A strange find-- Big Lots

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Lene Th.

Gorgeous blooming!
I understand why youre wife bought them...

About re-potting, there are several theories about how and when...
I usually repot as soon as possible after bringing the new chid home, but there is a risk loosing the flowers by dooing that.
But.. if the roots are in bad condition, you risk loosing the hole plant if you dont repot.
And the only way to know for sure, is by looking at the roots. Then you have already stressed the chid, so why not just repot at the same time, instead of later and stress the chid several times...?

The reason i repot after buying a new chid, is simply that my medium is best in my growing-conditions.
And sometimes there are too mutch moss in the chid from the store. The way i grow, the medium wont dry quickly enough, and i risk root-rot.
I grow most of mine in S/H, but to repot into that kind of different medium, there should be some new growth. I try to only buy chids where i see new roots, but if there is none, i either repot into regular bark-medium the first time, or i repot into S/H without new root-growth, depending on witch kind of chid it is.

Thanks! I have pretty much decided they will be repotted but stupid me got the wrong size! These plants could easily enjoy a 6 inch pot instead of a 4 inch one. As I mentioned ina previous follow-up to this post, I doubt any root rot, though I can't be sure until I inspect-- only because the medium their in is very freely draining and light. But I have a batch of medium soaking now in prep for repotting so hopefully, they'll be in new pots soon!

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Thanks! I have pretty much decided they will be repotted but stupid me got the wrong size! These plants could easily enjoy a 6 inch pot instead of a 4 inch one.

That's not necessarily the case. Phals like to be a bit tight in their pots to be happy. Usually a phal is good repotted back in the same pot, and when it does need to be in a bigger pot, going up one size is usually enough. Depends on the mass of roots the phal has.

[Lene Th.]

Originally Posted by camille1585

That's not necessarily the case. Phals like to be a bit tight in their pots to be happy. Usually a phal is good repotted back in the same pot, and when it does need to be in a bigger pot, going up one size is usually enough. Depends on the mass of roots the phal has.

I agree with camille on this!
Its better for the chid, in a small pot than one too big. Thye like it tight, tight, tight, adn phals are no exeption here.
You do not need to repot into a bigger pot, before the root litterary pushes the chid out from the pot by itselves.
And then you repot only one sice up...

[Pilot]

Very well- I guess I CAN use the pots I got then. I was just worried it would be too snug but I understand them wanting to be safe in their pots. I mean these things do grow in tree in nature and you don't want a gust knocking you out of tree.

What do you guys do with dead or broken roots? As in the case where there is a living root but at some point it got pinched and the remaining length died? Do i just cut it so that the dead stuff is gone? Or leave some of it on so there isn't an open wound?

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by Lene Th.

I agree with camille on this!
Its better for the chid, in a small pot than one too big. Thye like it tight, tight, tight, adn phals are no exeption here.
You do not need to repot into a bigger pot, before the root litterary pushes the chid out from the pot by itselves.
And then you repot only one sice up...

Thanks for the input.

I managed to get my new plants into new medium AND into the new pots-- all clear plastic. The medium the plants were in really didn't look all that bad at all-- but I'm glad I did it. I'm also glad I read up on what the roots may look like inside the pot because some of the more moist (but firm) roots that were crowded in some bark looks tan in color-- I read on here that the bark can stain the roots-- which makes sense since the medium I soaked over night for the new potting was quite discolored.

I only had to snip off a few dead roots but I didn't notice anything bad at all about the pants-- they seem to be awfully healthy especially if you consider where we got them.

I did notice, however, some white stuff on one of the roots...it was sort of fluffy white. It rinsed off when I was cleaning the roots of the old material.

So I guess the best I can do now is sit, wait and watch the blooms do their thing. Man I hope I did this right-- and I hope I the plants aren't already in decline. They really don't seem like it-- but I've been told you sometimes can't really tell with these guys.

Ryan

[camille1585]

Sounds like you did it right! You'll see, normally they will sulk a few weeks and not seem to be doing anything, but afte that my phals grow lots of new roots. They seem to enjoy it. In fact, they enjoyed it so much that the phals I repotted last spring are going to need to be repotted again. The medium is fine, but there are so many roots that they really need a bigger pot!

[ChasWG]

Hey Pilot! Welcome. We're almost neighbors. I'm just up the road from you in South East Aurora, near Southlands. Those are very pretty plants you have there.
I read your first post and thought to myself, "No way he's got anything close to 50 or 60% humidity in the whole house." Even with a huge, whole house humidifier I'm lucky to get close to 30%. And this past winter/early spring has been nasty, bone dry. So much so that I am seeing sepperations in my hardwood floors that I have never scene before. I can't wait for that monsoonal flow to start up. Anyhow, maybe a small humidifier close by might help out. But I have not had issues with my Phals in the past. I've had one for about 2 years now and only recently have increased my orchid collection to 5 now. 3 Phals, 1 Brassavola and 1 Dendrobium. I also keep my orchids in my master bathroom. Two morning showers and the humidity in that room rockets way up. I also keep a few inches of water in the large triangle tub where they sit in front of an Eastern facing window. It seems to work for me.

