Started my Catt repot and need quick input help!

[lmartiny]

I'm sorry to start a new thread on this same issue but needed to get some quick input. Help!
I opted to go ahead with repotting this Catt. I soaked it first but still had trouble getting the pot off.
It is one tight mass of tangled roots. Most seem brown and mushy but there are a few good ones entangled I believe. I started to work away the roots and rocks from the bottom up. Trimming dead stuff.
I have FLBob's tutorial and my roots look nothing like his.
I stopped working on it. I'm unsure what to do. Will I have to take this bare bones? Should I try to work from the top down? I've not tackled such a big one. I don't want to ruin it. I just bought it several weeks ago.
I appreciate any input.

Top roots

out of the pot

tightly woven roots

bottom, after loosening

on hold pending advice

Thanks, Lynne

[Tarad]

OH my. Did you soak it really good before trying this? I had a Catt like that, that I had to divide it was sooo big and a root mess. I got nervous and took it too the local agricultural expert who also grows orchids and let her do it. Had two 10 inch pots when she got done.
I cant really tell on that last pic, hopefully catts experts can chime in. Tara

[Myxamatosis]

I have a big phal that looked like that. What I did is a little crude, but worked alright. I used a DULL butter knife to pry between the roots that have grown together to help separate things. I trimmed off all of the filaments of the various broken roots. Under the logic of 'it grew lots of roots, lets see it do it again' I removed all obstructive roots until they all hung fairly neatly. I must have removed a literal handful of roots before I was done. The phal. turned out fine, until i over watered it and rotted off all of the roots I tried so hard to protect. guess that is how it goes eh? Good luck and don't worry about taking out a lot of roots, just be as judicious as you can.

Sam

[patticake]

They can tolerate quite a bit of disturbance at this stage! As Myxamatosis stated, you can use a knife to pry two chunks of roots apart. the rhizomes at the the top would have to be severed at a joint leaving at least 3-4 pbs on each section. This is done with a sharp knife, and then treated with cinnamon on the cuts. You could just move the entire thing to a bigger pot with the oldest part against the side of the pot, and the growing ends towards the middle. That would give the plant room to spread, and you could have a nice specimen plant!

[brookn]

It also helps to use a dishpan, and gently comb your hand through the roots while they are soaking in water. You can soak it for quite a while before starting, and this will help them to loosen up.

[katrina]

Whoa! Deja Vu! Looks like 2 oncids I've repotted in the past month.

Ok..so if this were mine.....first and foremost...I'd try to keep the plant whole..if possible. Don't start this until you have a bit of time to play around here...it's not going to be quick but IMO I don't think it's going to be as bad as it seems.

I'd trim away as much of that bottom stuff as I could. I'd use something (as others have said) to pry apart some of the tangle in the upper half. It looks to me like there are some viable roots in that upper part so...personally...I'd go easy on the prying at the risk of leaving some of the tangle. On my oncid I took a small scissors and cut across areas that were definitely dead and then just tried to unravel as best I could. I left some of the tangle because I could see viable roots. On the catt...again if it were mine...it's going to be hard to get rid of all the tangle w/out losing some good roots so I'd just leave some of it.

Once I've cleaned it up the best I could (top and roots)...I'd do one more soak in some of the cinnamon concoction for good measure. Then, I'd do a short soak in rooting hormone...just a few minutes..at this point the roots are saturated and won't take too much in anyway. Then, I put it in a basket w/out anything in the bottom. I'd anchor it into the basket using that tangle. The bottom tangle of roots...some alive/many dead....will act as a mat for the plant. Those that are live will continue to grow...those that are dead will act more like a container of sorts. I'd fill in the sides and a little on the top w/something other than bark...something that's going to drain fast. Then...let nature do it's thing.


Looks like you chose a good time to do this. I can see healthy roots on top and now that it's almost finished blooming it'll begin to grow some new roots. If there were a best time to do this...I'd say now is that time. I could be wrong...but those roots didn't get that way overnight and the upper part of the plant seems fine. I think...given proper care from the point forward...I don't see any reason why it shouldn't recover.

Soooooo...that's what I would do. Hang tight and let's see what some others have to say too.

[digitalgate]

cut all root that is soft , those that are firm leave it. But the most important thing is what you want to do with the plant?
you want to get many plant out of this?
You want to see flowers like "tomorrow" ?

If you want many plant out of this , then cut 4 bulb from the newest bulb and cut all dead root.Separate this from the rest repot into a new pot.
The rest of the plant? cut every 4 as a division without separating them. Cut all the dead root as well. put this back into the pot and wait for any new growth then cut
out any one with new growth into a new pot.

If you want to see the flower "tomorrow" cut away the dead root and put it into bigger
pot. Tie it down with No media. wait for the new roots to established then add material . How to tie? ask someone in your local orchid society to teach you.
This method will not work outside of Florida or Hawaii. Other state just add potting material as humidity is too low.

[janet_a]

put on some soothing music, and plan on spending about 15 minutes over your trash can working your fingers through the roots. if you don't get all the old stuff out, don't sweat it.

you could also just whack 25% of the rootball off--don't worry, it'll grow more.

