Orchid help - repotting needed?

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by 071W

Hi! So I soaked it for around 1h and it's looking like this (see attached photo)

Roots are still quite rigid, hard to fold them so they fit in the pot.

I'm going to agree with WW here. My first thought was it needs a bigger pot. And as has been said before, one with good drainage. I also agree with losing the sphagnum. A large bark will do fine. Make sure to soak the bark overnight before repotting this monster.
And good growing.

[071W]

It's kinda hard to find anything taller than what I already have here in UK, I was thinking maybe just get a 2L or 5l water bottle, cut the top bit off and drill some holes for drainage and air to go in?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by 071W

It's kinda hard to find anything taller than what I already have here in UK, I was thinking maybe just get a 2L water bottle, cut the top bit off and drill some holes for drainage and air to go in?

That should work! Actually, you can burn holes in the bottle - heat up a screwdriver (stove or your sterilizing torch) and poke. Do it outside so that you don't breathe the fumes.

[Shadeflower]

Hey 071,
the water bottle will work fine, kind of my approach which can long term look a bit tacky.
You could try a Vase from Ikea. I love using vases but some people don't like that a vase has no aeration holes but I grow in the UK like you. Just use extra chunky bark to compensate for less ventilation holes so the media still haslots of air gaps.

Otherwise the poundshop sells round 5 liter storage containers. They are quite big for an orchid, personally I think too big for a phal but I'll mention it.

I mentioned curver round storage pots. I think Dunelm sells them cheap. They are a good size. Look them up on google.

Homebase sells large orchid pots for £2 each. These are 17 cm pots and a perfect size for large phals although the roots on yours are really long... so maybe the poundshop container. That will definetely be big enough

Curver Knit 3 Litre Round Basket | Dunelm

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by 071W

It's kinda hard to find anything taller than what I already have here in UK, I was thinking maybe just get a 2L or 5l water bottle, cut the top bit off and drill some holes for drainage and air to go in?

Hit up your local coffee shop and see if they will give you their empty bicotti containers. Some are large enough and plastic, so melting holes as was suggested will work. Another member uses a small soldering iron, which seems to work well.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by 071W

It's kinda hard to find anything taller than what I already have here in UK, I was thinking maybe just get a 2L or 5l water bottle, cut the top bit off and drill some holes for drainage and air to go in?

Sounds perfect. Or a gallon white vinegar jug, if they sell that there. The plastic is denser.

---------- Post added at 11:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 AM ----------

PS and if the aesthetic of that bothers you, just put your pot inside a cache pot, and remember to drain the water back out when you water or remove it from the cache pot before watering.

[estación seca]

Phals need air at the roots even more than they need water. Decomposing medium obliterates air spaces. Most new orchid growers would have overwatered it and killed the roots.

When in old potting media, Phals live far longer with too little water as compared to too much water. I didn't comment on your infrequent watering in my first post because your infrequent watering is what led to this plant surviving.

Now that you're going to put it into a new pot, realize that if you use a tall pot, you will need to be careful with watering. If you use a tall pot, I would use large chunks of bark, not medium, as I initially recommended. Then you can water frequently and the roots will have plenty of air around them.

[Fuerte Rav]

Originally Posted by Shadeflower

Hey 071,

I mentioned curver round storage pots. I think Dunelm sells them cheap. They are a good size. Look them up on google.

Curver Knit 3 Litre Round Basket | Dunelm

I really like the look of these 'knit' baskets - the handles look just the job for easier handling when watering.

Other items I've used in similar circumstances, which may be available to you, are:

Swimming pool Skimmer baskets

and

Mesh pots for Pond plants

both are designed for long term contact with water.

[071W]

Does it matter if its clear or not? My search still continues, I feel like the 2L bottle might not be big enough width wise to fit the monster roots and 5L might be too big?

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by 071W

Does it matter if its clear or not? My search still continues, I feel like the 2L bottle might not be big enough width wise to fit the monster roots and 5L might be too big?

Overall, it doesn't matter. Pros and cons to clear. I usually go with clear, because I like to see what's going on a bit more inside the pot. But the drawback is sometimes seeing algae, etc, which aesthetically bothers some folks.

Phal roots do photosynthesize, but it isn't critical.

---------- Post added at 09:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 AM ----------

PS My perspective may be off, but it sure looked from the pictures like a 2L soda bottle would fit it.