Looking for advice on repotting Blc

[glitchathon]

I just got this at the local grocery store:

It is a Blc Hawaiian Passion:




From the above photos you can see that the Blc has a lot of mossy covered dark pieces of bark. Is this stuff OK?

I would like to repot it and inspect the roots. I currently have some Better-Gro Phal mix which has western raw fir bark, hardwood charcoal, chunky peat moss, and coarse perlite.

I was thinking of hand picking the driest and larger pieces of bark, charcoal, and perlite (and avoid the peat moss) from my Phal mix and use that. And maybe if there are some rocks in the current Blc pot, I can reuse some of it. So far, all I see is dark pieces of bark though.

Or would i be much better off using some stuff from Repotme? I hope I can do OK with the bark and charcoal and perlite from the Phal mix though as I have already spent a lot on supplies this month.

THanks for any advice.

[WhiteRabbit]

I would wait for the blooms to be done before repotting - I don't know that Catts are as forgiving about being repotted while in bloom as Phals can be ...
I don't know if that's moss or algae on the bark - should be ok either way.

Catts do like to get slightly dry in between waterings, so if you don't over-water it should be ok til it's done blooming.

Hopefully someone can help with the potting mix question - the peat chunks might be ok - guess it depends on your climate, and how much you like to water lol

[glitchathon]

My wife got nervous when i repotted our Phal while in bloom . I suppose I should wait to repot this then!

I wonder why most Cattleya mixes from reputable sources use CHC instead of bark? I thought CHC holes more water than bark and that Cattleya prefers less water retention? It seems other than bark vs CHC, the Phal mix is quite close to most Cattleya mixes.

[WhiteRabbit]

I have Catts in CHC - tho prefer to have those in clay pots - it does retain more moisture, and dries more slowly, than bark, but it is also "airy-er" than bark, and decomposes more slowly. But like I said - for Catts if I pot them in CHC I put them in clay pots, which helps it to dry faster than in plastic pots.
I do have a couple Catts potted in bark mix too. Both "work" - just different watering schedules lol.

[orchidsamore]

Bark, charcoal and perlite is the most common mix for Cattleya. Removing the peat moss will allow you to reuse the Phal mix. Phals like to grow moist and Cattleya like to grow dry. Peat holds too much water for a Cattleya. I personally increase the amount of charcoal in my mixes to keep the mix drier.

I recognize the grower from the pot and your source of supply. His plants do not need to be re-potted for another year. This one is nicely positioned in the pot with a medium that is not braking down. It will do fine for another year without re-potting. When you re-pot you will fine that the mix is Bark Charcoal and perlite. You do not see it now since bark and charcoal are hard to distinguish after a time in the pot. The perlite is partially crushed in re-potting and the mix has a tendency to settle in the pot from frequent watering.

Every Orchid should be re-potted at least every other year.

I do not know a commercial grower that uses CHC with Cattleya. Everything can work but do not switch to CHC unless you are comfortable with the product. I do not personally like CHC for anything.

Re-potting a Cattleya in bloom can be done and I do it all the time, but I do not recommend it for hobbyist. There is a steep learning curve to do it properly and the first few hundred are difficult.

[RJSquirrel]

MY take about re-potting plants like that. The Tightly bound roots force the bulbs to grow and stand upright,vertical. If you re-pot to a larger pot the bulbs will start to separate from each other and leave the mothership so to speak.So instead of having a nice upright plant it will grow out and start to lean over .Then in turn the bulbs will start breaking apart bec they have no structure for support..That causes the loss of warmth and humidity in the whole plant that its naturally created by the bulbs close proximity to each other..you disrupt the micro weather patterns the plant has established

[glitchathon]

Orchidsandmore,
thanks much for the advice! I am glad I can leave things be for a year. There was a tag when I bought it that said "Aloha Orchids". Is that the company that supplied it?

I am glad I have a year to learn about repotting Cattleya's. What is the main difference between repotting those and repotting Phals?

RJSquirrel,
thanks for the advice on that. do you think the issue you mentioned is best avoided by being careful not to overpot? I had been planning to go from the current 4" to a 4.5" (since that is all i have) but with packing foam to make up for the extra space. In any case, I will wait a year to repot this one.

[Call_Me_Bob]

i must have read wrong, ecause i thought the general consensus was to repot after its done blooming.

i have my catts in fir bark and charcoal

if you turn the pot when there are leads, so that the lead grow towards the rest of the plant. this will help it stay compact


i cant believe you got a catt at a grocery store!! and with a name!

[frostedeyes]

nah dont repot it let it be... theres still room for catts to grow on that pot. catts are sensitive to repots... and it might take years to rebloom but if ur a pro go ahead. just give them the required condition.

[glitchathon]

Originally Posted by help

i cant believe you got a catt at a grocery store!! and with a name!

Yea, this is the New Seasons Market in Oregon. They have orchids occasionally and they are all ones I have never seen or heard of! In fact, we did not even find a Phal there last night.