divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt
Login
User Name
Password   


Registration is FREE. Click to become a member of OrchidBoard community
(You're NOT logged in)

menu menu

Sponsor
Donate Now
and become
Forum Supporter.

divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt
Many perks!
<...more...>


Sponsor
 

Google


Fauna Top Sites
LOG IN/REGISTER TO CLOSE THIS ADVERTISEMENT
  #1  
Old 09-10-2021, 02:54 AM
lobotomizedgoat's Avatar
lobotomizedgoat lobotomizedgoat is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2021
Zone: 10b
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 101
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt
Default divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt

I was gifted a large noID catt a few months ago. At first it was rather dormant, but after adding some supplemental lighting it sprouted new roots from a section of the plant that hangs out of the pot. My question now is what to do with it?

The simplest option, other than "nothing", seems to be dividing that section of growth. Depending on where I make the cut I could easily select 2-4 bulbs (4th without leaf) for the new plant, but I'm still new to this and apprehensive about unnecessary cutting. Of course, repotting/re-centering the plant sounds like the least pleasant option at the moment, due to its size.

Also, with regard to dividing, I wonder how it would affect the remaining plant. It clearly has many leaves and back bulbs, but it would be losing its newest growth. And the other two young-ish bulbs* it has are also hanging outside of the pot already, so new growth there would put me in the same position.

What would you do? Any advice is appreciated!


*One of those bulbs is on the opposite side of the plant from the new root growth and other is in the middle of the plant. Both have bud sheaths, as does the one with new roots, but the middle bulb's sheath began yellowing recently. I also discovered (and accidentally damaged) one budding root below the middle bulb today. The opposite bulb appears to have no new root growth.
Attached Thumbnails
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt-front-jpg   divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt-jpg  
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
Likes SADE2020 liked this post
  #2  
Old 09-10-2021, 08:07 AM
Ray's Avatar
Ray Ray is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: May 2005
Member of:AOS
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 14,782
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt Male
Default

If you have the room for it, consider a large basket and grow it on. The larger the colony, the more robust the plant will be, and the blooming will show for it.

Otherwise, there is no problem dividing it. I’d do as few, equal divisions as is manageable.
__________________
Ray Barkalow, Orchid Iconoclast
FIRSTRAYS.COM
Try Kelpak - you won't be sorry!
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 3 Likes
  #3  
Old 09-10-2021, 09:31 AM
SADE2020 SADE2020 is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Palma de Mallorca
Posts: 1,012
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt Female
Default

I like big Catts, in a bigger pot will make a show if you get few flower at a time.
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
Likes lobotomizedgoat liked this post
  #4  
Old 09-10-2021, 09:38 AM
K-Sci's Avatar
K-Sci K-Sci is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Sep 2020
Zone: 8a
Location: Central Mississippi
Posts: 648
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt Male
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by lobotomizedgoat View Post
I'm still new to this and apprehensive about unnecessary cutting.
What size is the pot it is in?
-Keith
__________________
+++++++++++
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-10-2021, 06:02 PM
lobotomizedgoat's Avatar
lobotomizedgoat lobotomizedgoat is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2021
Zone: 10b
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 101
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by K-Sci View Post
What size is the pot it is in?
-Keith
It is 8.5" in diameter and ~8" tall. The green decorative pot is 10.5" by 9" tall.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 09-10-2021, 06:20 PM
estación seca's Avatar
estación seca estación seca is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jun 2015
Zone: 9b
Location: Phoenix AZ - Lower Sonoran Desert
Posts: 17,749
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt Male
Default

The trick to repotting is to do it about a week and a half ago, when the roots were tiny nubs. As you've found it's easy to damage them when they get longer. Over time you'll figure out what time of year this plant grows and get ready to repot it.You could repot now; divide or not is up to you. It will be hard to divide it without damaging roots.

You could certainly leave it in that pot for one more growth cycle. You could repot now; divide or not is up to you. It will be hard to divide it without damaging roots.

Some people don't unpot and remove old medium for larger Catts. You can drop the pot into a larger pot and backfill with new medium. They don't make new roots from older parts of the rhizome, and the newest roots are the most active, so this works fine.

Other people have everything ready at normal growth season, and repot as soon as the new roots form.
__________________
May the bridges I've burned light my way.

