# Help??



## Heather (Aug 11, 2006)

How do you guys deal with potting besseae hybrids with old growths in S/H? 
You know, the kind where in order to get the new growths even CLOSE to the media, you have to pot the old growths underneath? I can only imagine this is a recipe for serious risk of the old growths causing rot and other nasty things to grow. 

Any suggestions, or am I worrying for no reason?
thanks!


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## slippertalker (Aug 11, 2006)

This is kind of off the wall, but has anyone tried growing besseae and its hybrids mounted on a layer of moss growing vertically? Perhaps a tree fern pole layered in moss to handle the cliff creeping rhizomes would work.
Just an idea!


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## Bill in NYC (Aug 11, 2006)

If I repot my Phrags in diatomite should I continue to have them standing in water?


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## Rick (Aug 11, 2006)

slippertalker said:


> This is kind of off the wall, but has anyone tried growing besseae and its hybrids mounted on a layer of moss growing vertically? Perhaps a tree fern pole layered in moss to handle the cliff creeping rhizomes would work.
> Just an idea!



I just saw a short article on this in the most recent Orchids or Orchid digest by Howard Gunn.

They take a big half pipe of cork bark and set it in a pot, then pile it up at an angle with moss to produce an incline like a steep cliff. Then they pot up the plant in it. They showed a big Bess hybrid specimen plant that was just climbing right up it.

The article is in Orchid Digest and was actually written by Eric Christianson on a method developed by the Gunn's


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## Heather (Aug 11, 2006)

Well, I ended up burying a couple anyway. Otherwise the three mature growths would be completely out of the media. 

We'll see what happens I guess....unfortunately I just moved my plants to my mom's and I won't be able to check on them until Sunday...hopefully they won't all have rotted away in that time.


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## SlipperFan (Aug 11, 2006)

Bill in NYC said:


> If I repot my Phrags in diatomite should I continue to have them standing in water?


In my experience, some Phrags do well with this method and some don't. You may have to experiment to see how it works for you.

I saw that article about the climbing besseae, also, and thought it a very interesting idea. Usually, I've just been "burying" (as per Heather) my climbers -- hasn't seemed to hurt them yet.


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## Heather (Aug 11, 2006)

SlipperFan said:


> Usually, I've just been "burying" (as per Heather) my climbers -- hasn't seemed to hurt them yet.



I should clarify, I've had no problems "burying" in bark mix, but wondered how different prime agra might be.


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## SlipperFan (Aug 11, 2006)

Heather said:


> I should clarify, I've had no problems "burying" in bark mix, but wondered how different prime agra might be.


That's mostly what I've used for the past 3 years or so (PrimeAgra). Some of the Phrags did fine in that, others not so good -- but it seems independent of whether they were climbers or not as to their liking or disliking of clay pellets.


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## Heather (Aug 11, 2006)

Thanks Dot! 
I have officially moved my plants over to S/H. So, this will be interesting to watch.

Except I ran out of mix just before the LAST plant! ARGH!!! 
Now I will be in a perpetual state of anxiety until I get just a _*wee*_ bit more Prime Agra. Grrrr.....!


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## SlipperFan (Aug 12, 2006)

Heather said:


> Thanks Dot!
> I have officially moved my plants over to S/H. So, this will be interesting to watch.
> 
> Except I ran out of mix just before the LAST plant! ARGH!!!
> Now I will be in a perpetual state of anxiety until I get just a _*wee*_ bit more Prime Agra. Grrrr.....!


Don't be afraid to substitute diatomite for the PrimeAgra.


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