My first orchid and it needs help

[fernando3000]

hello everyone,

I bought this phalaenopsis orchid for $10 at a moving sale. This is my first orchid so i need to know what to do. I went to a nursery and got a potting mix to repot it. I have provided some pictures so that you can see it. Can my plant be saved or should i get a new one?

Thank you for your help

[jkofferdahl]

Repot it! The plant looks fine. Also, the keiki (the plantlet growing on the flower stem) looks to have enough of a root system that you could clip it from the stem and give it a pot of its own, too!

[fultonh]

What does that orchid potting mix consist of? It looks awfully dry, did you happen to soak it before you potted it? Also did you pot it directly into the blue ceramic pot, because orchids need a lot of drainage so keep that in mind.

[let_it_grow]

Good buy. You just got a 2 for 1, the plant looks like it has firm leaves, thats a good thing cause it is an indication that the roots are providing enough water to the plant so they probably arent rotten. Moss is a tricky medium. Its easy to over water cause it hold so much water and the roots will rot when they are too wet. I would say its a good time to repot cause the moss looks like its breaking down. I see the potting medium you got is fir bark which i like for Phals. When you repot it try to cut off all the dead roots. My advice is to soak the plant for about 10 min before repotting it to soften the roots and the moss, i like to use a skewer to gently pick out the moss from between the roots then examine the roots and cut the dead ones off. The dead ones will be mushy and wont turn green when wet. Make sure to soak the medium for at least 24 hrs before repotting cause bark does not hold much water at 1st. Next step is to get a small clear plastic pot for the keiki and pot it. Use a sharp sterile blade to cut it off and dab some cinnamon on the cut to prevent infection. The keiki should be treated as a seedling (i like to think of it like a baby) it cant handle extremes in temp, long periods of dryness or over fertilizing. It will likely dry out alot quicker than the mother plant so you will have to keep a close eye on it and prob water every 3 or 4 days. Use your finger or a skewer to test the medium dryness, or look at the roots in the pot ( this is where the clear plastic comes in hand), if they are green then you dont nee to water, white and shiny means its time to water. Hope that helps

[Kath]

I don't know if it helps fernando3000, but it certainly helps me! Thanks for the info about repotting a phal. I have one which I love, and need to repot - it fell out of its pot by accident! One additional question: Must I cover the newly potted plant in a plastic bag to help the roots? Thanks!!

[let_it_grow]

I have never tented anything after repotting it. I don't think there should be much of a need to tent a Phal cause they are pretty hardy plants but I'm sure it wouldnt' hurt

[Blueszz]

Hello Kath,
I don't exacty now where in France you live but when you are up North I wouldn't tent a Phalaenopsis. I think that is a receipe for fungus.
Great buy, 2 for the price of 1 :-)

[Becky15349]

Phals, and most rchids in general, require a simple "recipe" of things to keep them happy. Follow this list verbatim, and you should do well. I'd also cut off that keiki and repot it, as they mentioned before me.

1. Air circulation: Keep the air moving with a small fan

2. Water - 1x a week in the winter, maybe increase to 2x a week in the summer if very hot.

3. Medium - I recommend chip bark mix like you bought, as it'll hold less water than the moss and your phals are less likely to get root rot.

4. Light: East or west window, south only if you acclimate it slowly over 5-7 weeks bc south light intensity will usually burn phal leaves.

5. Fertilizer: 3 on, one off, meaning 3 waterings use fertilizer, then do 1 watering with just clear water to wash away any salt accumulation

6. Humidity: between 50% and 80% humidity is good for phals, they can tolerate a wide humidity range. They do like to me misted also, but don't mist the moss if you keep it bc it'll hold too much water.

That's about it! Good luck!!

[fernando3000]

thanks everyone for you advice. I am going to repot today. I hope everything goes well. I am going to post some pics of the results.

[Kath]

Blueszz, I'm in the west of France, but it's cold all the same! I have never had any problems with fungus, only mealie bugs. They are big and juicy, and yuk! I could even see their antenae moving the other day, before I skwiched it!