Repotting large Blc. Hausermann's holiday into S/H

[shahrezsyed]

I purchased a large Blc. Hausermann's holiday in an 8.5" pot around two months ago and since then, I have noticed lots of root growth as well as the emergence of 4 new growths/pseudobulbs emerging from four distinct corners of the plant. I really want to repot the plant into a large pot and let it grow undisturbed for a long time as I feel like this Blc. has the potential to turn into quite a display specimen over time.
I'm planning to repot it into a huge food safe container with Leca. Is there any reason I shouldn't repot into a container this large or am I good to go? I'm fairly new to semi-hydroponics so I didn't want to take any chances before taking the plunge with this particular orchid.
Sorry for the rotated pictures, they rotated like this automatically upon uploading...

[Ray]

Growing in LECA is not growing in semi-hydroponics, it is simply traditional culture in an inorganic medium.

Personally, I think that's the best thing to do for your plant, as moving it into true semi-hydroponics with a reservoir would likely result in a setback.

That new pot size is probably OK, maybe a bit large, but nothing to worry abut.

[shahrezsyed]

Originally Posted by Ray

Growing in LECA is not growing in semi-hydroponics, it is simply traditional culture in an inorganic medium.

Personally, I think that's the best thing to do for your plant, as moving it into true semi-hydroponics with a reservoir would likely result in a setback.

That new pot size is probably OK, maybe a bit large, but nothing to worry abut.

Oh, I actually was planning to transition it into S/H with a reservoir and using LECA as the medium. Should I not do that then?

[Ray]

There is no "transitioning".

Roots growing into a certain pot environment tailor themselves to that environment, then cannot change. Move them into a different environment, and they are no longer optimal, so will start to fail, and will need to be replaced with new roots that are.

Going from bark to LECA requires one such change, and moving it later to S/H requires a complete second change.

If you were planning on moving it to S/H, that's fine. Seeing the traditional pot made me think that wasn't the way you were going, so my apologies for making you second-guess.

The fact that new roots are emerging from the growth fronts suggests the timing is perfect, and I recommend that you keep it good and warm, and uniformly moist while it gets established.

[WaterWitchin]

I say go for it! I recently repotted a Blc. into a "small" plastic bin that's probably about 12" x 18" and it's rambling along it like wildfire. Also a monster-sized cym into a five gallon trash can, that has a ton of new growth coming.

Both transferred into S/H, originally in bark mix. My only regret is I couldn't find the right shape container for the cym in something at least semi-clear, thus a nice brown shade but cannot view the roots.

BTW... what size is that food container? I need one similar for another project.

[shahrezsyed]

Originally Posted by Ray

There is no "transitioning".

Roots growing into a certain pot environment tailor themselves to that environment, then cannot change. Move them into a different environment, and they are no longer optimal, so will start to fail, and will need to be replaced with new roots that are.

Going from bark to LECA requires one such change, and moving it later to S/H requires a complete second change.

If you were planning on moving it to S/H, that's fine. Seeing the traditional pot made me think that wasn't the way you were going, so my apologies for making you second-guess.

The fact that new roots are emerging from the growth fronts suggests the timing is perfect, and I recommend that you keep it good and warm, and uniformly moist while it gets established.

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

I say go for it! I recently repotted a Blc. into a "small" plastic bin that's probably about 12" x 18" and it's rambling along it like wildfire. Also a monster-sized cym into a five gallon trash can, that has a ton of new growth coming.

Both transferred into S/H, originally in bark mix. My only regret is I couldn't find the right shape container for the cym in something at least semi-clear, thus a nice brown shade but cannot view the roots.

BTW... what size is that food container? I need one similar for another project.

Thanks for the advice guys!
The food safe container in the picture is this one. They're also very sturdy and come in different sizes. Amazon.com: Carlisle 120530 Bains Marie Round Storage Container Only, 12 Quart Capacity, Translucent: Industrial & Scientific

Finally, Ray, I wanted to ask what ambient temperatures would be low enough that I should get a heat mat (for the orchids after potting into S/H). Trying to figure out if I need one or not...

[WaterWitchin]

Perfect container for my need... Thanks!

[estación seca]

My friends in Rocklin County NY tell me they've had a very cold summer. The heat mat won't hurt. I would use it.