Phalaenopsis Sogo Yukidian Orchid Should I repot? Getting worried now...

[andyburr]

I recently re-potted several phals: removed all the soggy sphagnum moss, cut away the dead or rotting roots, put in a better-gro phal potting mix. Now the leaves are limp and some are turning yellow, while a couple of the plants I DIDN'T repot seem more or less fine (even though I'm pretty sure the have some severe root-rot).

I think I've developed a fear of overwatering after seeing all those rotten roots. Now that they're in a mix that drains well, maybe I can get away with watering them once a week? I'll try putting a couple in a bag and see what happens.....
best wishes to all

[keikoasmom@hotmail.com]

I have aerial roots all over. I take it as a good sign that I am misting enough. I water with fertilizer every 3 days and mist almost daily. I'm in CO where it's very dry...and my chids are all blooming right now, so I thought they were happy! (?) No?

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[lisbert]

Thanks everyone! I didn't know those were aerial roots... whew.

Ray - Thank you, it did cross my mind that P. Sogo Yukidian might not be the name of my Orchid, I was going to put "King Car Butterfly" instead, but google-ing that didn't have many results, thanks for the clarification though, I won't sound like such a newbie next time around

Nenella et al - I've attached pictures of my orchid's roots. I can't really tell how bad the situation is. I think some of them do look rotten, but I was thinking maybe I should wait until after the flowers fall off and then repot. (Andyburrs' last post scared me off, I don't want destabilize it, if it's not necessary).

Do the roots look pretty bad?

[Ray]

You have lots of good roots there, but quite a few dead ones, too. Note the brown crud...

While it is still in-bloom, let it get fairly dry, then barely moisten the moss. You don't want it to get soggy and suffocate the good roots.

When it is done, I would carefully pluck the moss out of that root mass, remove the old, dead, brown and soggy roots, but any that are white and.or firm and plump should remain.

[Jkelee]

Hi Terri, I wanted to ask you about newbies killing it off in Sphag. Why? Over water?

I'm just curious, as I am just now repotting, and trying out Sphag on everything.

I hope I'm not making a mistake

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Hi there. I commend you for keeping it alive for so long potted in sphagnum moss. Most newbies kill them off within months in that medium.

[Dorothy]

JK - it's not mistake .. you need to keep a watchful eye out on the moisture capacity of your medium given your growing conditions and determine the best watering schedule - sphag isn't a death sentence so long as you are careful and you make sure the sphag isn't packed too tightly - it's just as much an art as it is a science.
Most new orchid growers tend to overwater their phal - this is why it's not suggested - many phals come from commerical growers who's growing conditions are highly controlled and therefore can gauge their watering schedules appropriately but they can be very different from a individual who will not be growing them in the same greenhouse conditions. I have a few orchids in sphag which are doing fairly well and I have most in CHC or orchid bark which I have found to be easier to take care of given my growing conditions. Again, it's a matter of the orchid, your growing conditions and your keen observations.
I am referring to Phals that are potted. Sphag on mounts is a slightly different animal ...

[quiltergal]

Originally Posted by Jkelee

Hi Terri, I wanted to ask you about newbies killing it off in Sphag. Why? Over water?

I'm just curious, as I am just now repotting, and trying out Sphag on everything.

I hope I'm not making a mistake

Jackie, I think you are far ahead of the usual new orchid grower learning curve. Most don't know that orchid roots need to breathe, and also don't realize that too much water in sphag for extended periods of time suffocates the roots. Personally I find it harder to gauge when to water sphag. I'm sure once you get the hang of it it's great. I've got a couple of plants in sphag and they're doing great.

As D already mentioned choosing a medium really depends on your conditions hot & dry vs cool & humid. In my area I prefer coco mix vs fir bark because it holds more moisture but is still chunky enough to let the roots breathe. My conditions in the summer are very hot and dry. If I used fir bark I'd have to water every couple of days, and frankly I don't have time for that. Coco also works well for me in the winter, I just cut back on my watering because it's cool and humid. Coco also doesn't decompose as quickly as bark so there is less risk of the medium compressing and again suffocating the roots.

As long as you are vigilant about monitoring the moisture in your pots, and keep your sphag loose and fluffy you won't have any problems. Keep in mind sphag needs to be changed fairly frequently compared to other media.

Just a suggestion, but why not experiment with some different media rather than plant everything in sphag? That way you'd have some first hand experience with a variety of media and be able to make a more informed decision on what works best for you and your conditions.