SH below, air roots above. How to repot?

[Kim in CT]

Bellina has been in LECA for two years, and I'm pleasantly surprised with how well the plant has done. Huge leaves and two spikes, presently blooming and smelling delightfully of lemons. She is under lights on a heat mat. Under each big leaf is a big aerial root, almost like a leaf-root-leaf lasagna. She seems happy for now, and I'm happy to let her do her thing, but I also would like to plan ahead for when it's time to repot.

I'll post pictures when I get home this evening.

[Kim in CT]

Here are some pictures to illustrate my question. The last one is a noid phal that has recovered from several bad experiences, the most recent involving a fall from a high shelf that snapped off a new spike AND the entire top of the plant. It rebounded by sending out TWO basal growths/keikis, both of which are spiking! But it is really an eyesore. Would be a contestant in the Ugly Orchid Pageant. So I should just let them all "do their thing" and forego repotting?

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Kim in CT

Here are some pictures to illustrate my question. The last one is a noid phal that has recovered from several bad experiences, the most recent involving a fall from a high shelf that snapped off a new spike AND the entire top of the plant. It rebounded by sending out TWO basal growths/keikis, both of which are spiking! But it is really an eyesore. Would be a contestant in the Ugly Orchid Pageant. So I should just let them all "do their thing" and forego repotting?

Read again what Ray says here...

Originally Posted by Ray

...What is is doing is seeking to improve its mechanical stability by reaching out to grab more territory, so those aerial roots, once attached, can act as “guy wires” to stabilize the plant.

That's what your phals are doing. As they grow they reach out to grab and stabilize themselves onto the tree they're growing on so as the plant gets bigger it won't fall onto the ground. Gravity vs falling off the tree. We put them into pots, but it doesn't change their growth habit. Look at the size of the pot they're in. They aren't going to curve around to go down into the LECA or bark. If you don't want those aerial roots...

Originally Posted by Ray

...move phals into S/H pots bigger than the leaf span of the plants. They then sank those aerial roots into the medium and grew happily without adding more.

As Ray said, it was an experiment. Now, the downside to that is each plant will take up more real estate on the bench. For most, each little piece of bench is valuable real estate. I have several that are in pots just about the size you're using... around Yankee Candle size...and they look the same. Maybe I can remember to take a picture and post here.

Your last two pics 5 & 6... I agree, that could win an Ugly Orchid contest. Were it mine I would be performing surgery and dividing off the two basal starts, potting up separately, decreasing the neck of the plant [like an African violet surgery]. If you've never done it, it would be a great experiment/learning for you. The other alternative would be to repot much lower (decreasing the neck of the plant as well) cutting off the old crown and sealing. Pic 4 looks like it went through a dehydrated stage for awhile, but appears to be recovering nicely. Pics 1-3... that's a nice looking leaf/root lasagna.