Question on dividing a paph with lots of roots

[silence882]

Hi All,

I wanted to divide a Paph. Freckles (complex white), but it's got tangled roots that I can't separate without doing damage. The roots are stuck to one another and start snapping if I try to separate them.

Is there any way to divide this plant without doing tremendous damage to the roots? This plant is getting too large for my small grow area.




--Stephen

 

[troy]

Congrats!!! Very Nice root system!!! Great culture!! Good luck on dividing, I hate doing that

 

[Tanner. C]

Please teach me your secret! Those roots are simply amazing! How long was it potted in that pot?

 

[emydura]

I would soak it in water for an hour or two. This will soften the roots and make them more malleable. They should then relatively easily separate into individual strands. You will break the odd root but that won't matter too much.

 

[abax]

I do what Emydura does...soak the whole rootball in warmish water and use chop sticks to start prying out old
potting medium and gently untangling roots as I go. Yes,
it is nerve wracking and you'll break some roots, however, if you're dividing the plant, you'll probably do that anyway. My observation is that broken roots on a
healthy plant usually send out two new roots to replace the old, broken one. The alternative, quicker way is to
get the sharpest butcher knife you have and slice the whole shebang down the middle.

 

[Ozpaph]

I pull them apart. They will be damaged anyway when you push the new mix in. The new growths and your good culture will see more new roots soon.

 

[Justin]

Wow what a well grown plant!

 

[Ray]

X2 on the sharp - serrated knife.

You're going to do some damage no matter what you do, a series of clean cuts beats thousands of cracks, and you'll find that the "core" will be mostly root-free, allowing you to get the old medium out of the cavity more easily.

A really good root-growth stimulant after reporting will go a long way. Let me know if you need a suggestion on one.

 

[ehanes7612]

same thing with deflasking Orchid Inn flasks..soak in water for a while

 

[silence882]

Thanks for the tips! I'll try a good soaking the next time I repot it.

There's no secret to my culture that I know of... I just keep to a strict schedule on watering and repotting and this plant grows well under lights in my kitchen.