Possible Terminal Spike on Mini Phal - Page 2 - Orchid Board

sewcrazy64 · #11 11-13-2021, 03:04 PM

Here are some additional photos: Blooming in September, repotting day 2 weeks later and the last one is from today showing the two nubs I hope are roots.

estación seca · #12 11-13-2021, 03:34 PM

I think they might be root nubs.

Which direction does the window face? I would definitely try moving it back so it gets a little less light. Now that I see more of it I do think it might prefer that.

You have your own system, so don't rush out to change. I would use a very much smaller pot for that plant. Using large bark like that, I would use a pot that just fits the roots. It lets me water more often and not worry about wet zones without air at the center of the pot. Others here invert a small pot on the bottom of a larger pot to provide this same effect.

I would have potted it lower if growing in a house. This way the roots could emerge under the bark surface, where it might be more humid. New root nubs struggle to develop if the ambient humidity is low. If your ambient humidity is around 60% this won't be an issue.

You haven't mentioned your ambient temperatures, humidity, nor how often you water. You can look up orchid ancestry at orchidroots.com. Phal. I-Hsin Symphony has substantial Phal. equestris ancestry. That's a mini that prefers somewhat higher winter temperatures than many other Phals. I don't know the temperatures on the window in winter, but if it struggles through a period of cooler temperatures, it could take it a long time to get going in the spring.

sewcrazy64 · #13 11-14-2021, 01:36 PM

Thank you for your advice and the cultural info. about this particular Phal. I grow in my sunroom. The shelf has south and east exposure and lace curtains filter the sunlight. In summer the temperature ranges from 75-80. In winter it’s usually 65-70, but currently I’m keeping it warmer at 70-75 trying to minimize stress.

The amount of sunlight they get has been the same for 10 years and wasn’t an issue, but because they were in stress for the last year, I assume that could make them more sensitive to this amount of light. Maybe this mini has always been sensitive and I didn’t realize it. I have now moved it to more diffused light, and I will add more lace panels in the sunroom to soften the sunlight more.

Humidity is a challenge. In winter indoor humidity can go down into the 20% range. The sunroom is open to the rest of the house so any humidity I add just dissipates. Using a humidifier is not an option due to a medical condition so I keep water in the drip trays below the shelf, and every day I wet just the top of the bark and aerial roots to add some humidity. I’m also considering adding coconut chips as a top layer. Since they hold moisture better, the increased humidity might encourage new roots.

When I repotted I purposely left the tops of the roots exposed because many of its roots had been aerial. I was afraid if I buried them in the bark they wouldn’t be able to adjust and would die. I’ve been misting the roots I left exposed to get them used to more moisture. Soon I will begin covering them with bark. About the size of the pot, even though this plant is small, it has a lot of roots. I went with a 5” pot because the 4” didn’t allow for root growth.

Watering is done as needed. I check them daily. For those in clear pots I check the color of the roots. I feel the weight of the pots. Each pot has a bamboo skewer that I pull out to check how wet the bark is near the center of the pot. Right now I’m watering sooner than I normally would because before repotting they were in old wet bark.

Everyone has been super helpful and I really appreciate it!
Dana