Help with Stanhopea potting
 

Has anyone used bark with their Stanhopeas successfully?

I need some advice for the next time I repot my Stanhopea saccata. I have had it since it was a large seedling in 2017 and have been repotting annually in sphagnum moss. This year it was a mess. It grows like crazy and the root system was incredible- huge and very healthy. So clearly it likes the constantly damp moss environment which gets watered daily. Trying to get the moss out from those super fragile roots was the issue. I damaged probably 75%+ of the roots. Hopefully it bounces back. If I use moss, potting on/up with out removing the moss is not an option. Moss turns into nasty, compact sludge in my climate within a year. I would love to be able to use some bark but I have heard rumors that Stans really don’t like. I’m also concerned about the spikes pushing through all that. So, has anyone used bark before and had equally good results as sphag?

I put it back in a larger basket, placed as deep as the root system would allow, but I would like a better plan for next year. Here are some pics from 2017 and a current one

First, don't try to be tidy with the old moss... take what falls off or rinses off easily, and leave the rest - it won't hurt. Degraded moss rinses off - this year or next, doesn't matter. I have also found that these like to be damp - moss in a basket works fine - as it has for you. If you can lift it a bit, I'd add some more moss and raise it in the basket. If the "blob" of moss looks like it is getting too big/staying too wet as you go to larger baskets, try inverting a small plastic basket or pot in the middle, to create an air space (and take up volume that would otherwise be heavy, soggy moss) Also, I have found that if new spikes look like they are getting inhibited/squished by the basket, I remove that part of the basket with diagonal cutters. I'd rather sacrifice a basket than lose a spike.

Hi...I've repotted sev. of mine but only using s/m in a wire basket lined with coco fiber. Just bought some small ones that vendor had in slatted plastic basket also in moss and I've cut out some of the plastic to enlarge the holes. Have a jennishiana finally in spike first time in 6 yrs. One of those Stans that need a drier rest...Yeah!

My Stan wardii is in a plastic basket with only bark and LECA.
The inner walls and bottom are covered with moss and the pocket created inside receives the plant and the medium. It seems to like it.

I was thinking the same!

There's also something called "Synthic" which doesn't break down.

I have found that the nasty part of old moss is easy to rinse off, the stringy stuff that stays behind doesn't hurt anything. After all, that's what happens in nature, have seen plenty of orchids growing in what looks like stringy moss fibers.

Thanks y’all. I guess I’ll keep this one in sphag for now. I was wondering if potting it deeper with less moss would make it easier to get that stuff out in the center. I was just worried because my other Stan got pretty severe root rot and never recovered. It was in a 4” basket and I had just added sphag when upped the basket size. I tried spraying out what I could, but after about the one year mark, it was just a really dense, slimy block once you got past the outermost layer of moss. I had spent a few minutes spraying it and none of the moss dislodged in this Stan or the the one that died earlier this year. I will definitely use the upside down basket next time I repot.

The above advice is all correct ... but one aspect might need to be added :: use better-quality moss.

I grow my plants in a tropical climate, in moss, and I almost never need to re-pot.

I have mine in bark, but they’re not near blooming size. The oldest one (purchased as a small pseudobulb division) last year, pushed out two new pseudobulbs this year so it seems happy. I’m thinking a sphagnum lined basket when I have to repot / “worry” about flowers.

Remember that they like to grow down. I have mine in cedar or cypress, wide slat baskets (I highly recommend a table saw to all orchid collectors) and just long fiber sphag moss. They can always find a way out lol