Dendrobium walking out of pot.

[Nancy]

I bought a dendrobium from the Home Depot that was on sale after it had bloomed. It is potted in cocnut hush, I think. I's something pretty solid, anyway. My den is walking out of its pot. The flowering growth is completely out of the medium and the new growth started even higher. I was wondering how I should repot it. I believe I can get it out of the husk, but the only way to pot it would seem to be almost horizontal in order to get the roots in the medium. Has anyone had to do this before and can anyone give me some pointers on the best way to go about it? This is a wonderful forum. Everyone here is so kind and helpful.

[Vivienne]

Can you post a pic of your Den? It sounds like you may have keiki growth (babies). Where on the canes are the growths with roots?

[Nancy]

I only have access to a computer at work, so I'll have to find some way to send pictures. In my estimation the new growth is not high enough on the plant to be considered a kieki. It is right above the roots of the first growth, maybe an inch above the stem.

[MSPProductions]

Nancy, it would be good to see a pic but if that isn't possible...it's hard to imagine why you'd need to repot horizontally. But since you already have
new roots growing, I might just wait until the next new growth and repot just as you notice new roots growing.

[joan gero]

I always have these great repotting quandries as well! What I'm so unsure about (and maybe Nancy is facing the same thing)... is whether it is okay to bury the lower portion of the older canes under the potting medium so that the base of the newer canes is at the level of the top of the potting mix. IS that your question also, Nancy????? Excuse me if I'm leading this thread away from what you want to know, but perhaps my question is related?!

[jbigio]

Nancy I have two dendrobium that are in the same kind of husk. It is imposable to remove the plants with out brakeing almost all the roots. What I did was move the plant up one pot size and just filled in around the roots with new mix. When the husk eventually gets soft I will try to remove it a piece at a time so as not to brake many roots. I do think that what you are seeing growing may be kieki but with out a picture of what’s going on its all just guess work
Joe

[brookn]

Dends do not like their roots disturbed too much. Jbigio's idea sounds the most sound. Sounds like a possible keiki to me also. Some people just pot up with the pot and all in the new pot to avoid breaking the roots away from the pot they are in.

[tom499]

giving the plant a good soak before removing it is usually enough to loosen the roots and medium before repotting.

[MSPProductions]

Do you mean that you are worried about re-potting with the plant on a slant, like this? Origionally the long cane was upright.

[Nancy]

I guess I'll just let it alone for now. I'm not sure what the plant is doing and I guess I'll keep looking at it until I'm sure. Thanks for all the great advice.

[Nancy]

I managed to repot the Dendrobium with no problem. The husk peeled neatly off the roots and I potted it in bark. So far it's doing very well. I think that if the husk is wet it peels off easier.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Did you put the base horizontal in the pot? If you didn't, you may want to repot the plant. Put it horizontal in the pot. After the plant roots well, which should happen soon as the new growth will be putting out a flush of roots soon, you can put a 'new' stake in the pot and pull all the old canes upright. It may take a little while of adjusting pulling on the canes to move then vertically, but it should be possible to do in a few months of manipulating. A rhizome growing upward is not good as it will cause all sorts of problems. I have done this reorientation on close to a hundred plants, and it works really well.

[janet_a]

another option is to just keep it turned to the light in such a way that new canes keep starting back towards the middle of the pot. the plant ends up climbing on itself a bit but it doesn't seem to bother them.

[Nancy]

I was lucky. The newer growth was just a little bit higher than the main growth so I had no trouble placing the rhizome flush with the potting mix and the old roots are covered as well as the roots on the new growth. Thanks for the help, as always.

[Steve B]

I have a similar problem; I was hoping I could get some suggestions on how to correct this brassia from continuing to grow out of its pot. I think I should be repotting soon as you can see the new root growth.

Thanks for the help.

Steve

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I would look for a bulbpan for this guy. That way you can give it some room to grow without making the pot too voluminous to dry properly.

[Steve B]

If I lay this down horizontal in a bulbpan, is there a way to correct the pseudobulbs back to perpendicular? or would you just leave them as is?

Steve

[Nancy]

I would think that you would have to leavethem in there, as is. A rhizome clip may help to hold them in position. I think that subsquent new growths will orient themselves to the upright position again.

[Nancy]

I thought I had soved the problem with my Dendrobium. I'm convinced now that it's a keiki and not a new growth. I would love to take it off the plant and mount it. It's a very thickly caned Dendrobium. Do uou think ths idea is workable and any suggestions concerning what I can mount it on will be very much appreciated.