HELP! Can I/Should I, still repot this Cattleya!??

[emmajs243]

Ok guys!!! I am LITERALLY bouncing off the walls with excitement!!!! One of my large, BS, unifold, Catts I feel needs a pretty desperate repot. I knew from prior threads with you guys it's best to have new root growth though and really wanted to swap her s/h when repotting so wanted to make sure she had new roots to give her the best chance at success! She is however a winter/early spring bloomer. oh and to be specific I guess she isn't a Catt she is really a Pot.

So this week she sprouted two new roots with at least two more on the way so I had planned to repot her this weekend/today! Well when I went to start soaking her I found with overflowing excitement that one of her little eyes swapped from dorminacy to a new growth!!!!!!!!!! Can't even explain my excitement! This is my first new growth on a Catt and she was shipped this winter from hawaii to Idaho so I was concerned that with the shipping and drastic climate change she may be a little set back!

So the question....can I or should I still repot her??? Will this harm the new growth at all?? she is just climbing/stair stepping out of her pot and this new growth doesn't even have room to grow inside of the pot needless to say roots in the pot. I am also worried about her roots health because the ones on top don't look great and didn't when I got her so I'm concerned the ones in the pot may be unhealthy too!

What would YOU do???? Is it ok to repot at this stage in the growing cycle?? Also, there is a photo of the new growth and the eye on the opposite side also looks quite swollen up suddenly...any idea if this is a result from the new growth or if maybe this eye is also going to form a new growth?? If I must have patience then that's ok too!

[Roberta]

If new roots are emerging, this is the time to repot. Just be very careful... those newly-developing growths are REALLY easy to snap off. Try not to handle that area, and when firming up the new media, don't press around the new growths or the new roots. But it's all about roots... new roots = potting time. Don't worry about cleaning off all the old media... remove what comes off easily, but what's left behind stuck to roots will do no harm. Also, if a dead-appearing root doesn't come off with a gentle tug, leave it. At this point, you just want to make sure that the plant is held firmly in place. Choose your new pot to accommodate 2-3 years' growth, no more. Place the "back" of the plant (opposite the new growths) against the side of the pot, to maximize growing room.

That second eye may indeed grow. You'll just have to wait and see. It's also an "insurance policy" - if the new growth, in spite of your best efforts to be careful, breaks off, that other eye will probably develop.

[emmajs243]

Thank you Roberta!!!! I needed THAT EXACT advice last weekend before my last repot......it was like my worst nightmare all wrapped into one evening! I think I may order another one of the same seedling in fear that I killed or set my poor abused one back last weekend! I definitely do NOT want to repeat that nightmare with this one! Luckily she isn't in the same wood shard "bark" mix though!

Hey while your here, question! Leave the root if it doesn't come off with a gentle tug. I like that! I wondered last time on a few and basically did that.

But what if you have a root and the end or a section is dead? Not meaning middle section but if it has a "T" section for example or "Y" and one of the ends growing from the main root is obviously dead, do I trim? If so, do you trim just the dead part with a little dead part left to the healthy root or do you cut all the way back to the little "intersection" of sorts between the healthy main root and the dead root growing from that one? Or do you want to cut all the way back INTO healthy root? I would think the last one is bad?

Same thing goes for root rot cases....for root rot, If half the root is healthy and the end half is rotting, would you cut it off all the way up past the rotting root and into the healthy root so the rot doesn't keep spreading? (If it even works that way)

Basically, where do you trim the root? Into dead tissue leaving a little behind, at the intersection (if there is one) or into healthy root?

---------- Post added at 03:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:19 PM ----------

Oh and the more I look at it the more it looks like a new growth from the second eye! It has a tiny slit in the center where something is pushing out! idk if you can see in the photo but I am just ecstatic with joy!

AND very good to know new growths also are easy to snap off!!!

AND I tried so hard last repot to position my Catts oldest pseudobulb against the edge of the pot with the leading growth to the center but somehow the little bugger managed to end up barely offset from center! Very frustrating! She has room for a few new growths still so hopefully she will be ok! Repotting is trickier then the YouTube videos make it out to be!!!!

AND! Thank you for responding oh so quickly!!!! Well and responding period! Really appreciate it!

[Roberta]

With regard to "rotted roots"... remember that the velamin (the outside of the root) is just a water storage mechanism, the center "stringy part" is the buisiness part of the root. So if the velamin is icky, you can easily slide it off. Then the actual root inside is probably OK... if truly rotten you could trim, but generally no need to. That stringy part can hydrate the plant by capillary action, and and also if firmly attached it is very helpful in anchoring the plant (which needs all that it can get, being on the top-heavy side) So on a young plant, unless there is a really good reason to trim a bad root, better not to unless the whole thing is soggy (in which case it will probably come loose with that gentle tug anyway.) If there is a branch with a good root and a bad one, the plant has taken care of the issue - all the more reason to leave a marginal root that may send off a healthy branch. Once the plant gets to where there are so many good roots that there isn't room in the pot for the marginal ones you can trim. But if there aren't a lot, go for "anchor". It typically isn't something that will spread... once you have correct watering and fresh media, you won't need to be so concerned.

[emmajs243]

Thanks Roberta! I don't know if anyone hasn't told you this yet today but....You totally rock! And my orchids thank you for ALL the help!

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by emmajs243

Thanks Roberta! I don't know if anyone hasn't told you this yet today but....You totally rock! And my orchids thank you for ALL the help!

Wow, thanks! As a "What can I get away with?" backyard orchid addict, glad to share. The most important thing, is Relax and Enjoy!

[emmajs243]

Haha!! Hey! Everybody needs to be reminded every once and while and you have kept me from making SO many mistakes! And backyard orchid addicting is the best! I guess I am a bedroom orchid addict but still! Orchid addicts in general!