Err, suggestions for repotting THIS?

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

These are pictures of the roots on one of my Psychopsis papilo's. I've put off repotting this beast for err, a long time for one reason or another. Last night I decided to suck it up and just get it over with.
As you can see this is one tight root ball. Packed inside there is a tonne of sphagnum moss that I just can't get out.
I've heard these suckers don't like having their roots disturbed, so I am not about to go hacking.
My usual method for roots like this is to soak overnight, then take the hose and 'blast' the sphag out, but that didn't work.

So? What do I do?

 

[ehanes7612]

These are pictures of the roots on one of my Psychopsis papilo's. I've put off repotting this beast for err, a long time for one reason or another. Last night I decided to suck it up and just get it over with.
As you can see this is one tight root ball. Packed inside there is a tonne of sphagnum moss that I just can't get out.
I've heard these suckers don't like having their roots disturbed, so I am not about to go hacking.
My usual method for roots like this is to soak overnight, then take the hose and 'blast' the sphag out, but that didn't work.

So? What do I do?

just plop it all into a bigger pot with the appropriate mix...least invasive

 

[Shiva]

I was going to say the same thing. You may mix sphagnum an large size tree fern fibers.to fill the larger pot. Eventually, the plant will have new roots packed in a less dense material and by then, the sphagnum in the old part may fall apart on its own.

 

[SlipperFan]

I think the two posts above are wise suggestions.

 

[ehanes7612]

I think the two posts above are wise suggestions.

i feel its fairly universal...i do this with all my paphs too...i just remove the plant from the container...whatever falls off ,falls off and I repot in bigger pot adding new mix to the old...disturbing roots as little as possible. if the mix is so sour that the roots are rotting extensively then you can do a complete mix makeover...damage is already done by then and the plant has to make a huge recovery anyway

 

[Rick]

Stick it in a basket. When it overgrows that basket, plunk it into a bigger basket.

 

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

Thanks all for your suggestions!
you're not worried about the mushy sphag right in the middle of the root ball? Leaving it there seems so against everything I've learned up to this point.
I'll be devastated if I loose this guy

 

[biothanasis]

Just put it in a larger pot, with less condensed potting material (e.g. coco fibres), so that even if you water as you usually did, there will be some aeriation to dry the material more quickly. Good luck..!

 

[SlipperFan]

Thanks all for your suggestions!
you're not worried about the mushy sphag right in the middle of the root ball? Leaving it there seems so against everything I've learned up to this point.
I'll be devastated if I loose this guy

That would concern me, also, with sphagnum. I suspect it will eventually rot away and take a few roots with it. Meanwhile, new roots will be growing in fresh sphagnum, so the plant won't feel the little bump.

 

[likespaphs]

i thought they didn't like to have their roots disturbed

 

[bullsie]

I think all suggestions are great. Figure which will do the job best for your circumstances. Here is my suggestion: (biothanasis' advice)

You may wish to try the pot in pot method. I've done this with youngsters that needed repotting but wasn't the best time of year and couldn't seperate the foam/sphag medium from the tender roots. (I've also just taped a pot beside the original and allowed the plant to migrate to the new pot - works quite well also!)

Your plant really has used up as much space as it can with mature growths in the container it was in. It will be going 'forward' from here on out. If you place it in a clay pot - which 'dries' and airs out quickly and then place that in a larger pot, of your choice, and your choice of mix in the gaps, your Psychopsis will soon grow forward without any disturbance to the root system.

This route will allow the older roots to stay airy and not be affected by the disintegrating sphag. Should keep the mature growth, that in a few years will become the old growth, safe and happy. Will allow for future expansion of new growth and roots.

Let us know what you decide and how it progresses!

 

[cnycharles]

I had heard that psychopsis types didn't like too much water and didn't like repotting very much, so I put one I got from an orchid club silent auction into aliflor in an aircone pot. It's not semi-hydro culture, just the pellets in a pot. Seems to like it though my flower spikes keep dying back (probably from lack of fertilizer). This way, the inorganic, non-degrading media can be plopped into the next container when the plant outgrows this one

 

[SlipperFan]

I had heard that psychopsis types didn't like too much water and didn't like repotting very much, so I put one I got from an orchid club silent auction into aliflor in an aircone pot. It's not semi-hydro culture, just the pellets in a pot. Seems to like it though my flower spikes keep dying back (probably from lack of fertilizer). This way, the inorganic, non-degrading media can be plopped into the next container when the plant outgrows this one

Hmmm -- I've been growing mine semi-hydroponically for several years, and finally repotted one last year, also S/H. It's almost to the point it needs repotting again -- big plant, almost always in bloom. It has about 8-10 spikes. I think the trick it that the roots have to be healthy before it goes into S/H. I've been watering it once a week in the winter and twice a week in the summer.

 

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

Thanks everyone!
I was able to wiggle out some of the sphagnum from deep within the middle of the root ball and tucked some packing peanuts in there to hopefully get some air in there. Its potted into a larger pot with sphagnum and chunks of Styrofoam.
I have started growing a few of these over the past two years and have had great success(new growths, and spikes). I have not found these plants to be particularly sensitive to watering at all. Growing them in s/h is really interesting and I can see how they would do well.
We`ll see how it does over the next few weeks.

 

[cnycharles]

mine has grown well, but the original flower spike died back, and then when a new one emerged a few months ago it also died back. could be I just need to give it more water and fert. regularly and not let it dry out completely

 

[Mocchaccino]

That would concern me, also, with sphagnum. I suspect it will eventually rot away and take a few roots with it. Meanwhile, new roots will be growing in fresh sphagnum, so the plant won't feel the little bump.

I agree. My usual practice is to remove as many old mixes as I can such that I would ensure there's no risk of degradation leading to acidification ultimately affecting the roots.