should i repot my Rhynchostylis??

[dendro king]

my rhynchostylis seems to stay a bit wetter than it probably should! i was going to repot into a clay pot with air holes on the side with a bark/gravel mix as recomended by the grower who had tonnes of these beauties in bloom, would this be a good move or not??/
also i dont think it needs repotting but i just want to keep it drier!

[Gage]

Hey I don't have specific advice for potting your Rhy, but I would just say to do what you feel comfortable with in your conditions. Unless yours are just like the grower's, you can take their culture advice (and I am sure it is expert advice) with a grain of salt.

[dendro king]

is the mould/moss stuff bad??

[Gage]

Can you post a picture of the plant and describe your growing conditions?

[james mickelso]

I don't recognize the flag. Where do you live? If Aus it is winter so not a good idea. When an orchid is growing you can repot it without fearing damage. If you feel you need to repot it, then do so carefully and you should have no problems. I have done so many times in winter here in California without any adverse effects. but it takes time to re-establish. One way to keep it drier is to put some extra air movement on it.

[dendro king]

yeah i live in Australia and it is winter here.
i have hung it in mid air to increase air movement! how/what should i fertilise with?

[james mickelso]

You are in the middle of winter there. I don't think it is growing at all. Any fertilizer would be wasted and might even be detrimental. What part of Oz are you in and what is the weather like? Up north in your more tropical environs where it is warmer and the sun angle is highe could feed it a dilute fertilizer. The more important thing is the quality of the water you use. Low salt and TDS is best. RO or distilled if you can get it. Ryncostylis is a nice orchid. Do you have gigantea or retusa? Very nice flowers. It's not warm enough around here to grow them well. Can you send pictures?

[Baz in Oz]

DK, from what I have read, Rhynchostylis do not like to be repotted and can 'sulk' for years or even die.
Can I ask where you acquired the plant?

Baz

[james mickelso]

Yes. Ryhncostylis have been noted for being stubborn. But I would bet that was because they were potted at the wrong time in their life cycle. They can be repotted as soon as they are growing new rootsjust as mot orchids. If any other time they don't have anything to take up the moisture and food they require for growth. Watch yours carefully and when they start new root growth, repotting time has arrived. Stake them well as their roots are very soft. They grow a lot like vandas. They can be grown in baskets allowing unimpeeded air flow and you can water them daily. They like lots of light and airflow is crucial. Let their roots hang down. If you can grow vandaceous plants in your area you can grow these. their flowers are a lot like vandas.

[dendro king]

im up north in the tropics ( Darwin )
its warm and humid here even in winter (now)
the rhynchostylis was from a show and i got it off a lady i normaly buy orchids from! the rhy. is a gigantea and has a new leaf coming out but i just got it last friday!