The Phal abuse ends here. - Page 22 - Orchid Board

bsktlady · #**211** 10-18-2011, 05:12 PM

silken, thanks for the information. As a newbie, there is a lot for me to learn.

You say you like clear pots so you can see the roots. Does this mean you set the plant loosely on top of the bark and moss so they aren't "packed" in? Where do you find the clear pots and do they have drainage holes?

Also, what type of water do you use? I know there is a lot of talk about regular tap vs distilled or spring water being used for plants of different types. We have softened water here, but we also have a RO system for our drinking water. I've used spring water for many of my other plants and they seem to be doing exceptionally well.

Do you have any site recommendations for the bark and good moss to use? And finally, I don't know what area of the country you are in, but how do you add humidity, which I've learned is good for these plants.

Thanks for the previous info and any other that you, or anyone else, can provide. I'd like to be sucessful with these!

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I'm editing the previous message to say that my friend who originally referred me to this board sent me an email with a link to a site where I can purchase all sorts of orchid supplies. I found the clear pots there along with the bark.

silken · #**212** 10-18-2011, 05:34 PM

bsktlady, I am happy to help. I gently pack and stuff the media into and between the roots. I always squeeze the moss out before doing this and mix it with my bark which has soaked for a few hours to wet it. Pretty much as glengary54 described. I like the clear pots because you can tell by the colour of the roots if it is time to water. rePotme Orchid Supplies - Orchid Mix - Orchid Pots - Orchid Care - Orchid Fertilizer and Quarter Acre Orchids offering the best selection of orchid supplies online! are two places I know of to get pots and media. I have used Quarter Acre, but she is a bit hard to contact. Repotme has a good reputation on here and they make up potting mixes for various types of orchids. You could try the phal mix. Both companies have an excellent choice of pots.

I use rainwater for my orchids because our city water has a pH of 8 or higher. pH of 6.5 or 7 is better. If your house has a softener, the water shouldn't be used for plants. Many use RO and I expect spring water would be OK but may have a lot of minerals. I know lots of people here do use regular tap water for their phals, but I grow others that are more sensitive to high pH.

That should get you going. If it will take a while to order supplies etc., I suggest still slipping it from the pot and removing some moss now. I have done that to make sure there are no really wet buried areas that are starting root rot.

bsktlady · #**213** 10-18-2011, 05:44 PM

I was hoping to edit my earlier reply before anyone read it, but at least I know others here, besides my friend, order from the same source.

I will definitely be working on my plants this evening so I can see how the roots look and remove some of the moss.

Thanks!

bodaciousbonsai · #**214** 10-25-2011, 12:06 AM

I have killed many,many,many Phalaenopsis in my 15 years of growing orchids. I always kept them to wet which led to crown rot,root rot, you name it I did it. I now grow all my phalaenopsis in terra cotta pots and let them go dry in between waterings. This has improved the root growth by 100 fold. they tend to climb out of the pots now and throw out a ass ton of airal roots. I just keep the humidity around 75% with a light misting in the morning and a few hours before I tuck them into bed for the night.

bsktlady · #**215** 10-25-2011, 09:13 AM

I have repotted both plants with an orchid mix I bought from Repotme. I did have to cut away some dead roots on one of the plants. They looked bad, but there were plenty of really nice. I'm hoping it survives!

silken · #**216** 10-25-2011, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsktlady

I have repotted both plants with an orchid mix I bought from Repotme. I did have to cut away some dead roots on one of the plants. They looked bad, but there were plenty of really nice. I'm hoping it survives!

Good to hear the Phals are happy now! I'm sure they will do great.

bodaciousbonsai · #**217** 10-25-2011, 01:12 PM

I use 1/2 rain or distilled with half tap water with a drop a dechlor added to the water to remove chlorine. I have been doing this for many years with no ill effect to the plants. My carnivorous plants only get rain or distilled water.

joanieb16 · #**218** 10-27-2011, 08:29 PM

I am a beginner with my first Phal. After 1 year it has done well, I repotted and have seen great leaf growth.
I recently moved, put the orchid in a box and hand carried it from house to car to new house. When I placed it on the counter, all the leaves just fell off, in a clump from the base of the plant ! So I now have an orchid that has all new buds/blooms coming, and no leaves. I see no new "nodes" coming at the base indicating new leaves....so now what?

silken · #**219** 10-27-2011, 08:39 PM

It must have undergone some sort of extreme stress to do that. Was it in the car long where the sun could really heat the car up? Or close to freezing on the other end of things? A photo might help, but if it got water in the crown, it may have rotted there. However after a year of caring for it and re-blooming it from the sounds of it, it seems it would have been a cultural thing. People bring orchids home from the store all the time or out to orchid shows, so a normal ride in the car, shouldn't do that.

joanieb16 · #**220** 10-27-2011, 08:45 PM

yeah, weird. 45 min car ride, warm weather, 72 (for Oct in ND/MN !). So not sure if the leaves were bump/smashed...but I was so careful.
Any advice on what I could do to promote leaf growth, since it has been 3 weeks and it appears the buds/blooms are still coming, with 1 ready to bloom....? Should I take it out of the pot to check on quality of the roots?