Need Phalaenopsis help please...

[ambykay]

This is my first post and my first experience with Orchids.

I am located in NE Arkansas and was introduced to Orchids two weeks ago while in Fl, with my Nana.

When I got home I got a mini phal at home depot. It was in full bloom and is dropping one bloom but the leaves look good so I'm assuming it is ok.
Today I was at Kroger and saw two large phals that were on clearance for 1.99. Of course I had to take them home. They were in tiny pots for their size. No holes like I have seen on the websites so I got a few slotted plastic pots and two new clay orchid pots. The first plant has two spikes each with one large bloom, the leaves have some physical damage (breaks and tears) but are a decent color. The other has as single spike with two large blooms and has very large very droopy leaves. The second plant was overgrown over the top of the planter it was in. So I took them home and repotted them. Their current medium was a bark mix in good shape so I mixed in some spaghnum peat moss (I thought it was the same as spaghnum moss (bad mistake)) and I repotted them in the larger plastic planters that I set in their clay pots. The first plant had some decent looking roots but the second had alot of rotted roots. The spikes on both large phals are brown and the spikes on my mini are green.

All three are set in an eastern window behind curtains and blinds so as to be out of direct sun. Their clay pots are on clay saucers that are set on plastic saucers with a small layer of water to keep it more humid around the plants without letting the roots sit in water.

I'm sorry for the long post, but I'm afraid I may have just killed these two large orchids and I'm hoping it might be possible to save them.

Any advice is appreciated because I am such a newbie.

Thanks,
Amby

[silken]

It sounds like you did fairly well with them. I'm not sure how peat moss will work for them tho. The pots shouldn't be much larger than just what will hold the roots. Otherwise they won't dry out fast enough and root rot will occur. You'll have to judge for yourself, but the peat moss may hold too much moisture. Phals don't like to dry out completely or for very long, but they can't sit in soaking wet media either. If the moss is not holding too much water and your new pots aren't too large, I would just make sure they don't get too much sun until they recover. You could mist them a bit in the mornings to help them absorb moisture, but be very careful not to let water run down into the crowns as they rot easily if you do.

Otherwise you did pretty good from the sounds of it. If you are still unsure, you could post a picture of the plants in their pots, or roots if you took any pics while potting or have clear pots.

[ambykay]

I have a few pictures that I took today before repotting.
https://mail.google.com/a/smail.asta...disp=inline&zw

Ok there has to be a better way to post pictures.

[ambykay]

https://mail.google.com/a/smail.asta...disp=inline&zw

https://mail.google.com/a/smail.asta...disp=inline&zw

https://mail.google.com/a/smail.asta...disp=inline&zw

https://mail.google.com/a/smail.asta...disp=inline&zw

[silken]

Sorry, it says I need a password to Univ. of Arkansas. Click the 'Go Advanced' button then find the 'manage attachments' button. It opens a small window where you browse for your photos on your computer. They should be fairly small and it gives sizes. Then press the upload button

[ambykay]

Here they are:

[ambykay]

Mini phal

[ambykay]

Roots and Leaves:

[ambykay]

Blooms and spikes:

[ambykay]

repotting