new to orchids need help.

[orchidjd]

hey everyone!

im from florida and new to orchids. i have a white with a yellow/green inside phalaenopsis orchid. it was given to me by my sister. it was close to dying once but i was able to bring it back and now there is about 10 flowers on the stem. from what i see is that the blooms are about to fall. what should i do then? were can i get some good soil to repot it?should i cut it?

any help is appreciated thanks

[WhiteRabbit]

Congrats on getting your orchid to rebloom! When it has finished blooming you can cut the spike off - I usually wait til it browns and dies. Some Phals may grow keikis, or branch from a node on the spike.

Different people use different media for potting Phals - probably the easiest to obtain would be medium fir bark mix for orchids. Bark mix should be soaked for a few hours or more before using (tho I have repotted using unsoaked dry bark, and soak the pot after repotting). Only go up a pot size if the roots will not fit back into the same size pot. Make sure the pot has good drainage.
If your Phal is currently potted in sphag moss, bark will need more frequent watering - new bark mix will also dry out faster than older for a couple of months, so adjust your watering. If it is currently in sphag moss, and that has worked well for you, then you could definitely repot using that - but for many people it retains too much moisture and is difficult to not over-water.
GL

[RosieC]

I agree with WhiteRabbit.

I would add that if the roots would fit in a smaller pot you may actaully want to go down a pot size.

I would also add that getting quality medium is very important. I almost killed my first orchids by using the medium sold in my local garden center. It was already decayed due to incorrect storage and low turn over. I now only buy medium from online orchid specialists and I think the extra you pay on postage is worth it for getting something the orchids will like.

[orchidjd]

thanks for the replay guys. I was wondering if the Miracle Gro Orchid mix is a good soil to repot my orchid? or were can i find this medium fir bark?

and can u point me to a site were i can get a good medium?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The Phals that are commonly available are not terrestrial plants.

They grow on trees. Some grow on rocks.

[RosieC]

I have a memory that Miracle Gro is for terrestrial orchids, although it seems to say on the pack it's for any it's actually no good for non-terrestrial like Phals. I've just done a quick search here on OB and the concensus is NOT Miracle Gro.

You can get good qualtity bark from www.repotme.com. I've not used it myself as I'm in the UK but I've heard good things from others on this site.

I would strongly advise that the stuff you get in your local stores is often stored incorrectly and already decaying in the bag. I almost killed orchids that way and now always buy from a specialist.

[orchidjd]

thanks.

i ran across that site also and saw that ppl really liked it. My Phal right now seems to be in a bark mixture. what mixture do u guys recommend to get from that site so i can repot? rePotme Orchid Supplies - Orchid Mix - Orchid Pots - Orchid Care - Orchid Fertilizer
would it be a problem putting a different medium?

[RosieC]

I'm afraid as I'm in the UK I'm not sure what the best choice is.

I've heard good things said on OB about the Imperial mixes which have various ones for different orchid types, for me personaly I don't use any moss mixed with the bark and the Imperial mixes are just that... a mixture.

In some ways there is too much choice on their site isn't there.

Hopefully someone else can pipe in with advice, if not it may be best to raise a new thread to ask the question.