Weather forecast for my neighborhood
Reply With Quote
Post Thanks / Like - 2 Likes
Likes lobotomizedgoat, SADE2020 liked this post
  #7  
Old 09-10-2021, 06:40 PM
lobotomizedgoat's Avatar
lobotomizedgoat lobotomizedgoat is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2021
Zone: 10b
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 101
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray View Post
If you have the room for it, consider a large basket and grow it on. The larger the colony, the more robust the plant will be, and the blooming will show for it.
That actually hadn't occurred to me! It's living indoors in a carpeted area, but I suppose all I'd need to make it work is a large drainage tray underneath. I also lack a sufficient mount to hang it from (except outside in too much direct sun), but a cursory search does show some free-standing options.

It also occurs to me now that I just saw some terracotta trough planters at a local garden supply store that would probably fit its dimensions. Though, I suspect those would need some extra ventilation drilled. Has anyone here grown in that type of pot?

---------- Post added at 03:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:25 PM ----------

Quote:
Originally Posted by estación seca View Post
The trick to repotting is to do it about a week and a half ago, when the roots were tiny nubs. As you've found it's easy to damage them when they get longer.
The embarrassing thing is that I knew this and meant to deal with it back when they appeared, but I procrastinated for a bit and then life got in the way.

Quote:
Originally Posted by estación seca View Post
Some people don't unpot and remove old medium for larger Catts. You can drop the pot into a larger pot and backfill with new medium. They don't make new roots from older parts of the rhizome, and the newest roots are the most active, so this works fine.
My lazy side likes this option. In such cases do you water the old and new media evenly, or focus on the newer medium and roots?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 09-10-2021, 08:05 PM
K-Sci's Avatar
K-Sci K-Sci is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Sep 2020
Zone: 8a
Location: Central Mississippi
Posts: 648
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt Male
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by lobotomizedgoat View Post
It is 8.5" in diameter and ~8" tall. The green decorative pot is 10.5" by 9" tall.
It's in a big pot already! I would have guessed it was a 4" pot, so I'm glad I asked. The volume of an 8-inch pot is five times greater than a 4-inch.

Next question: Your plant has multiple-growth leads with 3-4 bulbs outside the inner pot. I only see roots from one of the front bulbs. Where are the roots from the other bulbs with bases that are outside the pot?

-Keith
__________________
+++++++++++
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 09-11-2021, 01:17 AM
lobotomizedgoat's Avatar
lobotomizedgoat lobotomizedgoat is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Aug 2021
Zone: 10b
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 101
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by K-Sci View Post
It's in a big pot already! I would have guessed it was a 4" pot, so I'm glad I asked. The volume of an 8-inch pot is five times greater than a 4-inch.

Next question: Your plant has multiple-growth leads with 3-4 bulbs outside the inner pot. I only see roots from one of the front bulbs. Where are the roots from the other bulbs with bases that are outside the pot?

-Keith
The bulb on the far side (left side in the second photo) has no visible root growth. The one in the middle had a budding root tip that that I damaged yesterday when I pealed back the dry sheath that was covering it. That area also has two dried/dead-looking root tips further back along the rhizome that I had never noticed before. I cannot say if they sprouted while I've had the plant.

I also noticed a root tip growing counter clockwise along the inside of the pot halfway around the empty side near the surface. My guess is it's coming from further back on that first growth I mentioned that has no external roots, but I haven't been able to trace it.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 09-11-2021, 04:39 AM
Shadeflower Shadeflower is offline
Banned
 

Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 1,247
divide, repot, leave? what do do with my large catt
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by K-Sci View Post
Next question: Your plant has multiple-growth leads with 3-4 bulbs outside the inner pot. I only see roots from one of the front bulbs. Where are the roots from the other bulbs with bases that are outside the pot?
I thought about this one and I was thinking what could be the reason... Then it hit me.... The plant was being cared for by someone else who really did not want to repot it and thus gave it away instead.

So what happened to those roots? Most likely removed by the previous grower!

we all know beginners love to snip off things and hate "unsightly" aerial roots. Maybe they thought snipping off the roots would stop it growing out of the pot and when that didn't stop it away it went?

Last edited by Shadeflower; 09-11-2021 at 04:48 AM..
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
bulbs, growth, middle, plant, root


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Do I just repot this or divide it as well? Nelly4 Dendrobium Alliance 9 10-31-2009 04:29 AM
Catt help please, must repot? Swamper Cattleya Alliance 27 11-17-2008 03:30 PM
Oncidium Twinkle...divide or repot? Rick B. Beginner Discussion 5 10-16-2008 12:29 PM
should I repot my catt??? lumpy01 Beginner Discussion 6 08-28-2008 05:11 PM
LARGE Phalenopsis - Repot or not?? suneday Beginner Discussion 8 07-21-2008 07:53 PM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:14 AM.

© 2007 OrchidBoard.com
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO v2.0.37 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Feedback Buttons provided by Advanced Post Thanks / Like (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.

Clubs vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.