When do you really need to re-pot in a larger pot

[jerrymeola]

Based on some of the orchids in my greenhouse, the answer may be never.

It is amazing how big a plant can grow in a tiny pot.

This Oncidium Sharry Baby (Chocolate orchid) has two 2 two foot flower spikes on a plant 2 feet wide by 1 1/2 feet tall. It is the Red Fantasy color variety that is normally 30% shorter than the common Sharry Baby.

It is in a 2 inch pot. Actually the pot is 1 3/4 inches high by 1 3/4 square at the top of the pot.

[Orchidementia]

Nice looking plant in a teeny weeny pot!

[patlee]

I have a couple of questions because I might need to get one of those. Even though it is a more compact plant, it still has the knock-out fragrance of a regular Sharry Baby. Right
Secondly, now what? If you ever want to repot that chid, how are you going to get it out of the pot without doing a lot of root damage? Will you just re-pot the whole thing, old pot and all, into a larger pot? Good luck...it's a great looking plant

[jerrymeola]

The Red Fantasy variety has the same fragrance but a slightly less intense smell than the common one. It makes up for it in more flowers. I average 2-4 flower stems per plant and have had plants this size with 6 spikes. You will have no problem recognizing the chocolate fragrance.

Actually the plant slid right out of the pot without any effort. If it had not I would have cut the pot off. The problem with re-potting anything this overgrown is that a good size pot is 4-5 inches and even looks better in 6 inches. That is a big problem with retaining too much water.

I get around that by potting mostly with Styrofoam peanuts. It is an individual decision for every plant.

This one I decided would easily mount into a beautiful specimen.

[butt0n]

That is pretty amazing Jerry...thanks for sharing!

[kid a]

Wow, thats funny. I can't believe it was growing in a pot that small! Looks lovely mounted.

[slippery_biscuit]

Maybe one way of looking at this is....
as the plant outgrows a pot, it transitions from a potted plant to a mounted plant. Any type that could be mounted would probably perform as this oncidium. The pot ceases to perform traditional pot functions and instead become the mount.

Just a thought...

[FLaCo]

Jerry, where can I find this chocolate fragrant plant?