OK to use a hanging "vanda basket" indoors? - Orchid Board

Claire25 · #1 07-07-2011, 07:50 PM

Hi all,

I have a Cattleya that has outgrown its 6 inch clay pot and desperately needs a repotting. The problem is, I'm having trouble finding a large enough clay pot for it--there are plastic pots large enough, but as I grow outdoors in the summer I need something with more "heft" to it to keep the plant upright in a thunderstorm. I was thinking that one of those wood "vanda baskets" might be a good solution, but I don't know what to expect in terms of using it over the winter, indoors.

Has anyone tried using one of these in a indoor growing situation? Do they dry out too quickly to be practical? I do grow in 100% moss, so I wonder if that might offset the drying issue a bit.

This is such a nice plant...it has new leads all over...really don't want to divide it if I can help it.

Thanks for any suggestions,
Claire

Claire25 · #2 07-08-2011, 04:21 PM

Well, I seem to have solved my immediate conundrum--found some big clay pots for sale at Kelly's Corner Orchid Supplies online. Thought I'd looked everywhere, but apparently not.

Still, it would be interesting to know if the baskets would work in a non-greenhouse environment. Might have to try one out sometime, on a "guinea pig" plant!

Claire

gnathaniel · #3 07-08-2011, 05:34 PM

Hi Claire, I grow a lot of plants in wooden baskets indoors year-round and they work quite well, even for moisture-lovers like Bulbophyllums and Stanhopeinae. I use a lot of sphagnum in baskets, the few Cattleyas I have growing this way seem to like it well.

--Nat

WhiteRabbit · #4 07-09-2011, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Hi Claire, I grow a lot of plants in wooden baskets indoors year-round and they work quite well, even for moisture-lovers like Bulbophyllums and Stanhopeinae. I use a lot of sphagnum in baskets, the few Cattleyas I have growing this way seem to like it well.

--Nat

thanks for sharing your experience - I too have wondered how well baskets may, or may not, work for me indoors

WhiteRabbit · #5 07-09-2011, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claire25

Well, I seem to have solved my immediate conundrum--found some big clay pots for sale at Kelly's Corner Orchid Supplies online. Thought I'd looked everywhere, but apparently not.

Still, it would be interesting to know if the baskets would work in a non-greenhouse environment. Might have to try one out sometime, on a "guinea pig" plant!

Claire

I'm glad you asked about this, as I have been wondering too - how well baskets may work for me indoors for at least part of the year. Have an Ascda needed repotting, and was wondering about a basket - didn't think I'd be able to get the aerial roots in a pot that wasn't huge - I was actually able to repot into a non-huge pot, but I'm sure in the future I'll be faced with this again

Claire25 · #6 07-09-2011, 10:32 AM

Yeah, it's great to know that the baskets may be a workable solution! Thanks for all the input...I am definitely going to give it a shot when I repot my Brassavola, as it is such a rampant grower.

Claire25 · #7 07-09-2011, 10:40 AM

Whiterabbit: I know what you mean! It seems that on my larger plants the rootballs are just out of control. Until a greenhouse is in the cards (when I can hopefully successfully mount some of them) I'll have to get creative. BTW I bet that Ascda will look great in a basket...they always do, to me, when grown that way. Let us know how it works out.

Claire

WhiteRabbit · #8 07-09-2011, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claire25

Whiterabbit: I know what you mean! It seems that on my larger plants the rootballs are just out of control. Until a greenhouse is in the cards (when I can hopefully successfully mount some of them) I'll have to get creative. BTW I bet that Ascda will look great in a basket...they always do, to me, when grown that way. Let us know how it works out.

Claire

I bet it would - I finally just repotted into a slightly larger pot (roots were more pliable, especially after soaking, than I had anticipated) - while I was being indecisive about what to do with it, a week or so ago I watered it and an earwig crawled out! This plant has been inside for several months, so that had a big ick factor to me! lol so that was it! decided I was just repotting that day somehow, someway! But may definitely try a basket for this, or another plant in the future. I have a small mounted Neo with some crazy long roots for such a small plant, and I've been thinking about taking it off the mount, and perhaps it may like a small basket