Pot seems crowded - should I repot, divide?

[wieb]

Please take a look at the pot of my Cattleya that I just received from Hawaii about a month ago. Look at how crowded it is in this pot.

I had the hardest time even getting the barbecue skewer down through the medium (to check for moisture), with all the roots on top and probably down below (and with the rockiness of the medium).

P1010050.jpg
Good view of how crowded the roots are.

P1010051.jpg
Different view to show the quantity of pseudobulbs.

Is this too crowded? I read that orchids (maybe some more than others) like to be root bound in their pots. Is this going overboard?

I am wondering two things:
1) Do I simply need to put this in a larger pot? Or ...
2) Should I divide the plant and put it in two different pots?

Please help this rookie Thanks.

[fred]

I don't think there is any need to divide at this point but however you can re pot your Catt into the next size up pot.

just take care when removing the Catt out of the pot as the side shoots may break

[mayres]

I would put it in the next pot size when you see some new roots starting to develop. You may already know, but push the plant to the side of the next sized pot when you do make the change - and wherever the new growth/roots are emerging try to place this near the center of the pot with room to continue to grow towards the other side of the pot.

[Anton]

Yep, I'll agree with Fred and Mike.

[wieb]

Thanks, Fred and Mayres, for the advice and words of caution.

With regard to pushing the plant to one side of the new pot ... does this go for all orchids? I've seen elsewhere contradictory information that instructs to place the plant in the center of the new pot.

[wieb]

And thanks to Anton, too.

[robb]

Originally Posted by wieb

Thanks, Fred and Mayres, for the advice and words of caution.

With regard to pushing the plant to one side of the new pot ... does this go for all orchids? I've seen elsewhere contradictory information that instructs to place the plant in the center of the new pot.

I believe your confusion is related to the different growth patterns of orchids: monopodial (single stalk/crown) and sympodial (multiple stalk/crown). Phalaenopsis are typical of monopodial, and Cymbidiums are typical of sympodial orchids.

I believe, in general, monopodials should be placed towards the middle, and sympodials at the edge, of their pot.

Hope this helps

[wieb]

Oh ... this is currently a 3"x3" square pot ... the "next size" is ... 4-inch? 5-inch? 6-inch?

I suppose surface area is the important thing here. Going from 9 square inches to 16 ... of from 9 to 25. I'm leaning to the 5-inch or 6-inch. What do you think?
Thanks.

[wieb]

That makes a lot of sense, Robb. It does help. Thanks.

[fred]

I would use the 4-inch pot myself
Catt's like to be slightly root bound going to a to larger pot will slow the growth and may even halt the next seasons flowering

[wieb]

4-inch it is then ... I definitely do not want to hamper this beautiful thing from blooming next season. Thanks, Fred.

[robb]

Originally Posted by wieb

Oh ... this is currently a 3"x3" square pot ... the "next size" is ... 4-inch? 5-inch? 6-inch?

I suppose surface area is the important thing here. Going from 9 square inches to 16 ... of from 9 to 25. I'm leaning to the 5-inch or 6-inch. What do you think?
Thanks.

Not just the surface area, the volume it's quite a dramatic increase. I overpotted my Cymbidiums, due to ignorance, and now they have put on zero growth since then. I'll have to downsize their pot in the spring.

[mayres]

Cattleya's and many other type orchids expand by sending out new growths just under (usually - unless overgrowing their pots) the surface of the media along a lateral line. Note the pic taken from the beginner cultural sheet on cattleya from aos.org. This pic shows how the plant grows from left to right. You would pot this up with the left side of the plant pushed against the pot allowing successive growths continuing to the right to fill in the rest of the pot. Sometimes as these growths get more and more numerous you can actually coax them into growing around in a circle across the surface of a large diameter pot. Among others, dendrobiums extend their new growths just like this as well. As Robb noted - a monopodial orchid like a phal would be planted in the center of a pot since it doesn't spread in this manner. Hope this helps. mike

[wieb]

It does help ... the root growth (and therefore the plant growth) behavior is directional and we want that towards the center of the so it has room to grow. The drawing helps.

And now that you mention it, the instruction to center the plant was when I was reading up on phals.

Thanks, guys.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Personally I find square pots unaesthetic. A round pot can be put comfortably into a decorative ceramic pot when the plant blooms for an even more aesthetic display. After all, isn't it for beauty that we grow them?

The general rule of thumb is to leave room for 2 or 3 growths in the new pot, assuming the new potting mix will last 2 or 3 years. However, if you just move the plant up to a larger pot without removing the old mix, assuming it is a degradable mix, you may want to repot sooner, and less room need be allowed. Look at the growths to see how far apart successive growths are to judge pot size. And be sure to follow the instructions above to wait for the new growths to start their flush of new roots, before disturbing the current roots. If you are just going to move the root ball to a new pot without disturbing roots, and fill in around with a similar mix, you can do it now.

[wieb]

Thanks for the feedback, Cynthia. I agree, round seems more pleasant and also more natural, I think ... it is odd seeing roots taking 90 degree turns.

And I will follow your advice to the tee on repotting ... thanks for your clear, concise instructions.