The Phal abuse ends here.

[gingersmommy]

Thanks, silken! After I posted, I went back and read about ten previous pages of posts, which covered a lot of what I was asking. I went to "repotme.com" and will purchase some clear, double pots, and some of their phal mix and then repot my orchids again. (I wish they 'Miracle Grow' wouldn't market 'orchid mix' that really is not a suitable medium!) Also, from reading everything, I think my orchids are getting too much light. I have them in a south window and it is very bright all day, sometimes sunny. I figured more was better (!). I will put the mini blinds down so that they get diffused light. Last question, assuming I do everything correctly, how long should it take to restore their roots and bring them back to optimum health? Love this board/thread!

[silken]

Originally Posted by gingersmommy

Thanks, silken! After I posted, I went back and read about ten previous pages of posts, which covered a lot of what I was asking. I went to "repotme.com" and will purchase some clear, double pots, and some of their phal mix and then repot my orchids again. (I wish they 'Miracle Grow' wouldn't market 'orchid mix' that really is not a suitable medium!) Also, from reading everything, I think my orchids are getting too much light. I have them in a south window and it is very bright all day, sometimes sunny. I figured more was better (!). I will put the mini blinds down so that they get diffused light. Last question, assuming I do everything correctly, how long should it take to restore their roots and bring them back to optimum health? Love this board/thread!

Phals can grow roots pretty quickly and even if they are short and on the surface to begin with, you could mist them to help them get moisture. Just don't get water in the crown of the leaves as crown rot can occur. They might respond quickly if you cut the light back as they were likely struggling to keep up with moisture. Bark doesn't retain lots of moisture until it is a bit aged and then still needs to be wetted well, so that's why I like a bit of moss. Some people don't like moss tho.

to stimulate root growth you can use products like KLN or SuperThrive which have rooting hormones or I am now a convert to using kelp (seaweed) which is wonderful and there is quite a bit of discussion on this board about that too. Hydroponics places carry it usually. You could soak the roots in that before re-potting and then use it in their water now and then.

[gingersmommy]

Thank you; I am encouraged. I will lower the light, get some new smaller pots, seaweed, medium, etc., repot and then wait for them to thrive. I love my phals and examine them thoroughly every day. I put them on my porch each fall for the temp. change and most of them spike every year. Last two years, however, I had to cut the spikes due to mealys (which was very depressing). Thankfully, I only have them in one room of plants. I had been trying to eradicate the mealys with alcohol and dish soap, but that never completely got rid of them. Just when I thought I had them under control, my plants would spike, I would hand pick off of the flowers, but eventually they would overtake the flowers completely. Should have used the Bayers a long time ago.

[Yanquister]

Need help with a Phal please! I tried to read all through the sticky and (unless I missed it, for which I deeply apologize), what in the world is happening to this leaf? This has been one of my happier plants and they have all given me year round blooms AND a priceless hobby (flowering spikes or not). The last couple of days I noticed this one had a withering leaf, and my water schedule (around every 8-10 days in this humid climate in south MS/LA area), but the leaf looks horrible! Has something gone wrong or is this natural? My others have never done this (yet), and as of now they have all been perfectly healthy and flowering on their own time (one phal after blooming four months miraculously showed up with two new spikes, and this one was considered one of my healthier ones! Please? Any advice to give this worried phal lover please?? (I've tried to attach a photo but I'm using my iPhone, please let me know if it doesn't work!)

Thanks so much guys, you and all your info/input is just a wealth of information that I read religiously!!!