Repotting a LARGE Cym?

[Olive Cook]

I received my Cym Stellar Festival today, and boy is it a MONSTER!!! It has 6 established bulbs, and 3 new growths starting, and I do not want to divide it.
This is my first Cym. so I have no idea how to go about repotting it, I'm not in any big hurry as it seems quite happy where it is; however the listing said it was due for an up-pot. I think it's currently in a 10" pot.
I have placed a 2 liter next to it for a size comparison.
Thanks all!

[LouisW]

I think it will be due for a re-pot when the one its in starts cracking open. Check out youtube for some dramatic demonstrations on how to repot Cyms.

[Olive Cook]

oh, I've seen the ones where they hack it apart with a BIG knife!

[orchidea]

I just finished repotting my Cym this morning.....
I finally cut the flowers after about 5 months of beautiful blooming.
So, it was the time to repot.
I didn't want to divide it either. So I just wack it out of it's original about 6 inch by about 7 inch high pot. Then I placed some lava rock for drainage at the pottom of new 10 inch by about 9 inch high pot. Then I mixed some MG Orchid Mix with some bark, LECA and perlite. Then I kept this mix in the water with a little Physan20. After I drained it well, I put some of that at the top of lava rock. Then, I put this huge block of roots inside the pot( I could see a lot of new roots developing there....). Then I just pushed my mix to fill the pot, shaking and tapping it to fill it nicely.
It has 8 old PB and 4 new growths.
You can see in the picture the empty old pot and my newly repotted Cym in the big new pot!
That's it!!!!!
I wouldn't repot if the new growth has some space to the edge of the pot. My Cym's new growth didn't have any space left there.

[kmarch]

Olive, is your cymbidium in flower now?

[Olive Cook]

no, it had just finished it's blooming cycle before it was sold to me

[Olive Cook]

ok, so now there are pics. While I was taking them it seemed to me that it is pretty cramped in there, so I need advice as soon as possible.
If I can wait til warmer weather to do it outside that would be ideal for me, as to not make a huge mess in my house.
Thanks!!

[Bolero]

Yes I can confirm it will make a big mess, better to wait until you can do it. Or put a big plastic sheet on your lounge room floor, get a really big knife and go for it.

I had to do 60 a month ago and it was hard work.

[Olive Cook]

But does it look crowded in the current pot to anyone else? Enough so to need a repot soon?

[berniep]

G'Day Olive

In your pic #4 there are two new growths with nowhere to go, so if it were me I would pot up at least one pot size. Just clean up any dead roots remove any old mix and repot in new mix with a good base of styrene peanuts for drainage and aeration. Get a pair of pliers and pull off any old dead bulb coverings (pic #4).
This is just what I would do, so good luck.
Just had a look at Springfield 27F yikes I think I'd wait a week.

Cheers
Bernie

[fred]

I would do that inside as well
lay some plastic down before you start

this is how I would handle this one
I would lay some plastic down on the floor lay the pot on its side tap the sides of the pot so it slides out of the pot ( being careful not to damage the new growths )
get a 12 inch pot place the chid in the pot and just fill in the gaps with more medium
that will do until the weather picks up a bit

there is a chance with the crowded pot that some new growths are being restricted from growing

if you find the chid wont slide out of the pot ( myself ) I would cut the pot down the each side being careful once again

[Olive Cook]

thanks Fred, it IS really tight in there. When I went to move it's ID tag it would barely budge!!!

[syndywindy]

I recieved a huge cym for Christmas and reptted it recently. A mess, but it's worth it if you want to keep yours healthy and growing well. I just removed it from it's old pot, tried to get as much of the old medium away from the root system while trying to untangle the roots somewhat. I got me a 12 inch pot and repotted into a good bark mix. It sulked a couple weeks but now is starting to perk up again. Cyms are pretty resilient and yours should be fine.

[Olive Cook]

This ended up being a two person job, my husband had to SAW the old pot off... I'm really not so sure if the poor guy had been repotted in well over a year.
Now in a 12" terra cotta pot, in a bark/LECA mix; I didn't untangle the roots yet, just set it in and filled it up around the edges

[Leathal]

Originally Posted by Olive Cook

This ended up being a two person job, my husband had to SAW the old pot off... I'm really not so sure if the poor guy had been repotted in well over a year.
Now in a 12" terra cotta pot, in a bark/LECA mix; I didn't untangle the roots yet, just set it in and filled it up around the edges
Attachment 32608

That is HUGE!