why does this eep happening

[KHaze]

Hi Butterfly! I agree with WhiteRabbit... If you can't get the right size pot just turn a smaller pot upside down in the larger pot to take up some of the extra room. I've tried this with other plants and it's worked well for me.

Bear in mind though that I haven't tried this with orchids...and I'm a newbie so my advice is not very educated.

Good luck...sorry you're having so much trouble. I've been suspecting myself that phals aren't as easy to grow as they advertise. Don't give up though...it's all a part of the learning curve...or so they tell me!

[RosieC]

An upside down inner pot is a really good solution if you can't find small enough pots.

It doesn't need to be a small pot, I've used old yogurt pots upturned, I've cut pieces out of larger plastic food containers to mask off half the volumne of the pot, anything really that can reduce the internal volume of the pot while still alowing air flow and not retaining moisture.

I also think that a sudden change from Moss to Bark may be a shock the plants.

Then I come back to my earlier comment about media qualtity. You mentioned you could not buy pots online, only locally. If the same is true of your mark medium then it may either not be a suitable one, or may have already broken down. Only today I saw a shop selling a medium as 'General orchid medium' with a picture of a Phal on the front... the stuff was soft and soil like when I felt it through the bag, completely wrong for a Phal.

[Brenda Aarts]

Hi Butterfly,

I will 2nd the fact that the pot is too big. I live in SW ontario where it can actually be quite humid, have most of my phals in bark or a bark mixture and water roughly every 7 -10 days depending. I would suggest that overwatering considering the pot size is your problem. Not sure of what part of Ontario you live in, but we have some great hydrophonics stores close to me that have a wide selection of clear pots, they are also sold at any orchid shows if you are able to attend. I also agree that phals are not necessarily one of the easiest orchids to grow, I like the Laelia suggestion or cattleya depending on if you have some brighter conditions. Anyways good luck with your quests.

[Orchid126]

Light, light, light! In all this discussion you have not mentioned once how much light the plant is actually getting.

"The orchids are not in a window sill but my living room is wall to wall window so it is bright in here but no direct sun."

This is too vague. You don't even say if it's east, west, north or south light. It sounds like your plants are in the dark. What is bright to your eyes does not necessarily mean the light is enough for the plant. Light drops dramatically for every few inches away from the window. Several feet away may indeed put the plant in the twilight zone. And then you water and water and fertilize but the plant is not getting stimulated enough to use any of it. All the water and fertilizer in the world will not compensate for not enough light.

Put your plant as close to the window as you can. Move it closer gradually, until it's getting as much light as it needs. Feel the leaves. If they feel warm to the touch, move it back a tad.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by Orchid126

Light, light, light! In all this discussion you have not mentioned once how much light the plant is actually getting.

"The orchids are not in a window sill but my living room is wall to wall window so it is bright in here but no direct sun."

This is too vague. You don't even say if it's east, west, north or south light. It sounds like your plants are in the dark. Light drops dramatically for every few inches away from the window. Several feet away may indeed put the plant in twilight. And then you water and water and fertilize but the plant is not getting stimulated enough to use any of it. All the water and fertilizer in the world will not compensate for not enough light.

Put your plant as close to the window as you can. Move it closer gradually, until it's getting as much light as it needs. Feel the leaves. If they feel warm to the touch, move it back a tad.

good point about the light - all of my orchids are on windowsills if inside - not more than an inch or two from the window. Would that cause problems with the roots tho if the foliage looked ok? Certainly would keep them from blooming at the very least tho

[quiltergal]

Without pictures it's hard to give advice but I'll give it a whirl.

1. Unless the plant is a monster in size a 5.5" pot is most likely too large.
2. As Rosie states quality of the medium you're using is crucial. Why bother repotting at all if the medium you're repotting with is as bad or worse than what you're taking it out of. I prefer to mix my own from the individual componets. That way I know it's fresh.
3. Phals can take a lot more light that most people think they can. Of course direct sunlight is a no no, however, I'm growing mine in a very bright southwest bay window under T5 grow lights. I've yet to have one not bloom for me. If your windows face north, and your plants are in the middle of the room they aren't getting enough light. They'll grow lots of long dark green leaves but they probably won't ever bloom unless you can provide them with more light.
4. Phals like to be warm. I water with lukewarm water, and keep as many as will fit on the top shelf of my grow rack. It's the warmest spot in the house.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[butterfly79]

Wow, i have lots of info, lots to answer.lol this is awesome. I finally found pots near me that are 4". This is great.

I do believe the pot was too big, the root system wasn't very large, I have learned to use whatever you can at the right size. I don't think this phal will make it. The leaves are super soft, there are only a few roots left that are green, the rest were empty, not mushy not dry, just empty. Kind of between both symptoms. I have repotted it in a container that is about 2", perfect for what is left.

it's true that I am one of those who either under water or over water. I will look into SH, it may be a good option for my environment.

I have two phals right now which are doing great,leaves are happy, roots nice and green and I even have new roots growing out of one. both are in the original sphag which seems to work in my apartment. When I repot these two I am doing a 50/50 mix. I found someone near me who has NZ Sphag, charcoal, and bark. I don't like the bark I used, the coconut husk pieces are very small.

I was thinking of all the things I have learned and one thing is for sure, my apartment is very dry so I made humidity trays. I think a 50/50 blend will work better cause the sphag will stay moist for longer, bark dries out within 3 days in my place. If my orchid displays any issues try moving them, use correct size containers.

Well I am learning and if I ever see any of the types of orchids that have been mentioned I will try one of them.

My father in laws orchids have constantly bloomed since he got them. He is lucky, they just grow with whatever he does. He soaks his orchids overnight in the sink, I still can't believe he has one growing in soil.

[Call_Me_Bob]

if you are really desperate, and you think the plant is basically dead, you could put it in a jat of water, with some superthrive or kln in the water. it worked for my rootless phal

[Eyebabe]

Originally Posted by butterfly79

I have two phals right now which are doing great,leaves are happy, roots nice and green and I even have new roots growing out of one. both are in the original sphag which seems to work in my apartment.

Just because Sphag doesn't work for most people doesn't mean it's not appropriate for YOU in your apartment.
If the level of care, watering etc. that you give matches the moisture retention etc. of the current medium and you have happy plants...why change?

[Orchid126]

Check the light that your father-in-law's orchids are getting and try to duplicate it.

Welcome to the fascinating world of orchids!