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/...psiqkqmft3.jpg
http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/...psanloap7x.jpg
http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/...pssmzwphpp.jpg

Here's the newest root.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7avkatkt.jpg

Looks like a p-bulb to me! Any p-bulb can pop an "eye" at the base, not only the newest ones although that is where you would expect it. Maybe you'll get new growths on more than one p-bulb. That would be lovely!

That's what I was thinking. It would be awsome.:)
Maybe it's still too soon to put it in a basket, don't you think? Maybe should wait for more root growth.