Small pot in a big pot? What? - Orchid Board

jrodpad · #1 07-18-2010, 07:08 PM

Hey folks,

A few days ago I received a beautiful Beallara Patricia McCully Princess in the mail. It was a good size orchid in a 6 or 7inch plastic pot, with 6 or 7 p-bulbs and two graceful flower spikes loaded with buds. After unboxing, I noticed that the "rootball" of the orchid was sitting a bit high so I decided to dump out the bark and seat the orchid down a bit in the pot. I got two big surprises when I took the orchid out: (1) the potting mix was made up of charcoal, pearlite, bark and POTTING SOIL??, and (2) the orchid was in a second smaller (3") plastic pot!!!! There's no way I can remove the smaller pot as the roots have grown over the top, through the bottom and up around the smaller plastic pot. It's essentially being swallowed by the orchid and I'd have to perform some real surgery and kill allot of healthy looking roots to remove the smaller plastic pot.

Is this normal? Is this common culture for a Beallara? This is my first, so I'm not all that sure what to do - it just seams counter intuitive; won't this eventually choke out and kill the orchid?

What should I do? Should I reach out to the grower and ask why they sent it like this?

Hopefully someone out there has experience with Beallaras and can point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

- J

Rosiefuture · #2 07-18-2010, 11:55 PM

Hi J,

I've had this before as well. I think the grower has allowed the plant to out-grow the pot and like you doesn't want to mangle it to get the small pot off. I guess the only answer they could think of was to repot leaving it in the orginal and hoping for the best.

I suppose the plant would carry on growing as new roots are emerging into the outer medium. I'm afraid I'd have to do the surgery, like you I'd be afraid the plant would strangle it's self. I'd sit down with a small very sharp pair of scissor and possibly a scalpel and start carving the small pot away. If you are gentle and patient you may not lose too many good roots.

I'm no expert but it sound like you maybe ought to get it into some quality orchid medium.

Another thought........(I'm full of them!

) If you can't get the little pot away completely without doing a heap of damage, just shred it where you can help relieve the pressure.

Marion

johnblagg · #3 07-19-2010, 12:36 AM

I think that David waldor suggests something simalar actualy in one of his monthly articles ....placing a smaller pot into a larger pot...

Not actually sure but I know I have read this somewhere as a this is what we do and it works well.

I am not saying I would like it myself but if it is a nice healthy plant and in spike then it dosent seem to have hurt so far ....but Im kind of thinking like you and would be going aww crap now what?

Rosiefuture · #4 07-19-2010, 01:07 AM

:

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnblagg

I think that David waldor suggests something simalar actualy in one of his monthly articles ....placing a smaller pot into a larger pot...

Not actually sure but I know I have read this somewhere as a this is what we do and it works well.

I am not saying I would like it myself but if it is a nice healthy plant and in spike then it dosent seem to have hurt so far ....but Im kind of thinking like you and would be going aww crap now what?

Hi John, yeah I couldn't help thinking that with the main root ball being so closely confined that eventually it's going to kark-it! LOL

Marion

Eyebabe · #5 07-19-2010, 09:20 AM

I would wait until it is done flowering.
Then I would operate.
Overall, you can approach it two ways.
The central portion of the plant where it is overgrown engulfing the pot has media in it like fir bark etc that will degrade and eventually the roots will rot...eventually.
If you use the second pot, you are essentially writing that portion of the plant off and committing yourself to the new growth. Over time, you hopefully have enough new growth and will be able to cut off the "tumor" without harm to the plant.
On the other hand, if you do not have sufficient new growth when the root system goes...

The second approach is to hack away(read: delicately soak for some time after flowering and carefully spend a few hours with sharp utensils picking away slowly to preserve as much as possible of the root ball) and repot in an attempt to "have it all"!
You do risk stressing the plant to the point of losing it this way as well...

I generally go the way of number two because I am fairly rigid with my plants. Plus, I don't like some unknown that can harbor problems that can spread to other plants either(read: "worry wort")
Anyway, for now, enjoys the blooms

cb977 · #6 07-19-2010, 10:12 AM

I have a few chids that are set up as a pot in a pot. I only feel comfortable with it because they're full of aliflor (or hydroton). If they were planted in bark, I'd figure out a way to get the old pot and media out and start fresh.

peeweelovesbooks · #7 07-19-2010, 10:13 AM

SBOE does this. The first time I got a Laelia division from them, I almost had a heart attack.

Theoretically, growers use this method to have as little root disruption as possible, and while I can understand the madness behind the method, I decided that I wasn't a fan of the pot within the pot method, for the reasons eyebabe so eloquently described. Besides, let's face it, it's offensive to my OCD nature in ways I cannot even begin to describe. (smirk)

Anyway, one of my mottos is: "There is no root system that Maria cannot disentangle from its present container." All it takes is probably lots of time, energy, LOTS of PATIENCE, judicious application of cutting tools, LOTS of patience and a lot of soaking.

I would wait until the blooms are spent, if that matters to you.

Swamper · #8 07-19-2010, 10:21 AM

I don't grow those but I do see it done with vandas all the time. I'd worry more about the topsoil you mentioned, or maybe that is normal?

WhiteRabbit · #9 07-20-2010, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peeweelovesbooks

Anyway, one of my mottos is: "There is no root system that Maria cannot disentangle from its present container." All it takes is probably lots of time, energy, LOTS of PATIENCE, judicious application of cutting tools, LOTS of patience and a lot of soaking.

LOL - I lack your OCD nature, but am with you on this! Ok, so maybe I am slightly OCD when repotting, at least as far as wanting to get rid of AAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL the old media no matter how long it takes!

jrodpad · #10 07-20-2010, 09:50 AM

Thanks for all the input. I think I'm going to let the blooms run their course and then I'll perform the surgery as discussed above. I'm just so annoyed at the vendor right now... this is a really reputable place and I'm shocked that they'd ship an orchid like that. I'm going to have to reach out to them and see what the story is.

In a month or two when she's all done blooming I'll link back to this thread and post pics. You're not going to believe the way in which the beallara is swallowing the little pot.

Thanks again.

- J