"Christina Websell" wrote
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
. It's mostly now walked out of it's pot

Sorry to digress from orchids - I have no experience of them - but your
phrase amused me. I have a rose that is "walking out of it's pot" too. I
am a sucker for buying plants that are dying in Wilkinson's and seem to
have no chance of survival if someone doesn't buy them very soon.
I bought a rose called "Night Queen" there, with one tiny green leaf on to
show it was still alive, brought it home and planted it in a gallon
bucket. Which it is now walking out of... the roots are so strong that
it's forcing itself upwards out of the bucket.
It's a lovely rose, deep red and hybrid tea shaped blooms, but the stems
are weak which makes the blooms droop and an inclination to get black spot
too. Not much scent either.
My hostas which I also rescued almost dead from Wilkinson's are doing
brilliantly and flowering atm. They do have a few holes through snail
damage but I am using an organic slug pellet which is working well.


The epiphytic orchids do that, they grow and send out roots outside the pot
and eventually more is outside than in unless you repot. My attitude is if
it's happy (growing and flowering) leave it alone. A lot grow with their
roots dangling in the air in the wild anyway.

Regarding that rose you may find that if you planted it in the ground it
changed it's habit, strengthened up and perhaps got some scent, I've had
spray carnations, from cuttings of bought flowers which had no scent, turn
into the most wonderfully perfumed plants when planted out.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden