Assuming these are roots, what should I do with them?

[Mountaineer370]

Originally Posted by twinkie

What exactly do you mean by drenching Mountaineer? Using an aeration type hose and spraying from the top?
Yes, I have a smaller plastic tub I can sit a pot in and have the water level come up to the top lip without having to use gallons of water, so am trying to accommodate those roots inside a small space. I collect rainwater and go through gallons and gallons and inevitably knock roots, break some, squeeze them with my hand when I pick up a pot etc.
I try to use one pot to the tub at a time hence it's a small tub to use minimum water but reach high level once the pot is submerged. I suppose I could find some kind of hand pump type sprayer but prefer to let them sit for 10 minutes while I do other things.

That's exactly what I was worried about but looking closer yesterday am seeing coils of healthy green roots up top growing around in circles in some of these pots and am thinking I didn't pot up enough this year. Hate to think that's the case. as I can't find clay 8" with side holes around here.

Sorry, maybe "drenching" is the wrong word, or I should have explained a little more. My orchid collection is small, only 18 Phals, most small or compact. They stay indoors year-round, and most of them live on my large kitchen/dining room table. I have a few in my bedroom, but it's not far to bring each plant to the kitchen for watering. I will generally leave a couple watering cans filled all the time. I'm fond of those vintage Phillips 66 plastic watering cans. My tap water is good, but I like it to be room temperature and have most of the chlorine evaporated before I use it. I then take each plant to the sink and simply pour water from the can over it for half a minute or so, depending on the size of the pot, until I think the media and roots have all gotten wet. Obviously, the excess just drains through.

They're not on a strict watering schedule; I check all of my plants pretty much every day to see who needs water and just water each one as needed. Some might need water every third day or so, others every four or five days. I use mostly chunky bark, so they do dry out quickly. I'm retired and around the house most days, so I have the time to fuss with them. I can appreciate that some people do not.

As far as clay pots, here's a link that I just found yesterday. I had been to my orchid society meeting, and one of our members gave the monthly talk and mentioned this vendor. In looking over their site, I see they have lots of clay pots with holes (as well as lots of other kinds of pots). I've never ordered a clay pot by mail; I seem to have heard it's a bit risky due to possible breakage, though, so I guess I would inquire about their refund policy before doing that.

Orchid Pots for Sale | Green Barn Orchid Supplies

[Dollythehun]

TY Mountaineer! Great site!

[Mountaineer370]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

TY Mountaineer! Great site!

I thought so, too! They also sell orchid potting mixes, but for some reason, they don't list it on the left-hand side under "Products." I found it by putting "potting mix" in their search bar. I love their wood baskets. It makes me wish I could grow Vandas. And they have a huge selection of decorative ceramic pots.

[Roberta]

I love their wood baskets - they have the slats on the bottom close together so the bark doesn't fall out. It is the only source I have found for that type.

[twinkie]

Oooooo! That is a GREAT site! Thank you Mountaineer! They're out of the pot I want natch, but I'll keep my eyes open for when it gets back in. Very reasonable prices.
I might try the drenching but since I water pretty much every 7 days I'm worried about not giving them a good soaking. I tend to let them sit for 10 minutes, then take out and apply liquid fert from up top and let them drain. I don't water on rainy days which makes it hard where I live, but I was having trouble with "water warts" until I figured that out.

As long as I keep my rain buckets full and pour those into my gallon jugs, I could drench just fine. I keep about 6 gallons in the house at room temp and rotate outside jugs in to warm up, have a stash under my front stairs.
I would also like to ask everyone here when they stop using bloom fert on their phals. Once the spike is up a certain height, or just keep doing weakly weekly until blooms open and then stop? Still learning. Once they're blooming though, they seem to go on forever far into Spring. It makes winter so much more bearable with the bright colors and happy faces in my living room. Orchids have certainly enhanced my life with their beauty.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by twinkie

I would also like to ask everyone here when they stop using bloom fert on their phals. Once the spike is up a certain height, or just keep doing weakly weekly until blooms open and then stop?

"Bloom" fertilizer is just fertilizer that is deficient in nitrogen and has too much phosphorus and potassium relatively... and is not needed. Use the same fertilizer for Phals (and pretty much everything else) all the time.

Don't change the fertilizing regimen for flowering. Phals (and Vandas and anything that grows all the time) need fertilizer all the time. (Orchids with a distinct "rest period" are a completely different discussion, not relevant in this thread)

Phals are indeed wonderful for their long blooming. 4 months is not unusual. Some will even produce flowers sequentially at the ends of the spike as the old ones drop. Or send out side branches with more flowers. (Hint, don't rush to cut spent spikes that are still green...)

