The Phal abuse ends here.

[Wynn Dee13]

I agree with the above. The plant needs to be in a container with drainage holes. They sell the plants in those glass vases just for looks and most people that buy those toss the plant when it is done blooming. So if you want the plant to live long term repot into something with good drainage. Good luck!

[silken]

I agree too. These plants do need good drainage so use caution while it is still in this glass container. Ice is not the best way to water a tropical plant. room temp water is bwetter as the surface roots can suffer from cold damage with ice or cold water. With no drainage and air, it will not need a lot of water. Usually you would water and flush the pot well and then let it almost completely dry out before watering again. Another concern with no drainage is that fertilizer salts will build up and can't be flushed out. I always set my regular pot of blooming ones into a decorative pot which also helps stabilize them with their tall spike. Then take them out when they are done blooming.

[burz]

Does any one add beneficial, microbes/bacteria and enzymes to there media or water?

I use them in all my other plants in containers and in the outdoor garden and roots have been freakishly healthy and vigorous since I started using them.

It was mentioned earlier in this thread that phals are non-vascular which in turn makes me wonder if I would be wasting time by adding beneficials. But I was under the impression that I wont get the most out of organic fertilizers if I don't.

The enzyme product I use is called Sensizym and it helps with salt build up, breaking down unused nutrients and dead roots in the root zone turning them into available food.

I've use Sensizym in every container I have and have been satisfied with the way the roots look during re-potting.

I'm new to orchids and a little nervous. Seems that I shouldn't be scared to use them but I don't want them to be counter productive or just simply a waste of time.

[Tommyr]

Originally Posted by burz

Does any one add beneficial, microbes/bacteria and enzymes to there media or water?

The ONLY thing I may add to my water is "Mosquito dunks" (BT) if I have a fungus gnat issue. There is no need for any so called "additives" IMHO.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by burz

...It was mentioned earlier in this thread that phals are non-vascular...

Phals are monocotyledons. They are vascular plants.

Other monocots include plants in the genus Lilium (Lilies), and plants in the genus Allium (onions and garlic).


Monocotyledon = Mono + cotyledon

Mono = single/one

cotyledon = seed-leaf


The word monocotyledon is referring to the number of leaves that the embryo inside the seed has. As a developing embryo inside a seed, it only contains one leaf.


Vascular plants have what are called xylem and phloem, which is the plant equivalent of arteries and veins. They are a system of tubes that move water and nutrients throughout the plant. Monocots have xylem and phloem.



Non-vascular plants belong to the divisions Bryophyta (mosses), Anthocerophyta (hornworts), and Marchantiophyta (liverworts); plus algae (single celled and multicellular). They are non-vascular because they do not have xylem and phloem. Simplistically speaking, a large majority of them obtain and transport water and nutrients via diffusion through cell walls and cell membranes.

[dreamynights]

I recently bought an Phal orchid for my mother for Christmas from Trader Joes. I did a lot of research AFTER buying the orchid and found out that the potting mix/pot didn't seem suitable for an orchid!

The plant I bought was in a decorative pot (maybe plastic?) with NO holes! The potting medium is moss and I have been a little scared to water the plant. The first time my mother watered the plant, it was probably too much and since there was no drainage, she actually tilted the pot so that water can drain out from the top. I've been watering with about half to one cup of water and only twice so far in the month. I only water when the moss feels like it is almost completely dry.

In that month's time, the leaves looked healthy to me - no browning or yellow. There were white looking stains on the leaves when I first bought them but I just wiped the leaves and the stain is a lot less faint, no longer white just can see a little bit of glossiness at certain angles. Hopefully this isnt a virus/bacterial! Two flower buds have bloomed in that time but on the 3rd week, the old blooms have already started to fall off at a very fast rate. There were about a total of 6 blooms when I first bought it and already 3 have fallen off within a week. There are a couple buds left and seem to be still growing, but very slowly.

The temperature I keep my orchid feels a little cold but I believe it isnt lower than 60 degrees. I also move the orchid around at certain times of the day to get more light - I hope this doesnt stress it out too much.

Could any of the things I have done so far caused the plant to be too stressed out which caused so many blooms to fall? Or is it because of the moss and incorrect potting?

At first I was thinking of reblooming the orchid but now I think I should repot it instead when the blooms drop. I have checked some mediums at the store and only found Miracle Gro's orchid potting mix but it almost felt like soil so I think it would get too moist. Where can I find a good premix and what type of pots should I use? Recommendations and links appreciated. Thanks!

[The Orchid Boy]

Usually the phals are in a clear pot that is placed in a decorative pot with no holes. I LOVE to use straight sphag for all my phals. They are in clear pots with sphag and I don't water until the moss is crispy dry. Try Orchid Supplies from rePotme.com - Orchid Mix - Orchid Pots - Orchid Care - Orchid Fertilizer for all sorts of pots and media. Also check Lowes for bark and sphagnum.

