Ctna. - Root Rot - Divide or Just Repot

[Dorchid]

This Ctna. has a lot of root rot and the new growths are very high up on the plant while the old growths are all very low. It has 12 pbulbs including a new one growing very high. I’m going to repot and wonder if I should divide down the middle or just leave as is. My concern is that the old growth is so low (as was before unpotting) it will be well below the surface. If I divide, maybe I can angle the 2 halves so the new and old growth are more in the same plane. Thought?

[SouthPark]

Maybe keep it as one piece for now .... and pot it with the line or level of the rhizome made to become parallel as possible to the surface of the media layer. Then use watering techniques that avoids oxygen starvation of the roots.

Allow the orchid to recover first. Divide when healthy and strong.

[Ray]

In nature, some plants "climb" vertically, while others grow horizontally. Managing the former in pots can be a pain, so folks often resort to mounting - although that's not practical for some due to conditions and watering capability.

If you divide the plant, pot them up separately or pot one and mount the other to see how you do. One it had been divided, the "colony rigor" is lost, so putting them in the same pot is more risk than benefit (if one part gets a disease, both parts will have it).

[SouthPark]

D.O. --- Ray has a very good point relating to keeping the divisions in separate pots if you end up dividing. Spread the eggs out in different baskets for safety/insurance.

[Dorchid]

Thanks for the input, all! It would more or less have to be potted on its side to get it in line with the surface. The rhizome has formed a “V” as the growth points on opposing ends progressively moved upward. My thinking was to divide and pot one and mount the other as I’ve read Ctna. do well mounted. My tent is set to 78% RH so mounting shouldn’t be an issue. My hesitance on division is due to the lack of root mass, though both growth points are working on several new roots and overall the plant appears to be very healthy. It will be treated with kelp max as needed moving forward. Obviously, I’m looking for someone to tell me it’s ok to divide at this point.

[SouthPark]

D.O. ----- depending on the media used, and size of media pieces (eg. scoria/lava rock), there can be some flexibility.

When I use big piece scoria, I generally have the option of arranging the upper layer pieces in any way I want. Eg. some profiling of the surface landscape.

Originally Posted by Dorchid

Obviously, I’m looking for someone to tell me it’s ok to divide at this point.

If your orchid happens to be sprouting new roots in the two halves that you're planning to divide ...... then that should be pretty much ok.

It's probably best to divide during healthy/strong times. But then again, dividing is a choice - so it could be divided at any time. The colony strength (undivided) allows for resource/energy sharing. So if possible, and if good growing conditions are maintained from now on ------ a choice can be to not divide for the moment, and let the orchid build up roots and get strong again. And then divide - later.

[Dorchid]

Yeah, I’ll try to rehab it for a while and divide once some decent roots develop.

[Dorchid]

Roots are working on coming in. Some good growth on one side. How often should this be treated with Kelp Max? Is it advised to stick to once per month or to increase treatments in a case such as this?

[Dorchid]

It took a while but got this thing to root. The roots are super brittle and readily snap. I cut the plant in half and put each half into a tiny slat basket with small bark. Both are budding and one has flowered. Nice cinnamon fragrance.

[Roberta]

Nice save! Both pieces look great. I think that the important factor here was that both pieces had good growing leads - when you have new growth you get new roots, and they clearly are now in an environment that encourages them. (I think of wood baskets as three-dimensional mounts. )