Repot Tangled, Twisted Cattleya

[Joodles]

Hi
I’m looking for advice on how to tackle a repot on a very neglected Cattleya. It has been in the garden for about 7 years and as you can see from the photos, she’s a mess. The rhizomes are all over the place, climbing out and crossing over. There are even some under the brick which was stupidly used as a weight.
Yes I‘m a newbie but will not procrastinate anymore. It’s going to happen. I just don’t know where to start.

Some questions:
1. I want to take it out of the pot, hose off the roots and take more photos for this post. How long can I leave it out of medium?

2. I would like to keep it as a large plant (300mm pot) I guess I will have no choice and need to divide it because of the crossing rhizomes? Suggestions?

Here she is.....






Thanks
Jude

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Hi Jude,

You should soak that cattleya pot in water for a good 30 minutes before you start working on it. Break away the plastic and then remove all of the dead roots (you will know the dead ones because they will still be brittle and dry/ decemated compared to the healthy ones that will be soft and white/green.

You do not need to repot quickly. Most orchids like this one have that have thick roots and pseudobulbes will not be bothered out of the medium and often will be happier where the roots can breath more easily. We pot them up to grow in our homes or greenhouses, but in nature cattleya orchids grow on the sides of trees, rocks, even on wires, etc... Just make sure to water and let it dry off between waterings. Good air movement is key to keeping away pest and disease caused by being too moist for an extended period of time.

Follow this information for dividing and repotting your cattleya: Repotting Orchids | River Valley Orchidworks

cheers,
BD

[Mike H]

Just curious @joodles, what does the bloom look like?

[Joodles]

I have no idea. I’ve never seen a flower on it. Although I could have missed the event as it was hidden under some shrubs.

[Joodles]

Thanks Bruce and Mike. I’m sure I’ll have some more questions when I get her he out of the pot.

[Joodles]

Ok she’s out of the pot. BUT....I am not confident to start cutting roots. I’ve watched so many videos on identifying good and bad roots but now the time has come and I’m not sure. I expected the velamen to be soft and squishy and pull off easily if it was a bad root. But I have to pull it hard to expose the root. This makes me think a lot of the brown ones are may be viable. Some have even branched. None have green tips. Could some be brown from the coco tannin?

Can you help me decide which to cut. I see 4 types of roots

1. New roots growing below new growths. Keep!
2. Light green/white thick roots. Keep
3. Old fine aerial roots that look desiccated but some still went green after soaking. Keep the green, chop the dried ones or chop them all?
4. Thick brown roots. These are the ones I’m not sure of. They aren’t squishy and the velamen doesn’t pull of easily.
I did some test cuts and the fine desiccated but green roots are green inside. Keep? The thick brown roots are a firm white inside. Remove?

Anything else I haven’t thought of?

Any help is always appreciated.

Thanks Jude

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Great work, Jude. Keep the light green, dark green, white, and thick roots. Decimated roots can be removed. It is okay to remove some viable roots as well if needed. Of course, leave as many healthy roots as possible. Healthy roots are firm, almost brittle, with a whitish or light brownish covering. Dead roots are mushy, with a brown covering that easily peels away to expose the root thread within. Dead roots should be cut away as close to the base of the plant as possible.

See:Orchid Repotting made Easy | River Valley Orchidworks
We include some photos and step by step instructions on dividing a cattleya in this article. It is important that you leave at minimum three growths on any division you make and make sure the 'new eye' is facing toward the center of the new pot so that it has room to grow. Bravo on you bravery!! I wish you much success with the dividing and repotting.

cheers,
BD

[Joodles]

Thanks Bruce
I had read that article but I was still a little nervous to plunge right in. You’ve helped a lot. Here goes!
Joodles

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Best of luck to you, Jude. I'm sure other cattleya growers are able to offer some advice to help also should you have additional questions. I hope you will share photos of your process.

Cheers,
BD