Pot Size Questions
 

Okay - I need some advice I have always wondered about this and think I have made the wrong decisions...

I have a Phal that I just repotted today - its mix was pretty soggy, bark that just soaked all the way thru and was starting to get squishy. It was in one of those clear 4.5" pots - roots totally filling it out for the most part. I tried to put it back in its pot, but I didn't like cramming those turgid roots back in there - I decided to pot up. Now it sits in a 6" clay pot (straight medium fir bark).

Then I have a restripia trichoglossa that is in a 2" pot and I can't even see the potting media, the thing has totally consumed its pot. Do I just try to tear out any media I can find and pot up? Divide? or just leave it be? I can post pics tomorrow - too dark to get a good one now.

Advice?

Hi Andrew, I would've potted your Phalaenopsis in a pot one size larger, 5" but if you are very careful and you allow the potting media to go just almost dry, you might be okay. I have a tendancy to overwater if the planting media looks dry but with that much material around the roots, you need to be more careful not to over water. Also, Phalaenopsis like a lot of air circulation around their roots, this much potting media may prove difficulty for the roots. If your plant is healthy, it will probably grow more roots above the planting media and outside the pot.

As for the Restripia trichoglossa, this is a Pleurothalid member. I have Masdevallia, another Pleurothalid. It grows in similar light as the Phalaenopsis, but it is a cool growing plant, and does not require the same temperature as Phalaenopsis. I would assume, and I hope someone growing this plant, would concur or not, that this plant likes to be firmly in its pot. So I would use a slightly larger pot, 2.5" or 3" pot. I would not try to unravel the roots, unless you want to divide the plant, I would just re-pot the plant in the new pot and add the new media around the root ball. I take great care not to disturb Masdevallia roots as this seems to set them back.

On second thought, generally speaking, it is always good to use as small a pot as possible for epiphytic orchids. They naturally live on tree branches and they rely on their roots to not only anchor them but to also seek out moisture and air-borne nutrients.

here are pictures - I think actually the phal should be okay - it seems to look right in its pot - but we'll see - I do water pretty carefully and err on the dry side with my phals

I really don't know what to do with the Restrepia. I almost am just thinking I should leave it there and just take a keiki and let the old plant die out - I really don't know - its a battle worn plant grown too high in light as you might see here.

Wow... With the Restrepia, I wouldn't undo the root mass. Put it in a pot one size larger and add media around the roots. I usually put styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the pot in the middle. It came out of a 2" pot? It looks like it would be fine in a 3" if you can get it in without damaging the roots. I'd personally go to a 4" pot for that one

You'd be surprised at how much new growth you can get off that old haggard looking growth. Just be patient, it will put our new growth given the opportunity. Repot it in a larger pot and let it be.