Good luck with your new endeavor! It's good to see people from my area here on the OB.

btw, Ain't Tagawa's a huge blast???!!!

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by ChasWG

Hey Pilot! Welcome. We're almost neighbors. I'm just up the road from you in South East Aurora, near Southlands. Those are very pretty plants you have there.
I read your first post and thought to myself, "No way he's got anything close to 50 or 60% humidity in the whole house." Even with a huge, whole house humidifier I'm lucky to get close to 30%. And this past winter/early spring has been nasty, bone dry. So much so that I am seeing sepperations in my hardwood floors that I have never scene before. I can't wait for that monsoonal flow to start up. Anyhow, maybe a small humidifier close by might help out. But I have not had issues with my Phals in the past. I've had one for about 2 years now and only recently have increased my orchid collection to 5 now. 3 Phals, 1 Brassavola and 1 Dendrobium. I also keep my orchids in my master bathroom. Two morning showers and the humidity in that room rockets way up. I also keep a few inches of water in the large triangle tub where they sit in front of an Eastern facing window. It seems to work for me.

Good luck with your new endeavor! It's good to see people from my area here on the OB.

btw, Ain't Tagawa's a huge blast???!!!

OMG! I love Tagawas! That place is so evil though. Have you been recently? They have the most beautiful clivia!!!! I was in San Diego recently and those people down there grow clivia and orchids like they're weeds--hardly keeping control over them all-- made me sick with envy.

Thats great that you're nearby! Do you belong to any groups in the area? Not sure I'm into this thing that much but I wouldn't mind going to shows and whatnot.

As for humidity-- no kidding-- this past weekend it was easily in the single digit humidity levels outside. However, we live in an apartment for now and we're running a warm mist humidifier 24/7 that is rated for 1400 sq ft in a 1100 sq ft apartment. As far as humidity is concerned, it is QUITE comfortable in our flat. The humidifier itself has a humidistat on it and right now is reading 51%. I'm not sold on its validity but there are definite signs I'm winning the battle of dry air as the humidity trays I have for the orchids are very slow in drying out-- before the humidifier they'd dry out in a day. I keep the air moving using the HVAC system, as I know still humid air isn't good in general.

So far the orchids are showing good signs. Each have healthy roots, each have what look like new root buds and one is growing a new spike while all of them are opening, very slowly, new blooms.

Great to meet you neighbor!

Ryan

[ChasWG]

Tagawa's Is a wonderful place! They hosted the Denver Orchid Society's annual Show and Sale two weekends ago. Nice displays and that's where I got my Brassavola cordata from. As for your humidity, I thought you were in a house. In a 1100 sq/ft condo I'm sure you can raise the humidity quite a bit. I've got a 3100 sq/ft house to try to humidify. I'm not winning that one.

As for groups, no Orchid groups, but I am part of a new gardening club being started here in South East Aurora/Parker. We are having our second meeting this coming Thursday at the Talons Reach public library, 6:30 to 8:30pm. Stop by if you're interested!

I wish you continued success with the new plants. They are actually pretty cool things. Kinda touchy, but very rewarding and diffinantly a challenge. And who doesn't like a challenge?!

Originally Posted by Pilot

OMG! I love Tagawas! That place is so evil though. Have you been recently? They have the most beautiful clivia!!!! I was in San Diego recently and those people down there grow clivia and orchids like they're weeds--hardly keeping control over them all-- made me sick with envy.

Thats great that you're nearby! Do you belong to any groups in the area? Not sure I'm into this thing that much but I wouldn't mind going to shows and whatnot.

As for humidity-- no kidding-- this past weekend it was easily in the single digit humidity levels outside. However, we live in an apartment for now and we're running a warm mist humidifier 24/7 that is rated for 1400 sq ft in a 1100 sq ft apartment. As far as humidity is concerned, it is QUITE comfortable in our flat. The humidifier itself has a humidistat on it and right now is reading 51%. I'm not sold on its validity but there are definite signs I'm winning the battle of dry air as the humidity trays I have for the orchids are very slow in drying out-- before the humidifier they'd dry out in a day. I keep the air moving using the HVAC system, as I know still humid air isn't good in general.

So far the orchids are showing good signs. Each have healthy roots, each have what look like new root buds and one is growing a new spike while all of them are opening, very slowly, new blooms.

Great to meet you neighbor!

Ryan