Time to Repot question for Cattleya

[Celtic100]

Blc. Jane Helton x Slc. Vallezac X Slc. Kauai Starbright "Walter". I purchased the above at Tower Hill Botanical Society in 2000. It is really quite lovely when I can get it to bloom. Pict attached. It bloomed regularly until about '09. Each year since then it sends up sheaths which are always empty of flowers. I changed the fertilizer to Better Gro urea free 20-14-13 last summer. This December it bloomed!! 3 flowers. Not a lot but better than ZERO! My next thought is the media it is in. It is dry bark like it has always been in and bloomed before. I purchased some new dry bark and it went in the pot last February when I transplanted it (after 5 years - too long, I know). Now it has only been one year since last report but I would like to get it out of there - this stuff takes forever to drain completely - after I water it with 2 full cups (8 oz) of water which is how much it wants before it starts to drain out. I have to keep emptying the drainage dish it is in until it stops - I'm not sure if that is good. I don't water it again for at least 3 weeks (depending on season) but that is about average. So, bottom line - can I transplant it after only one year without harming it? - Thanks very much.

[WhiteRabbit]

You can definitely repot as often as necessary without harm - but ideally should repot when there is new growth starting roots.

For watering, take plant to sink, or somewhere there is a drain, or outdoors - let water flow thru, then place back where you have it.

How big is the pot it is in? To help with drying time, I will use styrofoam in the center of the root mass, or an inverted net pot (or any pot with drainage) in the center of the pot. Styro in the bottom of the pot (if there is room) can help drainage.

Congrats on the blooms - they're beautiful!

[InspirChid1712]

WOW! Its beautiful! You can totally repot it, but I would agree it would be best to wait until you see new growth with new roots as well (or the most recent growth putting out ALOT of roots- some plants have different rooting cycles!). I also agree with adding something to increase drainage. Here is what I do:

-Enlarge drainage holes with scissors or a sharp knife... if you use a clay pot, the scraping sound is dreadful! (but worth it!)
-Add coarse driveway gravel to the bottom of the pot, usually about 1/3 of the pot. This increases drainage and weighs the soon-to-be-huge plant down. If its a giant plant ready for a giant pot where weighting isn't an issue, I use large styrofoam chunks instead to keep the plant from being too heavy to lift.
-Place a bit of mix on top of gravel and position the plant in pot.
-Fill in around the roots so the plant is VERY firmly wedged in by the fresh medium. The plant must not wobble AT ALL when finished!!!!!!
-If it does wobble a bit, stake the crap out of it as needed, or use a rhizome clip. If you shake the pot a bit, the plant should not move at all (this is CRUCIAL to getting the plant established!!!!!)
-Water! Keep it on the dry side for a week or so, but mist it every day... you should see alot of new growth soon!

Hope this helps! I also agree that large pots (8"+) usually require an inverted net pot in the bottom, or a seedling pot with slits cut into the sides works too! Remember, the bigger the pot, the more coarse of a mix you must use, to keep the ratio of air/medium the same. For instance, I wouldn't use the same grade of mix for a 4" pot as I would for a 10" pot. Another thing: Don't use the "2 cups of water" method for orchids... they need to be thoroughly drenched, with masses of water flooding the pot for a minute or two. Good luck and hope it blooms again soon! Its a BEAUTY!!!!!

PS- How large of a plant is it? what size of a pot is it currently growing in?????

[Celtic100]

Thank you both for your very helpful input (and for compliments on Jane - to add to her beauty, she is also lightly fragrant). The size of pot is 8" - and the plant fills about 2/3 of it. I believe the bark is correct - it's pretty course. I will try the watering method as recommended, however, when I see the plant start to drain the water out, I feel that it has been pretty drenched - but it doesn't sound like it is if I read your comments correctly. When you say inverted net pot, I assume upside down but what is net? Also, I obviously will not repot until after blooming is finished - then I must wait for new growth to appear, correct? I will also provide more drainage medium to pot. For styro, packing peanuts are o.k.? I will post again after we bring Jane back into healthy bloom - probably next December.