[Danelady]

I freaked part way through repotting the monster I repotted. I decided to just go ahead and go for it, though!! I cut away almost all the roots. Only the ones that were on the oustside of the pot were green and firm. There were not many roots left when I did this. I repotted mine on the 11th of January. The new growths (the ones I didn't break off, anyway) are flourishing and I have a lot of new roots starting. That plant can take a lot! I'm glad I went ahead and repotted and I hope I will be rewarded w/a lot of blooms later this year!!
Just take a deep breath and go for it! Cut away whats not green and firm and you'll get new roots soon.

[NicC]

I think you have come a long way from the first to last picture. I think the suggestion that it will take 15 minutes is very optimistic but it can be done. Soaking is the answer. I use a solution of physan-20, a root stimulator(KLN or SuperThrive) and fertilizer of choice mixed according to each directions. Get a stool or work at a table. I work over the sink(don't forget a strainer over the drain lest you clog things up) then tease and cut away. You need to get into the center of the ball to see the condition of the roots there. Many of them may be bad and need cutting away making the job easier. The strangling roots at the top may need to be sacrifices to separate the mass. Once you see what you have you can go to the separating techniques mentioned above. I bet once this has been loosened the separations will happen without a lot of cutting.
Good luck.
Nick

[lmartiny]

OK. Thanks everybody. I did start to freak out last night. And it was a bigger project than I'd thought. I'm going to soak it some more and work on the roots some more. My plan is to keep it whole.

[11Orchid126]

If you find that you have cut away a great portion of the center of the roots, you can fill this with packing peanuts to prevent the center from rotting away again. I get a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap ready, my pot ready, and then I take the plant and hold it between my fingers and turn it upside down. I then fill the cavity with the packing peanuts. Over this I put the piece of plastic wrap. I put the pot over this. Then I turn the whole shebang right side up, and gradually slip the saran away that is between the roots and the pot.

[lmartiny]

Here is the finished product. I employed a mix of your suggestions. The roots at top were not going to separate without mangling them. I lopped off the lower section cleaned out a bit more dead stuff and cleaned off some of the dried sheath material. I think I've handled it enough. i did soak it in Brookn's mix again first. Then Superthrive before potting. I stuck a few peanuts into the void in the middle and plunked it down on enough bark mix to bring it up level with the basket. Otherwise there is no other mix. I saw a couple of nubs that look like new growth. So now I wait for new growth before adding more mix? How should I water?







THANK YOU

Usually when I diddle with my plants it is my play time and stress relief. With this I was one big ball of nerves. Nothing like a Home Depot repot which has been my only experience.

By the way, this orchid has a name. Tag says Lc. Little Pirate (Lc. Cariad's mini-Quinee x Lc. Pirate King)

[CharliesAngel51]

Looks like you did a good job.

[digitalgate]

use a stretchable nylon string to tie the plant. The less movement the plant have. The faster it will established. It will bloom faster as well. Dont use a stick , the plant can still move.

[Joan]

Very handsome and healthy looking orchid repot. Great job!!

[katrina]

Well...there you go Lynne...your first big frightening repot! LOL! From here on out...anything else you need to repot will seem like a piece of cake.

Good job!!

I would...like digital mentioned...secure the plant into the basket. Tying it or wiring it in there will be more stable while it's becoming established.

[patticake]

It looks great! I might add some bark mix between the root-ball and the sides of the basket. Just a suggestion. We want pics when it starts growing in its' new home!

[evagentry]

The plant looks nice after the repot. I like the basket too.

[lmartiny]

Thanks guys. I'll get some string and tie it down.

[FLBob]

Lynne,
You repot looks very successful so far. It appears like your old plant media started to break down so you were right to do the repot when you did.
Digitalgate makes a good point about securing the plant, if it's not stable in the basket it won't be happy.
I would fill in around the root mass with a media that won't break down, such as aliflor and charcoal. This will stabilize the plant.
As far as watering goes; once the plant is stable in the basket, allow the roots time to dry from the good soaking they received during the repot. I suggest watering catts very well each time they are watered. I use a hose on the shower setting and drench the entire plant (avoiding the flowers). Always allow the roots of a catt to dry before watering again. Which in Florida that may be no more than a couple of days.

[hulaorchid]

Looks great! see now was it really that scary?? I have'nt done mine yet, I feel your pain. you don't want to hurt your baby.LOL

[Wendy]

You did well! Another suggestion for tying down a plant in a pot or on a mount are strips of panty hose. They are soft but strong and will rot away about the same time as the plant has secured itself. I have used wine corks and chunks of coconut etc for baskets and they worked well. Lots of great suggestions in all the above threads!

[NicC]

another trick I read about when using a basket is to drill a hole in one of the bottom slats exactly to fit a dowel or stake and force it into the hole. Could use a fast drying, waterproof glue I guess. Now the stake is not subject to moving around in the medium.
Nick

[trinigirl]

Awesome looking repot!