I have a Phalaenopsis orchid that over the years has grown rather large
and needs repotting again. Reading advice on the web, is say's it should
be repotted at the same level. However mine has a mass of arial roots
and the leaves are now some 3 inches above soil height and the whole pot
is falling over to one side I am not supposed to trim arial roots, but
clearly I need to remove some, and repot the whole thing lower in the
pot somehow. Will doing this damage the plant and stop iot from growing
flowers, which last for months as it does at present?

On Sun, 21 Nov 2021 17:25:22 Polly@golly wrote:

>I have a Phalaenopsis orchid that over the years has grown rather large
>and needs repotting again. Reading advice on the web, is say's it
>should be repotted at the same level. However mine has a mass of arial
>roots and the leaves are now some 3 inches above soil height and the
>whole pot is falling over to one side I am not supposed to trim arial
>roots, but clearly I need to remove some, and repot the whole thing
>lower in the pot somehow. Will doing this damage the plant and stop iot
>growing flowers, which last for months as it does at present?

I have seven or eight of these along my sitting-room window sill and
from time to time I have exactly the same problem. This is what I do and
so far, over some ten years or more, I haven't lost a single one.

I take the orchid out of its pot and get rid of as much of the soil as
possible. Then with a pair of secateurs, I cut off half of the part of
the stem that has aerial roots coming out of it. I discard the bottom
part and re-pot what is left of the upper part, making sure that I don't
bury the topmost aerial roots. I give it a minimal amount of water each
day - just enough to keep the soil moist but no more. It takes six
months or more for it to start growing again but so far it has never
failed. It may lose one or two leaves over this time but as long as the
growing tip remains green, it should be all right.

I'm not at all sure that this is a recommended way of doing it but It
works for me.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On Sun, 21 Nov 2021 17:25:22 +0000, "Polly@golly"
<pwllgloyw@gmail.com> wrote:

>I have a Phalaenopsis orchid that over the years has grown rather large
>and needs repotting again. Reading advice on the web, is say's it should
>be repotted at the same level. However mine has a mass of arial roots
>and the leaves are now some 3 inches above soil height and the whole pot
>is falling over to one side I am not supposed to trim arial roots, but
>clearly I need to remove some, and repot the whole thing lower in the
>pot somehow. Will doing this damage the plant and stop iot from growing
>flowers, which last for months as it does at present?

Plenty of advice here https://tinyurl.com/yjsh6lo7

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

On 21/11/2021 17:48, David Rance wrote:
> On Sun, 21 Nov 2021 17:25:22 Polly@golly wrote:
>
>> I have a Phalaenopsis orchid that over the years has grown rather
>> large and needs repotting again. Reading advice on the web, is say's
>> it should be repotted at the same level. However mine has a mass of
>> arial roots and the leaves are now some 3 inches above soil height and
>> the whole pot is falling over to one side I am not supposed to trim
>> arial roots, but clearly I need to remove some, and repot the whole
>> thing lower in the pot somehow. Will doing this damage the plant and
>> stop iot growing flowers, which last for months as it does at present?
>
> I have seven or eight of these along my sitting-room window sill and
> from time to time I have exactly the same problem. This is what I do and
> so far, over some ten years or more, I haven't lost a single one.
>
> I take the orchid out of its pot and get rid of as much of the soil as
> possible. Then with a pair of secateurs, I cut off half of the part of
> the stem that has aerial roots coming out of it. I discard the bottom
> part and re-pot what is left of the upper part, making sure that I don't
> bury the topmost aerial roots. I give it a minimal amount of water each
> day - just enough to keep the soil moist but no more. It takes six
> months or more for it to start growing again but so far it has never
> failed. It may lose one or two leaves over this time but as long as the
> growing tip remains green, it should be all right.
>
> I'm not at all sure that this is a recommended way of doing it but It
> works for me.
>
> David
>

Thanks David, I'll probably try that approach. I have a different
approach to watering, I stand them in water up to the top of the
soil/compost and leave them for about half an hour, then drain them. I
usually do this once every 3-4 weeks.

On a differnt subject, did you used to work for ICL many years ago in
Reading. I was in Cardiff and used to visit occasionally and your name
seems familiar.