[InspirChid1712]

Here is an example of potting with a net pot, which is really just a plastic basket:

potting technique for growing specimen plants

Sounds like you are on the right track! I'd maybe stick with the 8" pot again if the plant isn't too potbound... can you post a picture of the whole plant?

Packing peanuts are fine! Just make sure you run some water over one peanut to make sure it isn't the biodegradable type (I know that sounds so-not-eco-friendly, but you don't want them dissolving into mush when you water!) Let me know if you need any more advice!!!

[Celtic100]

That was a very helpful visual about the inverted pot. I will use that method next go around. I am also wondering if it is the pot that Jane is in. It is a decorative pot which I believe is glazed on the inside rather than a rough terra cotta finish. It's been in this pot since 2009 which is really the whole time that it has not bloomed well. I've enclosed picts of plant to show growth (I don't think it is pot bound but it is hard to tell from the picture no matter how hard I tried to get accurate shot). Also, a pict of pot as described above. I've ascertained the decline in flower production from pictures i have of past years compared to present. I've also enclosed one from '06 to show (note the terra cotta inside) how well it was doing. I only seem to get a lot of leaves (as you can see in picture) - perhaps the change of fertilizer last summer made that difference. I'm also considering, when I do transplant, to remove some of the pseudobulbs (correct term?) around the outside edge and center the remaining bulbs in a smaller pot - say 7". But again, should the inside of the pot be terra cotta or some other material that is not glazed and shiny. Long post but thought I'd address all of the issues I see. Thanks again for your helpful input.

[cbuchman]

It is really beautiful. You might consider not using a glazed pot as sometimes the glaze can be problematic for the plant and they certainly don't dry out as fast as an unglazed pot; I'm assuming that there is a hole in the bottom of the pot too

Also best to not remove the pbulbs as that is where the plant stores its energy for future growths/blooms. If a back bulb has no roots it can be safely removed using a sterile instrument such as a razor blade and sometimes can be encouraged to grow into another plant, but that is another story.

When you repot, put the oldest pbulbs against the rim of the pot so that there is space for 1-2 years worth of growth between the newest pbulbs (actively growing) and the opposite pot rim. Try to choose a pot size that allows only for 1-2 years of growth as over potting can result in water retention which in turn lead to root rot.

When it comes back into bloom again, you can put the unglazed pot into something prettier (like you pot in the the picture) to show it off. Just be sure that the decorative pot doesn't have any water in it (i.e., it has a hole in the bottom or the plant is watered and drained outside the decorative pot)

[Celtic100]

I am so happy to hear that perhaps the glazed pot, while pretty on the outside, could be the culprit for no flowers for the last 4 years! ...and, yes, there is a hole in the bottom. It sounds like orchids cannot be "thinned" out. This pot is full of leaves and pseudobulbs that have not produced any flowers and the whole thing just looks crowded. I would only remove a few - there would be plenty left. "If a back bulb has no roots" -- not sure what a back bulb is. This brings me to another question - once a flower stem has emerged from a p.bulb, does it ever produce another flower from the same one?? I tend to think not but thought I'd check that out too!! This is a wonderful board - everyone is so helpful. Thank you too for your input.

[nlm2951]

Hi. I don't plant the orchid in the glazed pot, use a plastic pot and put it inside the pretty pot

[cbuchman]

Back bulbs are in effect in the back of the plant and usually have no leaves. they are nourishment storage for the plant. If they become discolored, wrinkled or otherwise distressed they can (and should be) removed, though I admit to not being too vigilant about this myself.

When you look at your plant, you will see a sort of progression from "naked" back pbulbs toward actively growing/flowering pbulbs. In general, pblubs flower only once. Some orchids will have 2 spikes per pbulb. Some Dens will flower from older growth. Phals often will sprout from a node on the spike and create new, usually smaller, flowers, So it is important to know the cultural requirements and flowering habits of your plant! AOS Culture Sheets is a great place to start.

Once the flower is finish the plant may rest or it may start growing new pbulbs right away. A happy healthy plant may produce one or more pbulbs. Seeing new pbulbs and new roots is almost as exciting a seeing flower spikes start because it means that the plant is happy; and, in the end, a happy plant makes lots of flowers!