Repotted orchids are shaky...

[ambykay]

I repotted my phals (from their nasty store media) in a mix of bark and perlite. They all seem really shaky now. This may be a stupid question, but what did I do wrong?
I have a few new ones that I need to get out of their wet moss but I'm afraid to repot them.

Also my sick phal dropped one leaf and a second one is turning yellow. Its other leave has a good color. This poor little plant had two tiny roots when I potted it. I'm not sure if it is dying or just trying to conserve energy.

Thanks for any advice.
AmbyKay

[WhiteRabbit]

With a couple fingers holding the plant in place, and other fingers firmly on the surface of the media, firmly tap the pot on the ground/counter/whatever surface you are using - several times. Also try firmly tapping the sides of pot with one hand, while you hold the pot in the other. This should help the media settle better, and you may find you can add more media and repeat the process.

Some plants will be a bit shaky in pots for a bit after repotting, til they get established in the pot - but in most cases, I can get plants quite secure in their pots by repeating the tapping down of the media.

If the plant has little, or no roots, it may not be possible to get them very secure in the pot. Try to avoid disturbing/jostling the plant, so it can hopefully get itself better established. Some people use clips to hold plants secure, or devise their own ways to accomplish it - stakes and wire.

Hope this helps some - gl

[fishmommy]

I find my plants shaky until the media is fully soaked the first time and the media packed down better.

[RobS]

If a plant has plenty of roots getting it stable is a matter of potting technique / experience. Make sure that not all the roots are together but they are spread out in the pot. Tapping indeed is a very efficient way to better distribute / compact the new media.

When there is a lack of roots it's more complex and sometimes you'll not succeed and just have the maintain the plant without disturbance untill new roots form. One of the reasons it's often advised to repot orchids only when new roots are forming. However several support tools can be used. Frequently I use rope to stablize plants by tying it around the rhizome and holes in the bottom of the container. Sticks / stacking can be usefull to. Interesting but I never used them myself are Rhizome Clips.

good luck

[silken]

I find masking tape that is about 1/2 inch wide to really help. I rip off a long piece and twist the centre a number of times so that the sticky side in the middle of the length of tape is covered up by twisting. That's the part that will be over the rhizome or the crown of the plant. Then I set it over the crown (or rhizome if its a catt type orchid) and make it taut by taping the sticky ends to either side of the pot. You can use another piece going crosswise or over another part of the rhizome. I find that this holds better than rhizome clips quite often and you just cut it off when no longer required. It's cheap and works for any size pot.

[scy]

I had to repot my phal due to root damage and encountered the same problem you did. It kept tipping over no matter how I repotted. I would agree with others to tamp it down and also to use your fingers to push some bark around the roots and gently tap down. I didn't have any rhizome clips handy, since I didn't realize this would be a problem until I was already repotting it.

For smaller pots, I use rubber bands to secure their orchid in place. For larger pots, I use floral wire and clear shipping tape to tape down the sides of the wire to the pot for reinforcement.

[peeweelovesbooks]

I use the following: you can find it at big box stores (i.e. home depot or lowes)

eHydroponics


I have a bird/wind/storm problem here in florida and all my newly repotted orchids are secured to the pot with this tape. it's been a godsend.