# Repotting dilemma



## Djthomp28 (Dec 11, 2020)

I grow my orchids underlight and use egg crate (light louvers) to elevate them in the trays. On occasion, my cattleya roots grow through the bottom of the pot and into the bottom of the tray. Of course this is not desirable for several reasons.

I am going to repot the Catt in the picture by cutting away as much of the pot with out damaging the roots. Then I will place it into a new pot and gently fill with bark. This plant was repotted less than 6 months ago. So I am a bit surprised.

Does this happen to anyone else?


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## Ray (Dec 11, 2020)

Yes, it happens all the time - in my greenhouse in PA, the roots did a _fine_ job of attaching to the wooden benches, so got damaged every time you tried to move the pot.

Don’t let the fact that the roots are submerged in the trays bother you. As they grew into it, they’re fine, and actually pump more water and nutrients into the plant that does the same surface area within the pot.


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## tomkalina (Dec 11, 2020)

I'd soak the plant( pot and all) in good quality water for about a 1/2 hour. Then I'd use a pair of fine scissors (iris scissors are best if you can find a pair) and carefully cut from one round drainage hole to the other (not the side drainage holes, just the bottom ones). Then I'd carefully remove the bottom of the pot that should now be free. The roots will be fairly pliable and you should be able to pull them through the open bottom and bottom cone without a problem. Once the roots are free, I'd pull the entire plant out of the pot and repot. Easier than it sounds. Good luck!


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## NYEric (Dec 11, 2020)

You can definitely cut around those. Have fun.


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## musa (Dec 12, 2020)

Happens all the time to me. Sometimes roots are growing fine in the tray even constantly under water.


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## Djthomp28 (Dec 12, 2020)

Thanks all! I took care of the one pictured above. Then promptly saw that its neighbor is also venturing into the tray.

At least I know this is fairly common and not too much of a worry. However, I like being able to pick up my plants and put them down without incident. These adventurous roots make that challenging.


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## SouthPark (Dec 13, 2020)

True. A good pair of 'tin snips' will make short work of that pot, and will get the plant and roots out.

On the other hand, the holes seen in these pots here appear to be quite nice and large. Pretty sure that most of the roots will just slide on out ---- with some careful manipulation if needed.

Also, I'm not afraid of snipping roots as well - for ones that are stuck in holes. We know in advance that the orchid can grow new ones. And when an orchid has adequate roots inside the pot, then it will be just fine.


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## Ozpaph (Dec 13, 2020)

why bother - just pull it out and repot. It will grow new roots quickly - its a very vigorous hybrid.


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## abax (Dec 13, 2020)

This common phenom is why I only use clay pots. A good hammer solves the
whole problem.


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## SouthPark (Dec 14, 2020)

Maybe you can just trim the roots off when they come out of the holes. Sort of like 'bonsai' strategy. The other roots will just keep growing inside the pot. Or could use larger, deeper pots.


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## southernbelle (Dec 14, 2020)

tomkalina said:


> I'd soak the plant( pot and all) in good quality water for about a 1/2 hour. Then I'd use a pair of fine scissors (iris scissors are best if you can find a pair) and carefully cut from one round drainage hole to the other (not the side drainage holes, just the bottom ones). Then I'd carefully remove the bottom of the pot that should now be free. The roots will be fairly pliable and you should be able to pull them through the open bottom and bottom cone without a problem. Once the roots are free, I'd pull the entire plant out of the pot and repot. Easier than it sounds. Good luck!
> [/QUOTE. Great advice, from one with expert experience!! The only thing I do differently is to soak in a KelpMax solution to stimulate new root growth. And, I find that some pots (aircone for instance) are so rigid it takes tin snips to cut them.


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## SouthPark (Dec 14, 2020)

Djthomp28 said:


> Does this happen to anyone else?



It happens to lots of orchid growers. I think that - just as we trim 'leaves' of some plants ---- it's also possible to trim roots --- only those that grow out of the pot. Although - if the roots begin to block the drainage holes too much, then time for a repot - into a bigger pot.

Trimming some roots prior to repot is an option, and is actually done by some growers. If the orchid has quite a lot of good roots already, then some trimming is just fine.

Some of my catts have their roots come out through the drainage holes, and then through the drainage grate holes, and into the sand/soil of a planter box ------ where big clumps of healthy catt roots just grow just below the surface of the sand/soil mix.

I eventually just snip off the roots that come out of the pot - just as a pre-caution ----- in case the roots get any soil-borne nasties that might get into the plant and do something bad to the plant.


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## Djthomp28 (Dec 15, 2020)

Thanks all for the lively discussion! When first learning how to grow orchids, the scary thing about repotting was damaging the precious roots. That has stuck with me over the years. While I am not concerned with repotting and incidentally damage, I still try to preserve all the healthy roots possible. One of my friends who is a great grower and judge has coached me about trimming roots on a few occasions. We were talking about Phals and Phrags mostly. 

Honestly the idea of triming these roots didn't even cross my mind. That's probably because it feels taboo still...


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## SouthPark (Dec 15, 2020)

This orchid nursery grower is well known in our part of Australia. And although I don't agree with everything he mentions, he does demonstrate trimming of cattleya roots ----- at this link here --- (*click here*) starting at 4 mins 18 seconds.

I myself don't trim roots in general. I just put my orchids in bigger pots, and it takes quite a while for the roots to reach the bottom of the pot, where the holes are. But I have no problems with the trimming or snipping of roots - that's if I wanted to snip them, or just need to (circumstantially).


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## Djthomp28 (Dec 15, 2020)

SouthPark thanks for sharing the video. Root trimming is an interested concepts. Watching the grower just snip across the pot made my eye pop a bit. 

Beautiful orchids though.


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## SouthPark (Dec 15, 2020)

Most welcome DJ. Catt roots can do branching too. So if the tips of one root just so-happen to be trimmed, then off-shoots can still form along the length of some trimmed roots. Also - after trimming, we can even allow a bit of time for the trimmed ends of the roots to dry and seal up. Once dried/sealed, can resume watering. This is just thinking along the lines of preventing unwanted things (eg. from new media etc) from getting into the roots when watered.


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## Djthomp28 (Dec 16, 2020)

Thanks for the additional details, SouthPark!


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