Growing orchids bare-rooted in pots

[judiwa]

I was thinking about doing this with a Brassia which is in fact sitting bare root in a bowl right now. Helpful, glad you asked the question.

[MattWoelfsen]

Two years ago, I had several Vandacous alliance plants hanging on a wire and growing bare root. They did great as long as I kept them in high humidity, regularly hydrated, bright lights. They took a lot of effort to maintain good growth and flowers.

I took them off wires and found glass vases and stuffed their roots in the vases. It was not as difficult to grow them this way but still took a lot of effort.

Then I decided to take them out of the vases and found tall pots to grow them potted but they kept moving around, so I stabilized them by putting large strands of New Zealand Sphagnum Moss stuffed loosely around the roots. I did this transition a year ago.

They have grown better this year. Plus they don’t take a lot of effort and grow space. The moss provides good humidity to the roots, the tall pot keeps them in place, and I don’t have to water as often.

[Dollythehun]

Matt, I have three Rhynchostylis. One half of one rotted off due to my soaking to water it, two are in clay and bark. One is shriveled due to not soaking it, and one has stayed pretty stagnant in growth since I got it. Before I write them off, can I see a picture if your setup? Plus, I understand they hate to be repotted. These are the only plants I have not been successful with.

[TomThumb]

Hmmm....I haven't had my vandaceous orchids long but i also keep them in moss but in baskets instead of vases. They do seem to like it a lot and are happily expanding and growing roots. However i have to water them about every 2-3 days. They are still seedlings so perhaps i can get away with watering them less at a mature size

I have one rhynchostylis that lost all it's roots except for a 1cm nubbin during transit. I'm not sure what condition it was kept in but the velamen were just dried paper sheaths that stayed brown and literally crisped off when i wet them. This one is currently growing two new roots that are currently 1 cm and 1 inch long. The old 1cm nubbin didn't make it but lasted long enough to help the new roots along. I have the orchid resting on the rim of a normal plastic cup with some hydroton (clay medium) and sphag at the bottom with some water to provide extra humidity. Every morning i drape one strand of damp (not wet) sphag on the growing roots to provide some moisture and remove it in the early evening. Much more work than i want but one the roots are bit longer i will maintain it in it's plastic cup with sphag and clay medium for at least a year to see how it likes it.

Dolly, From what i can see, soaking vandaceous types usually work out fine if they are given a good drying period. Prior to basket and sphaging my vanda seedlings i had them soaking their roots only in water for about 5 hours daily (in the morning and early afternoon) with no adverse effect. However they appear to enjoy the basket more from the way the leaves just expanded and stretched out after the move. I work from home often but the basket and sphag also meant i don/t have to worry about forgetting to take them out of their soak. I'd forgotten once or twice with no real harm but i had to be careful to soak them later and for less time the next day.

[orchidsarefun]

I have a Grt. Why Not essentially growing bare root in a clear pot. The root ball was originally held up by a small clay pot but now the roots have taken over. These are notorious for requiring a quick root dry and this serves that purpose efficiently.

[SillyKeiki]

I have a Vanda denisoniana, a Rhynchostylis gigantea and an Ascocenda. I keep them bare rooted on that little plastic net they usually come in. Humidity is 60%. I soak them every day during 1/2 hour in winter and 1h in summer. They are all in excellent condition, their leaves plump and stiff. The roots develop nicely.

I have heard vandaceous type orchids hate to be in any kind of pot, so I kept them this way out of fear and it seems to work perfectly.

Yeah, it is a lot of work to soak them everyday, but I think it is worth the effort. Also, as the rest of my collection is in self-watering semi-hydro, I can invest more time on the vandaceous.

... I still don't know what I will do when I need to go on vacation.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Matt, I have three Rhynchostylis. One half of one rotted off due to my soaking to water it, two are in clay and bark. One is shriveled due to not soaking it, and one has stayed pretty stagnant in growth since I got it. Before I write them off, can I see a picture if your setup? Plus, I understand they hate to be repotted. These are the only plants I have not been successful with.

Hello Dollythehun! My experience with Vanda:
1) Vanda do not like root disturbance, so I leave them alone. Hanging bareroot on a wire would be the perfect way to grow but apparently not here in Fort Wayne, Indiana and not the way I can grow them.
2) Growing them in a pot with loosely stuffed NZ Sphagnum Moss seems for me a good way to grow these long root plants.

[MattWoelfsen]

This pot a representative of the pots I’ve converted wire hanging bare root plants into.

Pots like these are used for Cymbidium plants, but I found them perfect for Vanda with their long roots.

Notice that towards the bottom of the pot is space.

[TomThumb]

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

This pot a representative of the pots I’ve converted wire hanging bare root plants into.

Pots like these are used for Cymbidium plants, but I found them perfect for Vanda with their long roots.

Notice that towards the bottom of the pot is space.

So you're the other person buying up these pots! I've bought a bunch of them and i have my mini phals growing in them. My vandaceous types will outgrow a pot this size at some point but if they made a larger size pot in this style i would love to try growing my vandas in these.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by TomThumb

So you're the other person buying up these pots! I've bought a bunch of them and i have my mini phals growing in them. My vandaceous types will outgrow a pot this size at some point but if they made a larger size pot in this style i would love to try growing my vandas in these.

I have bought several sets of this four inch sized clear pots. I was able to import from Japan even larger pots—6” to 8” to 10” pots. The larger pots I’m using for my larger Vanda. Most of my Vanda are Neofinetia hybrids.