Labour of love.....or repotting an old plant

[SnowFella]

Started the chore of repotting and oldish monstrose C. peruvians that was gifted to me 2 weeks back. Turned out it's more like an archeological dig than a straight repotting Luckily this puppy hardly has any spines to show for or I think it would be next to impossible.

Cracked out of the old pot, naturally one of those selfwatering things and the roots had gone through the bottom plastic divider. Not really game to put my fingers in among those bottom roots to try and tease it loose, never know what lovely little 8 legged horrors that could of made a nest in there


Near 45 minutes later using your standard archeological tools, sharpened dowelrod and kitchen brush. Starting to think about upgrading to jackhammer and dynamite.


Gave up on trying to tease loose that plastic divider and broke out the knife, just cut everything below the divider off. Not a pretty picture above it, least the roots are healthy I guess.


More or less gave up at that point as I was starting to get frustrated, figure it will have to take the time it takes and do alittle every day rather than try to fit it all into a day. Will keep on updating this thread with my progress.

[iann]

I had a Ferocactus once where they'd just dropped the old pot into a bigger one and filled it up with more peat. The roots had still managed to grow out through the holes in the bottom and pack the whole pot solid

[m4rkz0r]

Haha... sounds like an adventure. How big is the whole plant?

[tumamoc]

it's more like an archeological dig than a straight repotting

Yes. I know what you mean .

[Ron43]

My 30 year old jade broke the 12" terracotta pot it was in from the force of it's roots.

[SnowFella]

With all those roots you'd expect it to be massive but "luckily" it's been neglected enough that it's only a 2.5foot dwarf.
Not even sure what it will do once I get it repotted and watered occationally as most growthpoints look dead from injuries and dessication. Sofar I've only found one tip that has visible new growth, the rest ain't doing anything.

[SnowFella]

Just recieved some very telling news from the wife, she talked to her workmate who gifted it to me about my hassles in repotting it and was told in return that it's been in it's pot since 1998 Could explain how rootbound it is!

[Arjen]

that's a hell of a job! I think it will like a different soil though!

[daiv]

That's quite a job! One thing I would caution is that you go very easy with the watering. I learned that when a root bound plant like this has been only taking up water through a few of the roots. Once you get them all out in the open like that, they all take up water and a lot of it. This can easily be too much for a plant. I had this happen to me on an epi cactus so I imagine that it will be worse for those that prefer drier conditions.

[SnowFella]

Haven't really had much time for this one in the last few days, least no progress worth taking more photos off, but as the wife prompted me to dash off to the cactii nursery today I figured I'd take a photo of something that always has made me chuckle somewhat.

Guess it always could be worse!


And zoomed in.


Wonder if they are rootbound just yet?

[daiv]

Ha! That's pretty funny! World's most underpotted cactus!

[SnowFella]

Check out the roots in the ground though mate, been quite a while since those were bound to just their pots
But once upon a time someone parked those 2 pots there and just forgot about them for a few years

[daiv]

Check out the roots in the ground though mate,

I did see that, but it still is pretty funny to see those tiny little pots around the base.

[Sir_Cypher]

It is kind of inspiring really. Knowing that those cacti didn't let themselves be bound by any pot. The sheer tenacity that these plants show is really amazing.

[SnowFella]

And it's not even an Opuntia

Got fed up with picking away using a dowelrod and brush today and resorted to more direct measures...a 3 prong garden tool, figured that even if I lost more roots that way it would still be viable.

Here's the resulting rootball once all the soil had been picked away.

Still plenty of healthy looking roots left

And repotted into a bigger pot, likely be rootbound in notime again I'd say but least it should give me a chance to see if there will be any new growth from the damaged tips. Parked in a spot where it will get plenty of morning sun but none of the harsh afternoon sun.