Root area

It looks happy and healthy. Let the roots go where they want. They like to have roots like that. They will take in water and fertilizer if they get wet. Just keep doing what you are doing and don't worry about the roots.

If you have a tendency to overwater consider using lava rock for potting material.

Thanks shaved monkey, so your saying I don't need to double pot it just let it do as it pleases and allow the roots to grow freely? Velleta

Thanks shaved monkey, so your saying don't double pot it just let the roots grow freely as they pleases? Thanks for the suggestion on potting material but my country is limited when it comes to plants, and their potting material I have never seen lava rocks here, so I guess improvise will have to do.thanks again. Velleta

Read your post.
I don't think your country is very limited when it comes to orchids (or plants).
Contact the jaorchidsociety@aol.com or call 1-876-978-5710.
Claude Hamilton is the guy to speak with or go to www.hamlynorchids.com. or go to 31 Kings House Ave., Kgn 6. He is also on Facebook.
Wealth of information there. Look out for orchid shows on that site.

I know this because I am also from Jamaica and am into orchids.
Thanks for reading.

Why did you need to double-pot at this stage? The plant and its roots look the right size (not too big) for that plastic pot.

Hi cat lover, thanks for responding.yes I know Mr Hamilton. And he is the one I got all my orchids from and I have over 30 phals and 9 cats and a few other varieties.my respond was not to discredit jamaica I only ment some kinds of plants and orchids are next to impossible to get here.like lady slippers for example , I got my first one from Mr Hamilton and it died and I have been trying to get bk another for a while now still no success. And I do visit orchid shows each and every one possible.orchids are my passion.about the media I have called all the stores I know and some even asked what it was used for, lol so you see I am talking from experience.mr Hamilton does a wonderful job and I commend him on it but we are still lacking concerning variety.even clear pots, I had to order them from just add ice orchids over seas.and had them shipped to me.

Green toes, the roots are coming through the sides and I didn't know if I should just let them be or not.i really want to keep them alive this trip so I just wanted to be sure they were fine as is.Velleta

Philpet,

How about pebbles or small rocks. Isn't Jamaica a volcanic island? If so there must be some source of lava rock. If not perhaps a neighboring island?

Potting in pebbles or lava rock is the least water retention. Next to mounted. If they get watered every day, that near the equator, will avoid overwatering.

Thanks shavedmonkey, I do use small pebbles found on river banks (we have a lot of rivers hereðÂÂÂ) I use it mostly with charcoal for my dendrobiums. But are you saying it would be better than the charcoal.because as I said I re potted all of my catts in the charcoal and they seem to like it.velleta

Charcoal retains very little water, especially big chunks like yours, so I think you are fine. I remember researching a Dendrobium I got, and the nursery in Singapore that sells them grows them in 100% very coarse charcoal. Singapore is very humid and very hot, not unlike Jamaica, so anything that rots or retains any water is no good.

I have to second the advice to hang out with your local Orchid Society people - getting non-local growing medium advice is not optimal. Local knowledge is really priceless.

As for roots poking out of the plastic pot - well, they would do that, and that alone is not a reason to repot or double-pot. Next time you repot (not now), consider an unglazed clay pot for it, best with holes in sides. It will further help with your tendency to over-water because clay breathes. Roots seem to love it too, clinging to it, BOTH on the inside and outside of the pot. I happen to love that look, too, and if you do as well, then that's another benefit.

Ok, I got it.so it will just remove it from the outer clay pot and let it be. I love clay pots and some of my catts are planted in them.they help with stability tooðÂÂÂ.i don't really have an orchid club near me but I am a member of an orchid club " Jamaica Native Orchid Grower".on Facebook. Quite a few members.you guys can visit it and see some of the orchids that are grown in Jamaica. Thanks again everyone.Velleta

If you look cllosely you can see this Catt is in a plastic pot which I sat in a clay pot to keep it from falling over. Forgot to repot last Spring and the roots have taken over the clay pot.

You can repot your plant this Spring in a larger pot. I love charcoal and so do orchids.

Don't repot now, wrong time of the year.

Jane

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Thanks jane_ny, I had no intention of repottingðÂÂÂ. Trust me when I say it's the very first I have gotten a cattleya to grow healthy roots and look happy.thats why I was wandering about the pot in pot method.i love charcoal too and my catt agree, it works well with my watering. You cattleya looks very happy, thanks for shearing your pic. So I will just let my catt be and see what happens.i will let it remain in the clay pot without the added charcoal though because it will topple over without it.thanks again to everyone for your advise hopefully next year I can show a pic as beautiful as yoursðÂÂÂ.Velleta

This is for Philpet:
Did some research re potting media and received an answer from someone in Kingston who suggests Evergrow Garden Centre on South Ave., in Kingston. She suggests you call them to enquire. Her information is below:

Betty Stephenson Ashley
Betty's Landscaping ,Farm Garden Supplies
161 Constant Spring Road,
Kingston 8, Jamaica .
Cell # 8763224585, 8700191
876-931-8804, 876-755-2204
Fax 876-931-8805
betty-may2@hotmail.com

Thanks cat lover, I do know her she does an article every Sunday in the observer.she has even helped me when a few of my phals had spider mites I wrote to her and she advised me what to do, and it was very helpful, she was also the one who told me to used phyton 27 which as everyone knows is a multi purpose.thanks for taking the time to do the research I will definitely call ans see what I can get from them. Thanks again. Velleta

Sorry to but in but id like to say.......... AGRO GRACE will be having an orchid sale on saturday november 1 2014

Thanks Austin. I will be in trelawny on that day so I will drop in to see what is available.i bought some dens and catts at the last sale they had at the Brown's Town branch.but I was hoping they would have had more variety, anyways we will see.thanks againðÂÂÂ.Velleta

Sorry, I've been away for a while. The idea of the pot in a pot technique is that all pots except for the first one are empty. I may place a rock or two to wedge a pot against the 'backwall' but basically all of the subsequent pots need to be empty in order to counteract the over watering that many of us are guilty of.

Nick

Welcome back NickðÂÂÂ.i removed the charcoal from around the first pot and used only about four pieces to hold the pot on the center of the clay one.i was thinking a smaller pot should be used but I only have plastic ones that are small.one of the roots has grow stright across.and is almost touching the side of the clay one now but I will post a pic of it in a few hours when it is day so you can see it.Velleta

This is what the plant now looks like.it has a new root plus a new lead coming right in the middle.Velleta