Roots growing through drainage holes in the bottom of the pot?

[trdyl]

If it is a phal it is best to use a pot a little larger than what the roots just fit in. The styrofoam is a good idea. I have used it quite a bit when I was using moss as a medium.

[RosieC]

I've used styrofoam to fill out a big pot in the past as well and it seemed to work well. I don't like not being able to see roots either and I usually put the plant to one side rather than central, so I can still see the roots on that side.

[buckie]

I find it nearly unbeliveable that people worry about roots coming out the bottom of their pots, I have Cattleya's that have a root system about 3 feet long under the pot after 12 months, no worries with this at all. What you have got to remember is that the plants grow in the wild with no pot's or potting mixture, the plants grows with it's roots exposed to the weather, so the trick is to research your plants and try to grow them in the same way as they would be in the wild. This is not esay, but if you keep this in mind most of the other problems just go away.

Warren

[Tiffany_peel2]

Should i re pot this orchid? Also, is that a dead root? I just got this orchid from walmart yesterday.

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by Tiffany_peel2

Should i re pot this orchid? Also, is that a dead root? I just got this orchid from walmart yesterday.

Those are aereal roots, notmal for Phals. It's usually a good idea to repot any Phalaenopsis which you buy. Lord only knows how or when they were originally potted.

[Roberta]

[QUOTE=Jerry Delaney;253191 On actively growing plants, I usually trim all roots so that none go down more than 1/2 to 2/3 of the way in the pot. This is perhaps one of those cases that you will have to find what works best for you. In any case, I certainly agree with Ross that with the root system your plant has, it's certainly not going to notice a few broken roots.[/QUOTE]


Shorten healthy roots? I shudder at the thought! Some orchids (genera like Cymbidiums that produce lots of them) will put up with it, and clearly yours do, but the very thought pains me. The "Procrustean bed" ? I hate to think of amputating healthy,productive roots to make them fit.

[lauraeli]

6 inches is probably too big for a phal. Im assuming it was in the standard 4 inch before. I have two that are in 5 inch pots and those pots are very roomy. They've been in there around a year, and haven't filled the avilable space. I think if you need to up-pot a phal, one more inch is plenty

---------- Post added at 12:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:40 PM ----------

Oh sorry, I didn't realize this was an old thread

[bil]

Originally Posted by lauraeli

6 inches is probably too big for a phal. Im assuming it was in the standard 4 inch before. I have two that are in 5 inch pots and those pots are very roomy. They've been in there around a year, and haven't filled the avilable space. I think if you need to up-pot a phal, one more inch is plenty
Oh sorry, I didn't realize this was an old thread

Meh, i like to give plants plenty of room to spread their roots. My Phals currently go into pots that are about a foot across.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by bil

Meh, i like to give plants plenty of room to spread their roots. My Phals currently go into pots that are about a foot across.

I think that you also use very large bark, right? If the bark is large, so that the roots get a chance to dry out, large pot size is not a problem. It's if the center stays wet that there is a problem. As always, more than one right answer... as long as the objective of a wet-dry cycle for the roots is achieved, the "how" can vary widely.