I'll have to wait until Monday to take a picture of it. I'll post it as soon as I get the orchid.

Here's a picture the seller had.

How are you going to get it out of the basket? It has probably attached to the basket which means you'd lose roots.

I would wait until it arrives and see if there are new roots forming or new growths. You could break the basket or put the basket inside a shallow clay pot. I've done that many times.

The pot could be a little bigger than the basket. Just sit the basket in the clay pot and fill in with bark or stone.

Jane

If it is attached to the basket leave it in the basket. Why is it so important to put it in a clay pot? If the plant is not attached then you can take it out. It appears to be covered with moss. If that is right get rid of the moss if it will come out easily. In nature this plant attaches itself to trees without any potting material. The roots get soaked once or twice a day then completely dry out. Mimic nature!

Thanks for the advice Jane and Harvey. I'll just leave it in the basket. I was going to move it to a clay pot for stability and convenience because I don't have a stable structure to support a hanging wooden basket. I was also worried about it drying out too much when I put it outside this summer. The temperature can be well over 100 in late July and August. I'll leave it be and just remove the moss. I don't know if I could keep it watered properly during Summer if it was bare root? It hardly rains during that time and there are days where the humidity is very low. If my climate had more rain I'd love to grow them on mounts.

Look for a spot in the yard that will provide bright shade during the very hot times. If there is a lot of root exposure it would enjoy water daily. Another possibility is to rig up some shade cloth. Get 25% solar reduction.. And get enough to double it up if the 25% is not enough. It gets very hot here in summer too. There always is a summer mini drought. On very hot and dry days I water twice.

Ok I'll try that. Thankfully I also have a few large shade trees in my yard.

The leaf color is the litmus test. A rich dark green leaf is too much shade, needs more light. A pale yellow green is on the edge of sunburn. Transitions should be done slowly from dark to light...

I have my orchids under lights now, though some are also in front of a south facing window. Most have light green leaves but a few have dark green leaves.

I have potted a basket before. use a pair of pliers and straighten out the wire at the bottom of the basket. Then grab the ring at the top and pull out the wire. Then you can push the basket into a pot with little to no root damage. Try push it so the old growth is at the edge of the pot to leave room for the new growth.

I would fill in the space with Hydroton or lava rock.

That's a great idea James. I need to get some more lava rock, does it need to be the smaller pieces or larger pieces of lava rock?

I would say 1/2” to 3/4” size pieces.

Thanks again James. I'll have to break up the pieces since the only lava rock I can find are the big chunks.

James, your idea would work if the roots are loosely attached. The roots can wrap around, over and under. Removing the wires in this case will be fine only if the roots allow...

I was hoping to get it yesterday but they delayed it for some reason? II'm worried because it needs to be out of the box. Once I get it, I'll take pictures of root system.

It might be fine in the basket. If the roots are firmly attached it is happy and let it be...

Ok I'm still waiting for it to arrive. I hope it's alright? Should I still remove the moss?

After waiting nearly a week, I finally got it. The moss is still damp. I see some root growth towards the bottom but I don't see any new root tips.

Sorry, Zone 8 is an Unknown Quantity. the general rule is "the closer to the Equator the more arid the mix".

Here, where I have a large collection of "Cattleyas" I'm using 80% bark plus about 20% lava rock in plastic pots.

Local Society members seem to do something similar. No baskets, no spag.

You might have to vary this due to winter???? Maybe some of the real orchid growers will comment.

I removed the moss and found out the rhizome is tied to the bottom of the basket. I added some bark around it but I made sure it didn't cover the rhizome. There's very little in the way of medium so I'll have to water it really frequently.

It seems that it was put in the basket recently and hasn’t attached itself yet. If you wanted to move it to a pot now would be a good time since it will start new growth soon. It’s usually best to repot just before the new roots grow so they can grow into the new mix.

I'll try but I think theythe roots are still firmly attached the basket? I tried pulling on them when I removed the moss and a majority were stuck to the bottom of the basket.

Then it likes where it is. That is the way it grows. Water daily. twice a day in hot and or dry conditions.

Ok I'll do that. I wonder if I should have a bucket of water ready in summer to dunk it?

Just a spray like a shower head for a few seconds...

Ok, I have one of those pump sprayers that I use now.

Get some fertilizer from home depot. Orchid plus. add it to your spray tank. follow the directions.

I have both Dyna Gro Orchid Plus and MSU that I've been using. I also add a little Armor Si and Liquid seaweed to the mix.

Sounds good

If it were my plant, I would put the basket inside a clay pot with some bark chips filling in the space between the basket and the pot. I have done that many times and the roots will grow out into the pot into the bark.

Unless you plan to water every day (which I do not do in Florida) you need something to hold moisture. Bark with a little sphag mixed in is my recommendation.

Jane

skinnerii roots in nature are fully exposed. The roots can be 20' or longer. Not buried.

The roots of this plant need to start on top of the medium, not in it. Jane, that will kill this plant! You could put the basket on top of a filled clay pot filled with lava rock. Water daily. Except very hot and dry days, water twice.

Ok I'll put the basket on top of a clay pot or partially in a clay pot and get some bark and lava rock. I kind of hate that it's connected to the bottom of the basket because it makes thing a bit awkward.

I wouldn’t worry too much, they are not delicate plants. Mine is potted.

You're right, orchids are pretty tough plants. I moved it to a slightly bigger basket, and I was able to put the rhizome above the bark. I may set it in an empty clay pot for stability.

Mine are all potted in bark. Have been for years. Just won a blue ribbon on my Heiti Jacobs.

You can always change orchids around. See what works best in your environment and lifestyle. They are quite adaptable and will let you know when they are not happy!

Good luck,

Jane

Thanks Jane! I have mine in bark now, it's just in a bigger basket that's plastic. I need to decide if I want to put a wire hanger on it or just set it in a clay pot and once it's outgrown the plastic basket, just fill the pot with bark and lava rock?

sounds good!