# Multiple-Growth Plant Care



## Happypaphy7 (Sep 5, 2014)

I usually give them away because it is rather work than hobby for me once plants past certain size. I'm an indoor grower and moving things around is too much work already.
Plants with multiple growths are heavier, harder to water or longer to properly water them...

But, I do want to keep my paph. Armeni White, which is now going over 20 growths in 6 inch clay pot. As much as I'd like to let it grow bigger, for ease of maintenance on my part, I plan to divide them into smaller pieces.

If I were to keep this plant going bigger than it is now, what would be the best medium to use?
My main concern is the health of the roots. This plant grows crazy amount of roots, and I sometimes worry that the center of the root ball might suffer if I used something too dense or something that stays too moist too long.

What do you all use for paphs with many growths or large root balls?
Has anyone used grow stones?? Are they good?


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## NYEric (Sep 5, 2014)

Next time you're getting rid of specimen size plants, let me know!


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## Linus_Cello (Sep 5, 2014)

With bigger pots, there is a concern that while the edges get dry, the center remains wet with successive waterings, and the plant will rot from the center towards the edges. One trick is to place another clay pot upside in the center, and fill the "donut" with your choice of media to help the center part dry out enough between waterings.


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## polyantha (Sep 5, 2014)

Happypaphy7 said:


> I usually give them away because it is rather work than hobby for me once plants past certain size. I'm an indoor grower and moving things around is too much work already.



1st world problems oke:

@ linus: The trick with the clay pot is fantastic!


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 5, 2014)

Linus_Cello said:


> With bigger pots, there is a concern that while the edges get dry, the center remains wet with successive waterings, and the plant will rot from the center towards the edges. One trick is to place another clay pot upside in the center, and fill the "donut" with your choice of media to help the center part dry out enough between waterings.



That sounds interesting.
I understand how it's done, but I do not understand how that helps keep the center dryer.

Also, what happens at the next repotting? 
Do you have hard time getting that clay pot in the center of the roots ball out at all??


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 5, 2014)

NYEric said:


> Next time you're getting rid of specimen size plants, let me know!



I usually just toss or donate for the fund raising auction at the local society meeting. They usually go for good price.

Why don't you come and have fun? :rollhappy:


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 5, 2014)

polyantha said:


> 1st world problems oke:
> 
> @ linus: The trick with the clay pot is fantastic!



I know, right?


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## Linus_Cello (Sep 5, 2014)

There is no media in the center to retain water. The clay will dry out much faster then media.


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 6, 2014)

Oh, ok, I see now.
So the center of the root ball will sit in the clay pot with no potting mix.


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## Ray (Sep 6, 2014)

I use net pots the same way, inverted in the middle of the root mass.

Inert media offer the advantage of not decomposing, breaking down and suffocating the roots, but I suggest against Grow Stones, as the pH is too high.


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## Justin (Sep 6, 2014)

the center pot is upside down with no mix, like an inverted cone inside the larger pot. then roots and media are filled into the space of the the larger pot around the circumference of the center pot.


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## NYEric (Sep 6, 2014)

Happypaphy7 said:


> I usually just toss or donate for the fund raising auction at the local society meeting. They usually go for good price.
> 
> Why don't you come and have fun? :rollhappy:



Which society?


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## Paphman910 (Sep 6, 2014)

Ray said:


> I
> ...
> I suggest against Grow Stones, as the pH is too high.



I totally agree with this as the foaming agent used is calcium carbonate that causes the stones to have a high pH of greater than pH 8


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 6, 2014)

NYEric said:


> Which society?



Manhattan. Other ones are too far to get to.


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 6, 2014)

Paphman910 said:


> I totally agree with this as the foaming agent used is calcium carbonate that causes the stones to have a high pH of greater than pH 8



Thanks. I'll forget about the grow stones then.
What are they used for then???


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 6, 2014)

Justin said:


> the center pot is upside down with no mix, like an inverted cone inside the larger pot. then roots and media are filled into the space of the the larger pot around the circumference of the center pot.



I thought the smaller pot would be used upside up hosing the center of the root ball.
If I were to have a smaller pot upside down, I don't think it would fit.
I rather just elevated the bottom with some pebbles instead. same idea, isn't it??


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## Linus_Cello (Sep 7, 2014)

Happypaphy7 said:


> I thought the smaller pot would be used upside up hosing the center of the root ball.
> If I were to have a smaller pot upside down, I don't think it would fit.
> I rather just elevated the bottom with some pebbles instead. same idea, isn't it??



It's not the bottom that's the issue, but the center of the pot. The center doesn't dry out enough, and leads to rotting from the center.
There are some small low clay pots available for sale. Like for forcing paperwhite bulbs.


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## Paphman910 (Sep 7, 2014)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Thanks. I'll forget about the grow stones then.
> What are they used for then???



I use it for drainage at the bottom of pot (about 1 inch). Can't really use it as the pH gets even more alkaline ... pH 10+.

I rinse it several times and the pH is still alkaline. Great for Acid Road Discharge treatment in sediment ponds.


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## terryros (Sep 7, 2014)

Will just throw in that we are doing some experimenting with a mixture of Growstones and milled sphagnum moss. In the right growing conditions, I think this may be a nice mix. The moss will be more acidic to balance the alkaline nature of the Growstones. I will be finding out. I needed a mix that dried out more quickly than straight sphagnum but I wanted it to still last 5-7 days between waterings.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## troy (Sep 7, 2014)

I like the idea of using a small basket allows air flow


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## NYEric (Sep 7, 2014)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Manhattan. Other ones are too far to get to.


Thanks, i'll have to check out the mtg. times.


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 8, 2014)

Linus_Cello said:


> It's not the bottom that's the issue, but the center of the pot. The center doesn't dry out enough, and leads to rotting from the center.
> There are some small low clay pots available for sale. Like for forcing paperwhite bulbs.



I know that the center is the issue. 
Maybe I did not write well in my last post.

But I do not understand how inserting an extra pot upside down will do anything. My plant has tons of roots in the center, so placing an extra pot unside down would mean that the root ball would be sitting on top of that pot. So that would basically be the same thing as adding tons of rocks or whatever at the bottom of the main pot up to the same height of an extra pot that might be used.
Does it make sense?


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## Happypaphy7 (Sep 8, 2014)

NYEric said:


> Thanks, i'll have to check out the mtg. times.



It is every second Wednesday of each month except for July and August where they do not meet.

I only donate plants in December or June when we have a fundraising auction.


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## NYEric (Sep 8, 2014)

Thanks for the info. The pot in the center makes an air-space.


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## Paphman910 (Sep 8, 2014)

I will be repotting my huge stonei into a 12 pot after it finish flowering. It is going to be a challenge to get it out of the 8 inch pot with all the roots clinging to the pot! I will add enough lava rock to the bottom of the pot to keep the base of the plant at the right level and I will use large styrofoam chucks with lava rock to lighten the weight of the whole plant. About half the pot is in this inorganic mix and the top half of the pot is in regular mix.


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## Rick (Sep 8, 2014)

troy said:


> I like the idea of using a small basket allows air flow



Is that like the old aircone pots?


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