Basket vs. pot for a Bulb. Daisy Chain
 

So my new little Bulb. Daisy Chain needs a repot. I have a couple of wooden baskets laying around that I am thinking about using. My question is- if it's in a basket, how difficult is it to repot it once the media breaks down? Growing these in baskets IS pretty but when the time comes to freshen up the media it seems like it might be a pain in the you-know-what... and quite brutal on the root system. Currently, I grow all of my bulbos in sphagnum, in either clay or plastic pots (with a few mounted ones). With the high temps I get combined with the daily watering for these guys, repotting must be done annually. Should I just stick to clay pots? Or are baskets easier than I am making them out to be?

I usually see this one either mounted or in a wooden Vanda basket. Bulbos always seem to like to climb over everything. :)

If you use a plastic net pot you can let the bulbo grow down the sides and around it and you won't have to repot as frequently. I had one that was in a basket for several years prior to dividing. Of course, the dividing was a total nightmare...but the basket afforded me a much longer time before the deed had to be done.

Yes, repotting from a basket becomes a PITA, compared to a pot, but I think the more important questions is "do your conditions favor growing it in a basket?" and/or " are you willing to do the extra watering that a basket will require?"

I honestly have no idea if my conditions favor a basket over a terra-cotta pot. I don't really know what factors into that besides humidity. The only things I have in baskets right now are my Vandaceous types, a Maxillaria, and my new little Stanhopea. The Stan is in straight sphag, like this one would be, and I have been able to keep it evenly moist with no problem.

After looking at the plant again last night, I might divide it into 2 or 3 pieces and try some different things. This thing is growing in all directions and there's over 30 bulbs, so I should be able to make some nice sized divisions

---------- Post added at 09:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 AM ----------

Can you help a girl out and explain why does this affect the lenght of time you can leave the plant in the basket? Don't I still need to worry about the sphagnum going acidic?

I would speculate that if you are handling moss OK, the bulbo would love it.

I'd also encourage you to not divide it up, as large colonies are overall more resilient and sturdier that smaller divisions. Not to mention far more impressive when they bloom.

I think that Katrina was referring to the fact that roots don't attach themselves as strongly to plastic as they do to wood, so moving it on would make extraction easier. The lifespan of moss is independent of the basket material.

We recently had Bill Thoms as the featured speaker for our Alabama Orchid Society. Bill has 'just a few' FCC and merit awards for his dozens of hybrids (almost all with the name 'adorybil'. His 'star fish' method of growth is attributed to always having about a quarter inch of water in the saucers of his plants, fertilizing often, plenty of air flow, and more light (diffused) than most people think Bulbos should have.

Ahh, now I get the plastic vs wooden basket. I was going to take your advice about not dividing but when I pulled the bulbo out it was actually three separate pieces shoved in its pot (annoying) but had more pbulbs than I had initially seen (awesome). So now I have the main division of 25 pbulbs in a 6" wooden vanda basket -small bottom layer of lava rock, sphag on top about 2"-3" deep, a 10 pbulb piece in a 4" plastic basket and another little 5 pbulb division that I'm going to mount as soon as I can find my little box of cypress wood
Thanks for the advice!

---------- Post added at 10:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 PM ----------

I continue to be amazed at how much light some bulbos can actually take. Many of mine have been hit with sun between 10 and 1pm, a couple of hours at a time, with bright filtered light before and after, with no signs of burning. And yes, he has made some amazing crosses!

I haven't heard Bill Thoms speak but I have his book. Based on what he said Bulbos should do fantastic in NO during hot, wet weather.

He puts almost all his Bulbos in low baskets. They have very short roots that need to get very wet every day. He mounds a few foam packing peanuts in the center, then pots the plant in a layer of sphagnum. He waters every day, watering each side of the basket, completely soaking the plant. On hot days he waters twice. He stands many in a low dish of water.

They grow out in all directions. He gets the CCMs when there is a fringe of new growth in bloom hanging all the way around the edge of the basket.

So the little lady has been very happy with the repot and has been sending out bloom spikes like crazy ever since. While the blooms only last for a few days, the spikes develop rapidly and I have been getting two open at a time for the last few weeks. I gotta say, this has to be one of the most friendly looking bulbos :love:
Thanks for the help!