How much angst do you suffer during dividing your orchid plants?

[pavel]

Just an idle thought that ran through my mind whilst dividing some of my orchids -- a long overdue procedure in many cases. (And yes, that does mean there will be a number of orchids offered on OrchidBids in the near future. )

There are times it still causes me a pang here and there when I have to chop through perfectly health roots ... either because they have grown through holes in the pot, or because they are such a interwoven mass that to gently separate them so the plant can be divided would be too time consuming or nigh impossible. I have gotten better over the years -- read "more ruthless/callous". I used to painstakingly try to untangle all of the roots without breaking or cutting any and lament the necessary brutality when I did have to do so. That doesn't happen often anymore. Now it more a case of saying unto said offending roots "Sorry buddy, sucks to be you.", and a slicing I go. In the very rare, extreme cases, I have even resorted to the method demonstrated by some orchid vendors I know -- taking a strong serrated knife (like a ginsu for any of you oldies but goodies who remember those knife commercials from yesteryear) and simply sawing through the entire plant mass from top to bottom roots and all. (I can practically hear some of you gasping in horror at the mental image thus conjured. )

I pretty well expect that the gamut of responses will run from those of the relative newbies who simply can't imagine committing such an atrocity, to the "oldtimers" who will say something along the lines of "Been there done that. What's the big deal?"

[Lizgeo]

I haven't used saw yet. But I have tried to divide and gave up, then simply put it in a bigger pot.

I have a big Cymbidium aloifolium that really needs division. But, it's so big and heavy, I don't know where to start. Sawing might be only solution.

[cdayinflorida]

I use a serrated knife and normally saw my way through.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Yes, a large knife and sawing through. Sometimes ondiciums can be divided by simply pulling, but the cymbidiums and cattleya types take some doing. haha...

cheers,
BD

[tucker85]

I have some large pruning shears that work well but I have also used serrated knives and a small saw. I'm trying not to divide as much as I used to. I've found that just moving an entire plant to a larger pot doesn't bother it much, but dividing an orchid can often set it back severely for a year or more. I'm growing more of them into specimen size now.

[cdayinflorida]

I agree with Jeff. I don't divide too much. But, if I have plant going crazy in all directions (like catt types can do) I sometimes will make a division in the pot or basket, just sawing through the rhizome without removing the plant. I then can coax it to grow they way I want as independent plant in the basket. Some of the big ones I have now consist of several plants in one pot.

[maria1971]

It really depends for me. First, I repot 100% of the plants that buy. It doesn't matter if it's newly potted or whatnot, I repot into the medium that I use. So, when I first get the plant, I take the opportunity to decide whether I'm going to divide it or let it be. I usually divide plants that have awkward growths that don't allow them to sit properly in pots--this happens a lot with schomburgkia and cattleyas that I have. Honestly, I cringe with horror every time I see plants growing 1/2 outside of the pot and the other half inside. If I get a plant like that, it's more than likely that I will divide it.

For example, I recently bought a grammatophyllum. when I purchased it it was in a 4 inch pot with 1/2 of it basically growing out of it. I took it out of the pot, cleaned out the roots, and by the time I finished unwinding everything (it took 2 days of soaking) I ended up with a root ball that didn't fit into a 12 inch pot. I also discovered that some of the new bulbs had grown on top of a bunch of old bulbs. So basically, it was the perfect opportunity to divide. I ended up dividing it into 6 plants--all of which are making new growths and roots like crazy--including the lone bulb I thought FOR SURE was going to die--evidently not.

On the flip side, I realize that I won't get flowers for several years maybe. But, I'm ok with that. I'd rather have a REALLY healthy smaller plant than a not-so healthy big plant.

[coeruleo]

i was once given an enormous cattleya bowringiana that was around 3' in diameter, in an 8" clay pot. you could not see the pot unless you hoisted it up to look under it. it was the first orchid i ever divided. i cut it into 4 big sections, and potted each in a 10" pot. i put it off for months because i was terrified.

[catasetum-ian]

i am basically doing what you are doing to my other orchids than catasetums, very tedious work, but fortunately for me, my collection are mainly catasetums. with them, is either i just cut the backbulb i need for new division, no roots needed and leave the rest of the plant undisturbed. so basically save me a lot of work. at most of the time, it is just repotting by shifting them to a larger pot.

[Dazed]

Never had to divide any orchids, well yet anyway. I have no qualms about reenacting "Fatal Attraction" on them since I lost my division fears years ago on my mum's ferns. I tried with a sarated knife but I've perfected the machete. I guess its a case of use what you got. Must admit my mum was a bit traumatized when she saw me going at her precious plants with the cutlass. She made the comment, "Remind me not to piss you off." at one point, not sure what that was supposed to mean.