Changing media in a basket.

[Nancy]

I have a Cattleya aclandiae growing in a very small Vanda basket. When I placed it in the basket, I sort of dumped the plant, old media and all into it because I had read that this species does not like to have its roots messed with. The media is turning into mush and the plant appears to be losing backbulbs because of this. Is there a gentle way to get the old media out without disturbing the plant too much? The newer growths have roots that are comig out ofthe bottom of the basket but I don't know if the old media will take its toll on those, as well. Let me know what you think. I've actually managed to keep this plant alive for five months when I thought it would be dead a week after purchasing it. Thanks a lot for your help, everyone.

[janet_a]

if it were me, i'd say damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. mushy media and bad backbulbs are a good reason for immediate repotting (well, after soaking the bark for 48 hrs). don't worry about the roots--they'll be ok. just get it out of the old ooky stuff as soon as you can.

of course, that said, i was at the USBG greenhouses this past weekend where there were gigandamundo catts that had clearly not been repotted in yonks, and were spilling/climbing out of their baskets all over the place. i suspect at the centers they weren't great, but around the edges they were doing fine. you could wait and see if yours does this, but if it were me i'd re-basket.

[tom499]

I would agree with the repot too, or at least have a go at shifting the bad stuff from the basket.

Depending on the size of the plant, I may take a blade to the manky bits while its in the pot and carefully get rid of the mank, leaving the rest alone.

BUT its a hard decision, and I think photos would be in order to make a better judgment

I'm sure the other members will be able to give advice from their experience of this problem too.

[Vivienne]

I agree - photos would be of great value here.

[kmarch]

I think I agree with everyone else. A bit of root disturbance and some months of sulking are probably better than loosing the plant. Soak the plant, basket and all, pretty good before removing the plant form the basket as this will make the mush soft and hopefully will minimize any root damage. Baskets do seem to be good for C. aclandiae though. If you repot, or "rebasket" as the case may be, consider using materials that won't break down as fast as as the mix it was in. A change in basket and mix will mean you'll may have to adjust your watering habits with this plant but you can watch and figure that out after the repot.

Let us know how it goes!

Happy Growing!

[Nancy]

My main concern is that the plant has five roots hanging through the slots of the bottom of the basket. They are sure to be damaged if I have to remove the plant and pull them back through the slots.

[janet_a]

there's a local USBG guy who does potting demos around the area; he uses a dibble stick. in other words, he puts the bareroot plant in a pot, pours bark around, and proceeds to pound the bark into place with this short round stick. when he's done, he can pick the plant up by the leaves and the pot comes with it. that's when he knows it's tight enough.

everyone of course looks on in horror at this--but his theory is that if you break some of the roots while repotting, it stimulates the plant to grow more. since this man has been growing orchids for literally as long as i've been alive, he must be doing something right.

so don't worry about breaking a few roots.

[11Orchid126]

You might consider not disturbing the plant but trying to loosen the medium. You can use a pencil or shishkabob skewer or a pair of tweezers. Turn the basket to the side and shake. Then try to loosen more media. Continue the loosening and shaking until the medium is out of the basket. The roots that are entwined around the basket should hold the plant in place. If not, you can hold it in place with one hand.

[Nancy]

I think I'm going to work at getting the medium out without disturbing the roots. Cattleya aclandiae roots don't branch, one of the reasons I've heard it is difficult to grow. Thank you all for your input. I really appreciate having all of you to count on.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Nancy

My main concern is that the plant has five roots hanging through the slots of the bottom of the basket. They are sure to be damaged if I have to remove the plant and pull them back through the slots.

If you soak the plant, basket and all, the roots will become a little softer and more pliable. If they're stuck to the basket, with some patience, you could wiggle them loose and slide them out with minimal damage. It will probably take some time but it's possible.

Admittedly I haven't seen the situation you're working with so I'm not sure how applicable my comments are.

Originally Posted by 11Orchid126

You might consider not disturbing the plant but trying to loosen the medium. You can use a pencil or shishkabob skewer or a pair of tweezers. Turn the basket to the side and shake. Then try to loosen more media. Continue the loosening and shaking until the medium is out of the basket. The roots that are entwined around the basket should hold the plant in place. If not, you can hold it in place with one hand.

After reading the above suggestion by 110Orchid126 I think I like it a lot better than mine. The problem is the mix not the basket, yes? I think it's a clever idea and would probably result in less root damage than my idea.