There was a lively discussion a bit over a month ago about so-called "bloom" fertilizers... there is no fertilizer formulation that will make an orchid bloom. Excess nitrogen might inhibit blooming... but orchids just don't need much fertilizer at all, but prefer it frequently in small amounts (hence the "weekly weakly" advice)

[twinkie]

Originally Posted by Roberta

"Bloom" fertilizer is just fertilizer that is deficient in nitrogen and has too much phosphorus and potassium relatively... and is not needed. Use the same fertilizer for Phals (and pretty much everything else) all the time.

Don't change the fertilizing regimen for flowering. Phals (and Vandas and anything that grows all the time) need fertilizer all the time. (Orchids with a distinct "rest period" are a completely different discussion, not relevant in this thread)

Phals are indeed wonderful for their long blooming. 4 months is not unusual. Some will even produce flowers sequentially at the ends of the spike as the old ones drop. Or send out side branches with more flowers. (Hint, don't rush to cut spent spikes that are still green...)

There was a lively discussion a bit over a month ago about so-called "bloom" fertilizers... there is no fertilizer formulation that will make an orchid bloom. Excess nitrogen might inhibit blooming... but orchids just don't need much fertilizer at all, but prefer it frequently in small amounts (hence the "weekly weakly" advice)

Wellll that makes a lot of sense. Here I've been trying to tinker stopping the balanced for the bloom, thinking that was what made mine all start mittens for winter buaha. I did dip the thermostat a few weeks ago so that probably helped usher in mittens.
The only bad thing I've noticed about using a weak fert is when I have a bloom stalk with one or two blooms still on it, water and fert lightly, I swear the next day the flowers are drooped and done for. I usually don't water blooming plants much at all, just a tiny tiny bit, have been experimenting carefully as I hate to mess up a good thing.
I always feel torn between the bloom fert and the balanced fert because of being in coarse bark, I guess it really doesn't matter as long as they get some nitrogen over not getting any.
You're always a wealth of knowledge Roberta, I really appreciate your posts. Which orchids are your favorites to grow, or that you have an easy affinity with? I'm not always on top of my orchids as I work so much, but am really trying extra hard this year. In the heat of summer I ran a humidifier daily and into the night, run my fountain daily too and it mists that little miniature I mounted into a shell with moss and tree fern slab. He's popping new leaves but hard to see his roots, I did loosen the fish line and it seemed to appreciate that and took off.
It's so easy to get big eyes and want more more more, am trying hard to curb that and just master the ones I have. Like I said earlier, the ones needing strong sun are just not happy even with good lights, and it's my phals who deliver over and over every season with little worry. Probably best to stick with them and other lower light orchids.
I might be moving next year to a very hot and arid zone so that's going to bring a whole new ball game, am already buying overhead misters just in case. Am worrying about transporting my kids cross country...but that's another thread entirely. Thanks for all the tips!

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by twinkie

The only bad thing I've noticed about using a weak fert is when I have a bloom stalk with one or two blooms still on it, water and fert lightly, I swear the next day the flowers are drooped and done for. I usually don't water blooming plants much at all, just a tiny tiny bit, have been experimenting carefully as I hate to mess up a good thing.

If you have just one or two blooms left, they're on their way out... nothing that you do or don't do will make them stay on the plant longer. Phal flowers last a long time, but still are finite. When they drop, it's just part of the cycle. (Grow a healthy plant and it'll give you more flowers next year, or sooner)I'd suggest kicking up the watering - water so that it runs through the pot. Then drain well before putting in a table-protecting saucer or anything because they hate wet feet. What they really want is "humid air" - when you water heavily, the running water pulls fresh air into the root zone. When they start to dry out, the water in the medium is replaced by... you guessed it... air. Remember, these are "air plants" - in nature they would be hanging from trees with roots exposed to daily rain, drying when the sun comes out. We put them in pots because they're easier to maintain in our living spaces, but we can still give them a hint of their jungle pattern by watering well, then waiting a few days, then repeating.

My favorite orchid? Whatever is blooming at the moment. The anticipation of watching buds develop is even more exciting than the flowers. It starts with one... but you are right, there is always room for one more. If you're moving to a warm climate (even if dry) you'll have even more options - outdoor growing, at least for a good part of the year. If you haven't already, check out my website (link at the bottom of my posts) to see what happened when a co-worker gave me a Cymbidium... A friend who is a better outdoor grower than I'll ever be summed it up well... just add water and subtract light...

[ArronOB]

Getting back to the point about phals throwing out scraggly roots that often point upwards. I’ve read that this alliance will produce a certain percentage of aerial roots which grow upwards or outwards which serve to trap leaf litter around the plant. I’ve never seen a phal growing in nature but with the smaller members of the alliance we get around here (Sarcochilus, Plectorhizza etc) this is certainly how you see them growing.

[Shadowmagic]

orchid roots tend to grow towards the light - they don't act like other plant roots.

This is why wooden baskets are popular because they let light in and the roots stay put more.
Clear plastic pots are very useful because they let light in but prevent roots sprawling. If you have a dark pot you are more likely to get aerial roots that are seeking some light