The blooms probably fell off because of the stress of hoeing from a greenhouse, to a store, to your house. So probably not your fault.

Hope this helps!

[dreamynights]

Hello and thanks for the reply! I did notice that the ones at Home Depot had the clear pots. However, I bought one from Trader Joes cause it was cheaper but didn't realize that it was placed directly plain decorative pot with no holes!

But I am currently less worried now because my orchid is still growing. All the original 5 flowers has fallen off but the two that had bloomed since I bought it are still intact. The 3 remaining buds are still growing bigger as well. At the rate the flowers were falling off before, I thought all the flowers would be gone by now.

About the pots, I have been looking at those orchid pots with holes on the side. Im wondering if certain mediums go better with certain pots? Like would moss be better for orchid pots because it allows for more air in the moss? Also would you put the clear plastic pots into the orchid pots or is that weird because then there is no point to having holes on the sides of the orchid pots.

[gingersmommy]

Hi everyone,

I have 14 phals and a few other assorted orchids, however, phals are my favorite. I have been fighting mealy bugs with the orchids I have in one room. Finally got some Bayer's Rose spray and I think I have them licked. Because of the mealys, I recently repotted all of my orchids in new medium, sprayed the plants, microwaved the pots to make sterile and cleaned the area where I have them. I sprayed them again after a couple of weeks. I purchased Miracle Grow Orchid mix and was surprised to find that it is very similar to regular potting soil. (?) Is this okay? Prior to this, I had them in bark and would water them once a week, but I think they were too dry. When I repotted them, I was surprised to find that they didn't have very many good roots. Many of the roots were dry and flat. They are in a very bright window. I water them with quarter strenght fertilizer each watering, and first flush them with lots of plain water. I have them on a humidity tray and have a small fan on them during the day. Lastly, I have never gotten them to perform like when I purchased them, and I am pretty much confounded as to why. I have never had multiple spikes on one plant, etc. They really are my passion, but I don't know what I am doing wrong. FYI, we do keep our house pretty cold - 62 at night and 66 during the day, plus they are about a foot from a window. Can anyone help!?

[silken]

Originally Posted by dreamynights

About the pots, I have been looking at those orchid pots with holes on the side. Im wondering if certain mediums go better with certain pots? Like would moss be better for orchid pots because it allows for more air in the moss? Also would you put the clear plastic pots into the orchid pots or is that weird because then there is no point to having holes on the sides of the orchid pots.

Certain pots do work differently with different media as some breath or have more air holes than others. I put clear well drained pots in my ornamental pots when the plant is in bloom and I want to display it. That's when I use the 'orchid pots'. The holes in them still allow good aeration to the holes in the clear plastic pots. There was a recent thread here on someone using them alone for all their orchids and they are quite happy with them.

---------- Post added at 11:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 AM ----------

Originally Posted by gingersmommy

Hi everyone,

I have 14 phals and a few other assorted orchids, however, phals are my favorite. I have been fighting mealy bugs with the orchids I have in one room. Finally got some Bayer's Rose spray and I think I have them licked. Because of the mealys, I recently repotted all of my orchids in new medium, sprayed the plants, microwaved the pots to make sterile and cleaned the area where I have them. I sprayed them again after a couple of weeks. I purchased Miracle Grow Orchid mix and was surprised to find that it is very similar to regular potting soil. (?) Is this okay? Prior to this, I had them in bark and would water them once a week, but I think they were too dry. When I repotted them, I was surprised to find that they didn't have very many good roots. Many of the roots were dry and flat. They are in a very bright window. I water them with quarter strenght fertilizer each watering, and first flush them with lots of plain water. I have them on a humidity tray and have a small fan on them during the day. Lastly, I have never gotten them to perform like when I purchased them, and I am pretty much confounded as to why. I have never had multiple spikes on one plant, etc. They really are my passion, but I don't know what I am doing wrong. FYI, we do keep our house pretty cold - 62 at night and 66 during the day, plus they are about a foot from a window. Can anyone help!?

Many find that the fine Miracle Grow media is not suitable for orchids other than maybe a few that do grow in soil like conditions. This thread is a long one but there are many tips and info to be found if you skim thru it. If your bark chunks were too dry, you could try adding a bit of sphagnum moss in which would retain moisture better. also when you water, flush lots of water thru the pot or soak them in water for 20 mins and then drain well before placing back in their spot. If you use clear pots you can see when the roots turn silvery white which means they are dry and it is time to water. when they are green, they are still wet. It could be a little cool by the window at those temps for Phals. they are tropical plants that prefer fairly warm temps except for a few weeks in the fall when cool induces many of them to bloom. They are also not lovers of high light but more medium light levels. You may find they never perform as good as when it came from the store as in our homes it is nearly impossible to imitate the perfect growing conditions of a humid airy greenhouse where everything is formulated for maximum bloom. A spike once a year is acceptable and normal and some produce more blooms than others.