The Phal abuse ends here.

[RosieC]

A lot of people grow Phals mounted, it's not always practical for everyone, but they do really well that way.

[Bill U.]

Hi everyone,

I'm a pretty new phal grower and I have a question regarding potting media for my phals.

I have 3 phals that are all in lovely shape and are blooming beautifully. But after reading through this entire thread, I have found that there are some rather mixed feelings about sphagnum moss as the growing media in a pot.

I have been sure to monitor the centers of the root ball for moisture in my watering. I normally water about every 10-14 days.

I am concerned that my phals may not do well if they are continued in sphag, despite my watering/fertilizing regimen. Is it possible to have my phals to continue to live and prosper in their sphag media in the long run? If not, can anyone recommend a good media that is inexpensive? (I'm a college student so I really don't have the money to go "all out" on my orchid supplies )

[CR7cristiano]

Originally Posted by Bill U.

Hi everyone,

I'm a pretty new phal grower and I have a question regarding potting media for my phals.

I have 3 phals that are all in lovely shape and are blooming beautifully. But after reading through this entire thread, I have found that there are some rather mixed feelings about sphagnum moss as the growing media in a pot.

I have been sure to monitor the centers of the root ball for moisture in my watering. I normally water about every 10-14 days.

I am concerned that my phals may not do well if they are continued in sphag, despite my watering/fertilizing regimen. Is it possible to have my phals to continue to live and prosper in their sphag media in the long run? If not, can anyone recommend a good media that is inexpensive? (I'm a college student so I really don't have the money to go "all out" on my orchid supplies )

Hey Bill, I would suggest using lava rock & charcoal, or even fur bark. They all are free draining mediums that allow alot of air to the roots. The only difference with these is that they dry faster, great drainage, and you will need to water everyday during the hotter months, and every other day or two during the colder months; assuming you experience winter where you are.

[Rowangreen]

How long have you had them? If you've had them a while and there's no sign of problems, then stick to what works for you.

[Bill U.]

Originally Posted by Rowangreen

How long have you had them? If you've had them a while and there's no sign of problems, then stick to what works for you.

I have had one phal since October of 2011 and then my other two phals I have had for less than a week.

I had repotted the one I got in October in May 2012 into a mix of about 95% Sphagnum moss and the other 5% of Spanish moss. It has since sent up a spike and already started to bloom. So the new ones are the ones that I am most concerned about because they were the more expensive ones.

[CR7cristiano]

Originally Posted by Bill U.

I have had one phal since October of 2011 and then my other two phals I have had for less than a week.

I had repotted the one I got in October in May 2012 into a mix of about 95% Sphagnum moss and the other 5% of Spanish moss. It has since sent up a spike and already started to bloom. So the new ones are the ones that I am most concerned about because they were the more expensive ones.

Well if you repot once a year you should be fine no matter which medium you use.

[Wynn Dee13]

I grow almost all my orchids in sphagnum moss. I love the stuff! I don't enjoy watering so if I had to water everyday or even every other day I probably wouldn't grow so many plants. If you are doing well with it then stick with it. Just remember it breaks down faster than other mediums so you need to replace the moss once a year or so. The trick is to have good drainage and don't pack the moss too tight. You might want to check your new Phals to make sure the moss isn't too tight. Many come with really compacted moss and a lot of people don't do well with that. Good luck and if moss is working well for you and your growing environment then you don't have to change to a different medium.

[Bill U.]

Thank you all for your help! I am going to keep them growing how they are and hopefully everything goes well! If not, then I know where I am coming for help!

[CR7cristiano]

Here is my issue with buying an orchid which is potted in moss; you can never know how long or when it was potted in that medium, hence it is difficult to avoid root rotting sometimes when the moss starts to break down. It is absolutely recommended that you repot any orchid that you just purchase especially in spag moss so you can see the current state of the root system before adding it to your collection and letting it settle.

Good Luck!

[Bill U.]

These have all been awesome replies, but now I have thought of another question for the Forum:

I have the 3 phals that are all currently being fertilized with a 30-10-10 fertilizer (miracle gro).

I have been doing reading on this forum and realized that I may be giving them too much nitrogen because they are all potted in sphag instead of in a bark (especially fir, which requires more nitrogen). Other places on the forum have posted that Grow More 20-20-20 (yellow) and Orchid Plus 20-14-13 are other fertilizers that would work.

Should I change from my current fertilizer to one of the others? Is one better than the other?

Sincerely,
newer phal grower that is seriously confused on what kinda of fertilizer to use...