Roger Tonkin (Not really a Polly-golly we used to live in a village
called Pwllgloyw!)
Roger T

On Sun, 21 Nov 2021 21:30:36 Polly@golly wrote:

>On 21/11/2021 17:48, David Rance wrote:
>> On Sun, 21 Nov 2021 17:25:22 Polly@golly wrote:
>>
>>> I have a Phalaenopsis orchid that over the years has grown rather
>>>large and needs repotting again. Reading advice on the web, is say's
>>>it should be repotted at the same level. However mine has a mass of
>>>arial roots and the leaves are now some 3 inches above soil height
>>>and the whole pot is falling over to one side I am not supposed to
>>>trim arial roots, but clearly I need to remove some, and repot the
>>>whole thing lower in the pot somehow. Will doing this damage the
>>>plant and stop iot growing flowers, which last for months as it does at present?
>> I have seven or eight of these along my sitting-room window sill and
>>from time to time I have exactly the same problem. This is what I do
>>and so far, over some ten years or more, I haven't lost a single one.
>> I take the orchid out of its pot and get rid of as much of the soil
>>as possible. Then with a pair of secateurs, I cut off half of the part
>>of the stem that has aerial roots coming out of it. I discard the
>>bottom part and re-pot what is left of the upper part, making sure
>>that I don't bury the topmost aerial roots. I give it a minimal
>>amount of water each day - just enough to keep the soil moist but no
>>more. It takes six months or more for it to start growing again but
>>so far it has never failed. It may lose one or two leaves over this
>>time but as long as the growing tip remains green, it should be all right.
>> I'm not at all sure that this is a recommended way of doing it but
>>It works for me.
>> David
>>
>
>Thanks David, I'll probably try that approach. I have a different
>approach to watering, I stand them in water up to the top of the
>soil/compost and leave them for about half an hour, then drain them. I
>usually do this once every 3-4 weeks.
>
>On a differnt subject, did you used to work for ICL many years ago in
>Reading. I was in Cardiff and used to visit occasionally and your name
>seems familiar.

No, that wasn't me though there are more David Rances around than you
might think. There is another one in Wokingham - it might have been him
that worked for ICL.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On Sun, 21 Nov 2021 21:30:36 Polly@golly wrote:

>On 21/11/2021 17:48, David Rance wrote:
>> On Sun, 21 Nov 2021 17:25:22 Polly@golly wrote:
>>
>>> I have a Phalaenopsis orchid that over the years has grown rather
>>>large and needs repotting again. Reading advice on the web, is say's
>>>it should be repotted at the same level. However mine has a mass of
>>>arial roots and the leaves are now some 3 inches above soil height
>>>and the whole pot is falling over to one side I am not supposed to
>>>trim arial roots, but clearly I need to remove some, and repot the
>>>whole thing lower in the pot somehow. Will doing this damage the
>>>plant and stop iot growing flowers, which last for months as it does at present?
>> I have seven or eight of these along my sitting-room window sill and
>>from time to time I have exactly the same problem. This is what I do
>>and so far, over some ten years or more, I haven't lost a single one.
>> I take the orchid out of its pot and get rid of as much of the soil
>>as possible. Then with a pair of secateurs, I cut off half of the part
>>of the stem that has aerial roots coming out of it. I discard the
>>bottom part and re-pot what is left of the upper part, making sure
>>that I don't bury the topmost aerial roots. I give it a minimal
>>amount of water each day - just enough to keep the soil moist but no
>>more. It takes six months or more for it to start growing again but
>>so far it has never failed. It may lose one or two leaves over this
>>time but as long as the growing tip remains green, it should be all right.
>> I'm not at all sure that this is a recommended way of doing it but
>>It works for me.
>> David
>
>Thanks David, I'll probably try that approach. I have a different
>approach to watering, I stand them in water up to the top of the
>soil/compost and leave them for about half an hour, then drain them. I
>usually do this once every 3-4 weeks.

It occurs to me that, at this critical time when the roots have to
re-establish themselves, it's best to ensure that the soil doesn't dry
out completely. That's why I think that a very little but often is
probably better. Under normal circumstances I water every three to four
days.

But then, that's the way I've always done it! Your way of watering may
well work. I just haven't tried it! ;-)

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On Mon, 22 Nov 2021 13:53:59 +0000, David Rance
<david.rance@SPAMOFF.invalid> wrote:

>
>But then, that's the way I've always done it! Your way of watering may
>well work. I just haven't tried it! ;-)
>
>David

When my late mother grew orchids, circa 2000 and before, she would
stand the pots in the kitchen sink full of water for about half an
hour, then allow them to drain. It was her Sunday morning ritual. They
all succumbed to mealy-bug eventually, and she composted the lot!

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.