Opinion on repot please

[Steve B]

I have a brassia that was growing out of its pot and I received some advise to repot this orchid in a bulb pan. I finally got around to doing this and would like some opinions as to whether I did it correctly or not. I know this isn't rocket science but it is my first time repotting a plant like this so I just want to double check with the professional growers out there.

Attached are 2 before & 2 after pics.

Thanks,
Steve

[mayres]

Generally that looks pretty good. The only thing I cannot tell from your photos is whether or not you crowded the oldest growth into the edge of the pot and left some room for the new growth to grow into? Otherwise the next set of new growth is going to be growing over the edge of the pot again soon. Pic #3 looks pretty good but then the new growth in #4 looks like it is at the edge?

[Steve B]

Yeah, that was my first thought, hence the question.

I didn't have much choice about where I could position the plant in the pot. I had a great clump of roots so when I turned them, or laid the plant down, the root clump kinda wedged into the opposite corner of the pot. I'm not sure I am explaining that well enough.

Lets just put it this way - I didn't have a whole lota room to maneuver. This was the only way it was going to fit with out damaging or removing a lot of roots.

Steve

[mayres]

With what you had to work with I'd say you did an excellent job. Now you can sit back and ENJOY! Be sure and post a pic when it is blooming so we can "beam" with you!

[Tobi]

Steve,
Looks good. I know what you are referring to with not having much of an option on
positioning the root mass based on the way it is growing. I have had a few similar cases
as this and did the best I could as well. So far mine are growing O.K. Hopefully yours
will as well for a couple of years.

[Steve B]

Thanks Guys,

I appreciate the feedback and encouragement.

Steve

[arleneg]

Steve,

For a first time repot, you did a good job. Next time you do, however, pot in a regular pot (i.e. not a bulb pan) when you have a clump of roots from the old pbulbs. It's ok if the older pbulbs are deeper in the pot than the newer growths. OR, if you want to repot in a bulb pan again, soak the roots in warm water for 10 minutes to make them pliable. This way, you can coax them in bending around the pan.

The new growths I see will grow out of the bulb pan within the year, and you'll have to repot again later this year.

[joan gero]

Arleneg! that answers a question I've had for a long time, about repotting... that it's okay to partially bury the lower sections of old pseudobulbs in order to have the new ones at the level of the top of the mix. Thanks!!!!

[Joan]

If the repot places the orchid with the new growths close to the edge of the pot in order to accommodate the roots, why not repot into a larger pot now in order to allow for 2 years new growth?

[PhalPal]

I'm a little confused here. I thought when potting an orchid with backbulbs one would place the older bulbs touching a side of the pot to allow new growth toward the front of the plant?? I have two Oncidiums I am repotting in plastic and want to make sure I am going to do this right.

[slippery_biscuit]

Sounds to me like everybody is thinking along the same lines here. Not such a shallow pot; place the older growths near an edge and allow room for new growth; okay to sink the older growth down into the medium(which helps the plant maintain a vertical orientation); use a bigger pot if need be.

One other possible action is to divide the plant. This plant has several older growths and removing 2-3 of the older pseudobulbs and their roots would not set the plant back very much, would make for an easier fit into the pot (without using a bigger one) and quite possible the division itself would be stimulated into sprouting new growth and you would have a second plant.

[Steve B]

Thanks for everyone’s feedback.

The reason for using the bulb pan, as explained to me, is because if I were to use a standard pot for this orchid, it would be too voluminous and therefore would not dry properly. The other reason I was apprehensive to burying the older pseudobulbs was mainly because they still have leaves. If I were to pot the newest pseudobulbs level with the media, I would completely bury the oldest bulb, and half bury the one next to it. I guess I am just questioning why would I want to bury pseudobulbs that are still contributing to the orchids overall health?

Steve

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I beg to differ with Arlene, I would not get a deeper pot. You did a near perfect job in my opinion. Rhizomes should run level across the top of the mix, and after a time of growing this way the, the bulbs will all stand upright. Placing the older bulbs lower in the pot just continues a bad growth habit that allows the newer growths to grow up higher and higher above the mix and have their new roots exposed to what might be very dry air. It is much better if every growth sits on top of the mix, not above it. After the plant has rooted well in the new pot, it may be possible to pull some of the older bulbs gradually up right, and after a while they will take a set and stay that way. On the other hand, it does no damage to the older growths to be buried, and sometimes this is necessary. But generally, think of the future growth pattern of the plant. Climbing out of the pot because of a bad angle of the rhizome is a curable nuisance if you go about it right.

I think this plant will need moving up to a bigger bulb pan in the next year or two, but can probably just have mix filled in around the current mix. The only improvement I can see that could have been done would have been to place the plant, and level of mix, a little lower in the bulb pan to allow for a watering zone, where water could fill the upper half inch while percolating thru.

[arleneg]

Phalpal -- yes, when repotting, place the older bulbs closer to the edge of pot. Make sure the pot is 1" - 2" bigger than the current pot to allow for another year or two growths.

In regard to potting the older bulbs deep or not, I think it works either way. I've chosen to partially bury the older bulbs because of where I grow my ondicium -- indoors and 5 ft. away from a south window. The new growths just kept growing towards that window and stayed 'slanted'. It loves that area and will stay there. That said, the pot was heavier on one side, especially with flower spikes. So my preference is to repot my oncidium upright and with the older bulbs partially buried.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Concern for the mass of the potting medium is well founded. Going larger in pot size is going to increase the mass, and certainly going to a deeper pot is making it much worse. If you leave it as it is for now, my preference, and just move it up a pot size next year with butting the back end of the root ball against the side of the new pot and filling around the front end of the root ball with similar mix, you will probably have a good combination, as the plant will have more roots by then to help dry the pot out. When you finally do a thorough repot, you will want to remove very old bulbs to help with fitting the plant into the pot, or to divide the plant.