# Should I repot this?



## Denver (Mar 9, 2014)

I got this Paph Shin Yi Omar (Saint Swithin 'Wallula' x William Ambler 'Dark Horse' AM/AOS) about a month ago. It was in spike at the time but the spike didn't make it. The pot seems too large to me and it seems to be retaining too much moisture which is making me concerned that it's roots are going to do badly. It also feels rather loose in its pot. It is a 5.5" pot and the biggest leaf is 14"










It's leaves look healthier in person, the flash makes them appear much more yellow than they are.
Any advice would be appreciated as to whether I should leave it alone and hope it starts acclimating better or if I should re-pot it in a smaller pot. If I go with a re-pot, would it be a good one to try in semi-hydro or would it be easier on the plant to leave it in a similar medium? I have some other orchids in semi-hydro, but no paphs. I am a windowsill grower and use rainwater fertilized with k-lite.


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## NYEric (Mar 9, 2014)

Check to see if the roots fill the pot, if this is the case, no.


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## Bob in Albany N.Y. (Mar 9, 2014)

I'm betting this plant came from a greenhouse that was very hot. Those guys have to have a large pot to keep them from drying out to soon.


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## The Orchid Boy (Mar 9, 2014)

I always repot immediately after I get any new plants.


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## bigleaf (Mar 9, 2014)

Bob in Albany said:


> I'm betting this plant came from a greenhouse that was very hot. Those guys have to have a large pot to keep them from drying out to soon.



Paphs I got from paph symposium, I repotted them with pots just large enough for the root mass. Consequently I'm having to water them often - once every 2-3 days. 

Lower humidity will cause the pot to dry up very quickly too. That's my current problem.


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## SlipperFan (Mar 9, 2014)

Checking the roots will tell you if you need to repot. I personally wouldn't use semi-hydo for Paphs -- my experiment with that method had poor results.


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## SlipperKing (Mar 9, 2014)

Knock it out of the pot and check. If you don't you will be kicking yourself later. You can't hurt the plant by un-potting it. It looks currently too dry but you may of just dried it out. As suggested , use a pot small enough to hold the root mass and add your favorite mix. It will adjust and grow.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Mar 9, 2014)

I find most places overpot their paphs. If they are not in bud/bloom, I generally repot new paphs. Invariably, their new pot is smaller.


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## Denver (Mar 9, 2014)

I hadn't watered it in over week because it was still rather heavy and felt too wet below the surface. Thanks for the encouragement to un-pot it to check on it as I found that the medium was breaking down.

Here is what the roots look like:





The roots were bigger than I expected and basically formed an empty cube around the edges of the pot. The middle of the pot had no roots and the medium there was sopping wet as the bark had begun breaking down.

I put it back in the same pot (after giving the pot a good scrubbing) with new medium for the time being. Was that probably the best course of action? Or should I put it in a smaller pot? The form of the roots would make it rather intimidating to put in a smaller pot (I'm still rather new to this whole thing and probably over cautious about damaging the roots)...

Thanks again for everyone's expertise!


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## SlipperKing (Mar 10, 2014)

Your actions are fine for now. You will need to water more often with new bark.


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## NYEric (Mar 10, 2014)

The roots are trying to grow as naturally to anchor the plants and to seak nutrients. They are shaped the way you show because the pot kept it to those limits. If you put it in a smaller pot you may suspend any progress of the roots to grow.


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## Denver (Mar 10, 2014)

Thanks for all the advice!


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