when to re-pot Phalaenopsis..plus timing of stem cut back?

[Niki]

The Phal is about 3 or so weeks into it's second bloom (on this stem). I know you said you've repotted in the middle of the bloom, would you advise that I do the same?

What size pot would you recc. that I use to repot? Also, would you recc. I use S/H like Terri said?

Lastly, I've included a pic of my other Phal....should I repot this one was well? (It's the mutant one that fell into the hot soapy water). I'm guessing so as I purchased it at the same time as the one that you said has stale looking medium. It's also in it's second bloom, 4 to 5 weeks in.

I've been wanting to repot both of my Phals for quite some time, but the women at the shop I purchased the orchids from told me not to repot until had them for at least one year. All of you have convinced me that she was wrong and that my instinct that it was time to repot was correct (Not knowing anything, I thought the soil didn't look so hot).

Thank again!

Niki

[Niki]

By "thick white-grey roots on the top" you mean the non-shriveled ones (I am pointing between the two roots I believe are the "thick white-grey roots in the picture I attached). So, when I repot, I should make sure that these two roots I'm pointing in between are in the air, and the others (including the shriveled up ones) are in the medium, right?

Niki

[quiltergal]

When you repot (and by the looks of the medium it should be soon) you should cut off any dead or rotted roots with sterile scissors. The shriveled up roots are dead so can safely be cut. If it were mine I would stick the two grey green roots into the medium and straighten the plant up a bit. If the plant wants more aerial roots it will grow more. I have found that they will start growing again if put back in medium. Right now they don't have actively growing tips. Probably due to lower humidity. That is probably also why the two roots on the left dried up. Differing opinions. IMO you could do it either way and be OK.

I only have 4 out of 50 plants in semi hydro, 2 Onc. alliance and 2 Phals. All are doing well now. 2 made the move without a hitch. The other 2 struggled a bit. All my other plants are in coco husk chunk, perlite and charc. mix I make myself. I think I'd get growing with standard medium like bark down first before moving on to semi hydro.

[Niki]

How can I tell if the roots are rotted (it is basically if they are mushy and not green, thick, and firm?

I think I've got the dead one down (the shriveled up one sticking out of the pot are dead, and when I de-tangle the soil from the other roots, I'm sure there will shriveled/dried out roots that I can presume are dead.

is the coco husk chunk, perlite, and charc. mix considered a standard mix? Do you use equal parts of those in your homemade mix?

I'm thinking of potting in clear plastic and putting it that pot in a prettier pot. I think I asked this question also in my last thread (but it's late, so I can't remember for sure) but what size up would you recc. for the Phals and my odon? I've heard odon can grow fast....

I'm glad I joined this board and didn't just listen to the lady at the orchid store. I thought it odd just to wait 1 year for all of them, since who knows exactly when they were last repotted, and I thought their soil and roots piling out looked bad...even though I know nothing about orchids (the Phals are almost at one year, but the odon. I just purchsed in May, so she wanted me to wait another 11 months on that one...I should have gone with my instinct to begin with! (although I wouldn't have had a clue as to how to repot or what to repot in)


Niki

[Bird Song Farm]

Hi Niki,
I've been reading this tread with interest because when I first started with orchids a phal was the first one I got. When it came time to re-pot, I had all the same questions you have. At that time there wasn't an Orchid Board to help so I searched and searched the web and finally found the site that I've included a link to at the end of this message. I think it might be of great help to you as it has pictures along with instructions. The saying pictures are worth a thousand words is really true. I hope it helps you as much as it helped me. I'm no longer afraid to tackle a re-potting job! I now have upwards of 80 phals so re-potting is something I do almost every day.
I'm so very glad you found this forum. You will enjoy every minute you spend here. Some great folks and everyone is always friendly and willing to try to help.
Al

Easy Orchids - Re Potting A Phalaenopsis

[(..._...)]

The mushy roots will be kinda hallow, and will pull right off of the long fiberous root center. You will know if the roots are rotten.
I should add this it is normal for SOME of the roots to be rotten. I read somewhere that it is normal for 1/3 of the roots to be rotten when you unpot the plant.
While the plant is blooming now, this is not it's real time to bloom. You should probably re-pot it now so that the plant is going to be able to grow new roots in a fresh medium for next season. I have two phals that have been blooming since january ( they are just openingtheir second bloom from the same spike), but I still changed their medium because otherwise the will have stale bark until next spring. If the plant is healthy, you shouldn't lose any blooms.

[Niki]

Originally Posted by quiltergal

All my other plants are in coco husk chunk, perlite and charc. mix I make myself. I think I'd get growing with standard medium like bark down first before moving on to semi hydro.

So, I'm intrigued by the idea of S/H (now that I've looked at pictures of it) and I love the fact that you never have to buy new medium (although, I am assuming you still have to trim roots, etc). But, it sounds like S/H is harder to get used to than regular bark?

It's just that I'm SO tempted to try the S/H, but I don't want to do it if it will increase my chances of killing my plant.

Niki

[Niki]

Originally Posted by Bird Song Farm

Hi Niki,
The saying pictures are worth a thousand words is really true. I hope it helps you as much as it helped me. I'm no longer afraid to tackle a re-potting job! I now have upwards of 80 phals so re-potting is something I do almost every day.
I'm so very glad you found this forum. You will enjoy every minute you spend here. Some great folks and everyone is always friendly and willing to try to help.
Al

Easy Orchids - Re Potting A Phalaenopsis

Yes, yes, a pictures IS worth a thousand words!! Thank you, thank you! This is very helpful.

I'm also really glad I found this forum!

Niki

[quiltergal]

Originally Posted by Niki

is the coco husk chunk, perlite, and charc. mix considered a standard mix? Do you use equal parts of those in your homemade mix?

I'm thinking of potting in clear plastic and putting it that pot in a prettier pot. I think I asked this question also in my last thread (but it's late, so I can't remember for sure) but what size up would you recc. for the Phals and my odon? I've heard odon can grow fast....

I mix 4 parts CHC to 1 part perlite, and 1 part charcoal. The CHC is soaked for at least 24 hours and the water is changed 2-3 times. The charcoal is rinsed until it runs clear. Drain the water from the CHC, throw in the perlite & charc and mix well with your hands. I also mix up a gallon of KLN water 1tsp/gal, and run that though the newly repotted plants. Then they go back on the rack and it's business as usual. I don't with hold water after repotting. I'd go up half a pot size on both. On the Odcdm. I try and judge how much room there is left in the existing pot for new growths and how fast it will grow those new growths. I like to give them at least a year's worth of room so I don't have to disturb the roots too often.

[trinimom]

Hi everyone, I have read the several posts on repotting phals and they were most informative....I manged to save one of my phals that was almost completley rotted away about a year ago..by putting it in a wire basket lined with copra and then filling it with small pieces of broken clay and coals. Since then it has bloomed but never regained its former big size. However when I got my second phal I meediately transferred it to a large wire basket and did the same. This phal has never stopped blooming and flowers are always on the old spike and always coming out and even the new spike is doing the same. I have never cut the spikes at all......
Should I cut the spikes even though they are green and always flowering?