Repotting when a flower spike is forming?

[jood]

Hi,
I'm new to these forums but have been lurking for a while.

I bought my Phalaenopsis about a year ago and it was in flower at the time with one flower spike.

Since then it's grown 2 new leaves (with another one on the way) and seems to be sprouting a flower spike and/or some new roots. This is the first time I've managed to keep one alive long enough to flower again!

I've noticed that there's a lot of new root growth under the bark chips and I can see the tips of the roots starting to poke out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.

I hope you can help me answer a few questions:

1. Do you think this sounds like I need to repot a size larger? I'm pretty sure I need to replace the medium anyway.

2. Is it ok to repot at this stage or am I likely to damage the plant?

3. Going by the photo, do you think I'm getting 1 or 2 flower spikes or are they both roots? Too soon to tell?

4. Are those brownish roots at the front dead and should I cut them off?

5. How long does it usually take for one of these spikes to flower?

Thanks in advance and sorry for all these questions!

[camille1585]

Keep in mind that phals like to be tight in their pots. The main reason to repot is if you suspect that the medium is decaying. If you got it a year ago and never repotted, it's probably time to do it. If you repot in bark based mix, don't forget to soak it at least overnight. I only go up a size if I can't get the roots back into the same pot when I'm changing the bark. In that case I only go up one size, from a 12cm to 13cm clear pot for example.

Repotting a plant in spike is not a problem. If you are going to have problems, it would be if the spike was already full of buds. In that case there is a risk of the buds blasting, but it's rare.

Hard to tell from the photo, but they are in the right places for spikes. The nubbin on the left is probably a spike. I'd guess the same for the other one, but I'm not too certain. To tell exactly what it is, this should help: spikes have flat mitten shaped tips, and roots have round tips. As for how long it takes for a phal spike to bloom, usually you need to wait about 90-110 days from the moment the spike appears, depending on the growing conditions you have.

Are the brownish roots mushy and hollow? If not, leave them on the plant. I have some of those on my phals too, and they're fine!

Hope that answers your questions!

[RosieC]

Hi Jood and welcome to Orchid Board.

I mostly agree with Camille, except I thought the one of the left looked more like a root to me. The one on the right is not clear enough to tell.

Could you post any bigger pics and perhaps at a different angle, it might be easier to tell.

Like Camille says I would only go up a pot size if you can't get the roots back in to the existing pot and it should not be a problem to repot with a small spike.

[jood]

Thank you both for your replies! I'll get a pot a size bigger and see how whether I need to use it when I repot.

I'll keep an eye on the new growth and will post new photos in a week or two when they're more developed if it's still unclear whether it's roots or flower spikes.

Thanks again!