Divide or not?

[MikeWA]

For those that have had plants for a bit. Do you divide your larger plants to make more or do you let them grow to specimen size?
Why do you divide? To sell, trade? Make more plants? Cause you are so controlling you must not let a plant be for very long?

I divide for trade or to keep a plant in control because it has outgrown a large pot or slab.

[TundraKev]

Because it's fun. I get to repot.

Everything you mentioned except the selling. I love to trade. Love those presents coming in the mail.

I know some people think it is criminal not to let a plant become specimen size. Maybe if I had the room, I would, but it's mainly to keep things within bounds so I can have an occasional new plant.

Me

[LJA]

Divide for manageability. Tons of things get absolutely huge. (Anybody interested in a Gramatophyllum? I have no more space for these suckers, and I've got two.)

Don't divide for profit. Your greed will get the better of you and your divisions will come out way too sparse--you might as well start again with seedlings.

(Voice of Experience talking here.... )

[JB_Orchidguy]

I would love a Gramatophyllum LGA I have been looking for one. I would have bought one at Cater & Holmes if they would have had one for sale. I seen one in their stock house and it was HUGE!! Lepard orchid Is what this one was called. A peice of it would be just fine too. I can let it grow. What are the two kinds you have? Would definatley like to work something out. Thanks Lga

[JB_Orchidguy]

Sorry I was so excited about seeing the Gram offering I forgot about answering the post question. I like to get speciman size plants. Currently I dont have any, but working on it. If someone special tells me they want a piece then I may devide the plant only if it will not setback the plant. Now the devision may be setback, but thats part of deviding. I devided my gongora tricolor a last year and I wish I didn't It would have been a huge plant this year. It didn't setback the plant it still had 5 spike this year, but I would have had a huge plant, and thats what I like I think the plants do much better and flower better.

[Piper]

Easy answer - I'm so used to poor light conditions (not the case in my current abode), premature plants sold as 'BS' and a smaller colletion (alas, no longer), that I saw green all year with an occassional pop of a flower, if I was lucky.

I've overstuffed the apt. with orchids this winter so I may rethink the dividing question, but for the moment a specimen plant excites me a hell of a lot more than another pot to feed...

Julie

[RSJ]

It depends. I only divide if I need to keep the pot size smaller, or to give a piece away. The problem I have is that I almost always move a plant to LECA from what it was in when I got it because I can't keep anything alive for long in moss, and since I don't have a nice warm humid greenhouse nor a humid, warm grow-room with fancy lights, all my repotted plants moved from organic medium to LECA to date have experienced noticeable setbacks and slow recovery, let alone if they go through the trauma of dividing.I've not been growing orchids long enough to have plants in specimen size if I didn't already get them pretty large to start with.

RSJ

[Orchidzrule]

Hi all,


Definitely do not divide as soon as a plant is big enough. I only tend to do it if it needs a pot that's bigger than I can provide space for. If it outgrows a 6-inch pot, I MUST divide. For me, it's definitely about manageability. At the moment I have an Oncidium Twinkle that's literally warping its (very tiny) pot because it's just filled to the brim. I really should do *something* with it, but keep putting it off because I can't decide whether to just pot it up or whether to make several plants--it's absolutely seething with growths. I think the total of p-bulbs and new growths combined is about 17--it ain't pretty in a 3-inch pot! LOL

So, ppl, if this were your plant, would you pot up or divide?

Cheers,

Rob

[RSJ]

Rob, if I were you, I'd divide it in half and send the other piece to me!

If it were really my plant, and it was currently living in a 3.5" pot, I'd probably just pot up and keep the thing intact because I love the excess of fragrance these have when they are specimens. Then again, if I had someone to corrupt, errr....entice, into the world of orchid-fever, it would be big enough to give them a nice chunk and still have a darned good sized plant left over.

RSJ

[bench72]

I've only really had one plant, a Dend, I've had longer than five years.... and that one got potted up becoz I was a newbie and was scared of re-potting and dividing... it got to the point where it was in a 12" pot... it was a really strong grower at first but as it got to the larger pots it's growth slowed... and then declined... now I only have a plant with a couple of p/bs.

I've since realised that the medium wasn't drying out in the large pots so these days, 100mm pots are the general size... plus they fit my indoor decorative pots better.

Cheers
Tim