Phalenopsis Bud Blast & repotting question

[Sweet Pea]

Hello Everyone! I recently acquired a phalenopsis, and I noticed some of the buds have been "blasted"...When I received the plant, they were already on the plant, but there are good viable buds still on the plant. The roots are fabulous...very healthy and white. I have two questions. One is, should I just let those "blasted buds" fall off on their own? Or, should I remove them?

Second question is, the roots seem to have filled the entire pot, and there is "minimal" potting material. The plant has flowers and new buds about to open. Should I wait until after the plant has flowered to re-pot it? Or, should I risk it and do it now? There is one root that has made its way out of the pot, leading me to believe it's looking for more space! Any advice?
Thanks!!

[tuvoc]

Hi Sweet Pea. When buds on my phals blast, I just let them fall off on their own. If they will come off easily, go ahead and remove them. Sounds like your plants roots are happy. I'd wait until blooming is over to repot. Don't worry about the stray root, these guys will send roots all over the place, no matter how big the pot is. Remember, lots of roots are a good thing.

Kim

[camille1585]

Hi,
It's better to let the blasted buds drop on their own. I tried to pull them off once one one of my phals, and ended up breaking the spike!
Since the roots seem healthy, you can wait until after the flowers are done to repot. It's better to stay with either the same sized pot, or only slightly bigger. Most orchids like to be root bound in order to bloom. If they have too much space to wiggle their feet, they might not bloom as well. As for the root sticking out, it's an aerial root. Phals have a tendancy to stick those out everywhere. Even out of the medium, it helps the plant get moisture from the air.

[Shelley]

Excuse me, but what does "blasted buds" mean? I'm a newbie, and I've never come across this particular term.

Thanks.

[tuvoc]

Shelley, bud blast means a bud that dies or fails to open.
No dynamite involved.

Kim