dividing encyclias in general
I posted in another thread about rotting pseudobulbs in encyclias so this is related to that. I have three or four different kinds that are large older specimens that I wonder if I should divide.
Three days ago I decided to tear apart a cordigera 'alba' which was in a 10 inch pot because it was losing leaves like crazy. They would turn yellow over night and I was getting a new yellow one or two every day. I took it out of the pot and the roots were short and mostly rotten in the middle of the plant. I made 8 smaller plants with 2 to 3 pseudobulbs including a new growth for each. Since there was so much root rot I sprayed them liberally with hydrogen peroxide, let them dry bare-root overnight, then sprayed again the next day. The remaining roots looked nice and healthy although there weren't many of them. I potted seven of them in small pots with a moss/perlite mixture and mounted one.
I was reading about dividing encyclias and one source said that they "can" be divided after 2 or 3 years but I guess my question would be, is it more like a necessity in order to prevent the center of the plant from rotting. I also read this morning that Tolumnias shouldn't be allowed to get large for that very reason.
This ionophlebia is starting to look a bit pale. I see a few new growths around the outside edge but only maybe one or two sheaths. There are rooted growths laying on top of the whole thing. I decided to divide it.
My concern mostly is this cochleata which is the one that had a rotten pb in the center. I cut it out and put a liberal amount of cinnamon on the cut area. It has flower sheaths forming and some new growths popping out. Would it be better to risk losing potential blossoms by dividing now in order to not risk losing the whole plant to rot? I read that cochleata will continue to bloom almost continually once it gets started so would this be as good a time as any to divide into two or three plants? I'm thinking of leaving it unless I see anymore rotting in the center but on the other hand I kind of want to divide it. It looks healthy otherwise.
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