I just received a beautiful Aerangis articulata from Marlows Orchids. It came in a 4" / 10cm plastic pot. There is a layer of dry-on-arrival moss on top of the pot, obscuring the medium. The plant has two long aerial roots growing from the stem above the moss, then out and down around the outside of the pot. There are two more roots emerging from the moss near the edges of the pot, also growing down around the outside of the pot.
I have read here on Orchid Board that Aerangis should not be watered until the roots are completely dry. I wasn't sure what is the medium in the pot, whether there are roots in the pot, nor whether it arrived completely dry. So I gently lifted the moss at one edge.
I found it is a mat of moss that is loose on top of the large bark medium in the pot. It is not attached at all. I was easily able to lift up the edges all the way around the pot, while the mat of moss remains intact. Then I realized the entire mat of moss plus plant could be lifted, because there are no roots at all growing into the medium. The two roots emerging from the moss attach to the stem just below the surface of the moss. The medium is old and broken down enough it that it would warrant repotting if any roots were growing into it.
My question: What should I do next?
I have a zone in my growing room with sprinklers that could spray this plant along with other plants on any schedule I like. It is still quite warm here so I have them sprayed with tap water every morning for 10 minutes. When it cools down I will increase the watering interval to every 2-3 days.
I also have a zone with plants I must hand water.
My choices would be:
- Leave it as it is. The pot would be essentially a horizontal mount. The roots would dry out between waterings. The moss might come back to life and attach to the medium, or maybe not. The sprinklers use tap water which is chlorinated.
- Take the plant off the current pot and set it on top of a wide, shallow pot with LECA. Ease the ends of the roots into the LECA. Either hand water or put in the spray zone.
- Mount the plant. Set it in the spray zone. I don't grow any mounts that I need to water by hand, since I sometimes can't water every day. It seems to me this would probably damage the roots at least a little.
What do people think?