Phals leaves limp!

[Ray]

For phals, you want a medium that absorbs water. If it doesn't, you'll be watering several times a day to keep up with the plants' needs.

As I said earlier, the key is to keep the open air spaces between the medium. If the bark mix you're using is variable in particle size, it's the finds that are washing down and clogging up the spaces, suggesting that you need to get a coarser, more-uniform grade.

[quiltergal]

Look into coco husk chunks. I use the 1/2" size mixed with perlite and charcoal for most of my plants. It retains moisture better than bark, but doesn't decompose as quickly as bark. I only water once per week maybe twice if it's really hot. My plants in coco seem to be doing very well. I also have a phal in s/h that is now doing great. I plan to move all the phals to s/h. I'm also experimenting with an intergeneric onc. alliance plant in s/h. So far so good. It really sucks the water up so I find I have to water that one twice a week.

[dianecty]

After spending 4 hours cutting off all the dead roots, I rushed to Home Depot to get gravel and lava rock only to discover the following day that I bought something else. I have spent 5 hours repotting all my orchids.

Ray, I know that you told me bark is still the best thing to use and that I shouldn't use anything that doesn't absorb moisture but I feel that my little studio is too dark and too damp and so I need something where water flows out fast. I followed your advice and put lava rock in the bottom 1/3. After that, I put soaked lava rock under and around the roots and then put a little gravel and charcoal in big air pockets so that the roots have something to hold on too and because the orchid would be too unstable if I just use lava rock. I did experiment and used 100% on 1 phal and other orchids.

I am not going to water them for 1 week. I put the skewers back but it's hard to push them all the way in because of the lava rock.

By the way, I leave my lights on when I leave for work because my house is too dark. I also washed off the powder from the gravel and lava rock before using them to repot.

I just don't know if the gravel might be too heavy for the orchid to form and grow roots. They are around 1/2" each.

I hope my orchids do well now.

[dianecty]

Terri, doesn't perlite absorb moisture too? How come your mix doesn't get too wet so roots rot? HOw much water do you put in when you water?

[quiltergal]

Diane it's not the wetness that kills the roots it's the lack of oxygen. With the 1/2" chunks of coco lightly tapped in it leaves lots of air spaces. I also used clear pots with a slotted inverted cone on the bottom, and slits in the sides of the pot. I drench well once a week. Then I keep an eye on the pots. I can tell when they are dry because I can't see any beads of moisture left in the pot, and they feel lighter. The inverted cone and slits on the sides help the medium dry out faster.

with the rock. It's not worked well for me in the past. Killed a vanda in about 6 months.

[snow]

don,t forget that more orchids die of overwatering than dehydration.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Bark is fine. It's how you use it. For potting Phals in fir bark, it is preferred to use the large grade. Water only once a week. Twice a week if it gets too hot.

If potted, use a plastic pot. Clay pots keep the roots too cool and dries out too fast.

I at this moment grow all my Phals mounted.

[dianecty]

Terri, how did lava rock kill your vanda? Or did gravel kill your vanda?

Diane

[dianecty]

When I used plastic pot, the root rot was worse than the ones in clay pots. Bark decomposed right away within 1 week. Weird huh?

[Ray]

1) I never said bark was the best thing to use. Personally, I haven't used it in probably 10 or 15 years.

2) I cannot believe that bark - no, anything - would decompose in one week. I think you're misinterpreting the meaning (or starting with really bad bark).