How to get orchid seedlings out of clay pots? (Rhy.)

Delilah · Sep 5, 2013

Hi

I have two Rhynchostylis gigantea seedlings, both growing with roots firmly attached to the little clay pots they came in. I'm not sure what to do from here. If I want to transfer them to a wooden mount and/or teak basket, how do I do it?

And should I do it? I'm wondering whether it's worth the stress to the plants. How much of a risk is it to attempt this? Then again, they can't live in tiny pots forever, so...

Thanks

mrhappyrotter · Sep 5, 2013

Find a big enough basket and set the plant in there, pot and all.

abax · Sep 5, 2013

You can soak the clay pots in warm water for, say, 30 minutes and then
smack the pot with a hammer. You can also set the pot into a basket and
let the roots make their way out of the pot and into the basket. Put a bit
of coco fiber loosely around the clay pot in the basket. I've done this
many times and either one works fine if the plant is healthy.

Trithor · Sep 6, 2013

mrhappyrotter said:
Find a big enough basket and set the plant in there, pot and all.

Agreed, plant and pot into basket, roots would not be attached to the pot if they did not like it (unless there are smurfs working in the area with access to a glue gun!)
, and as Abax said, plants do fine when you move the plant and old pot on to the new. I have a bunch moved on in the same fashion. They do better than if you try and extricate them from the old pot. Only worth doing if there is a problem with the original other than size

Delilah · Sep 6, 2013

OK, done. Whole thing is now in a teak basket, with a few chunky bits of wood and some dangly moss for decoration and extra humidity. It now looks very good in its spot of filtered sun on the deck.

Ozpaph · Sep 8, 2013

well done. Post a photo, please.

ALToronto · Sep 8, 2013

I'd break the pot first, just so the roots have room to get out when they get too big. Place it, shards and all, into the basket; the shards will become part of the potting medium.