Phal Repotting- Sphag or Bark?

[Cerey]

I bought a phal about 2 months ago, and of course, it was in full sphagnum moss. It's still in flower, so I won't be repotting soon, but I noticed that the roots are starting to get a bit soggy. I was wondering what type of media do you guys suggest I use. Should I buy new sphag and use that, or should I buy a type of bark media? Or should I mix both together? Should I repot in the same pot or buy a slightly bigger one? I know there are many posts out there about repotting but I just want to know what works best for you guys, especially regarding the transition from sphag to bark.
One last question, should I wait for the plant to finish blooming? Or should I save the roots already and repot? It still has one last bud waiting to open.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you

[Bud]

I have repotted phals in bloom before...especially you are worried about the roots getting soggy...it really needs a special person to grow phals on sphag moss...and time its watering and feeding...
but I am not one fan of moss.
I would use the same pot using large bark or coco chips, lava rocks, charcoal and hydroton(I go online and order it from RepotMe.com they allow me to mix my own media)
go research on a good phal culture that will work for you and in your zone, find a correct regimen to follow and stick to it
oh next time: pictures will be a great help to acurately advice you

[Cerey]

I have done research and most places suggest sphagnum moss for the fact that it retains water, so I wouldn't have to water that often. They state that roots grow healthiest in sphag. But then others say that sphag doesn't last too long and eventually rots the roots. Is it a matter of preference or is one really better than the other?

And here are the pictures of the roots.

[silken]

The problem is, there is no perfect answer for everyone. It depends on your location and conditions and how often you water. Most people find sphagnum by itself holds too much water for too long. The roots on your plant look pretty good but I do see some rot starting. There is a thread here http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html that covers a lot of info on growing Phals and the related problems.

Many people find the moss too wet and a wet ball of it in the centre under the crown that never gets to dry out when their plants are brought home from the store. The first thing I do is slide it from the pot and remove about half of the moss, including the stuff in the very middle. If it has a long, hard to handle spike, I might slide it back in the pot with much less moss so the roots can breathe and dry out faster. Otherwise I re-pot with fresh moss and some bark chunks. Mine seem to do well like that but other people feel any moss is a problem and go with bark or coco chunks etc.

If you consider that phals cling to trees in nature and get air and dry out quickly, then you can sort of imagine how they should be potted.

I should add that phals don't really suffer at all if they are re-potted while in bloom. It is better to save the roots because if the roots rot, the plant will die and that will be the last time it ever blooms. Hope that helps.

[Bud]

Not a matter of preference but a matter of skill and knowhow. I don't know how to time my watering on sphagnum, whereas if I see the bark dry it's time to water...it takes somebody to have good experience with sphagnum to use it well as a medium...ask yourself: will you have the confidence to grow that Phal in sphagnum ? If you're lazy to water...have your Phal in S/H method...

[camille1585]

It's not necessarily down to only experience when using sphanum, it's also the climate.

People who live in hot dry climates are going to have an easier time with it because it's going to dy out fast, eliminating most of the issues the rest of us have with it.
I like sphag, but only for plants in small pots because it will dry out quickly and evenly.

[Kelo]

I am not a good sphag keeper so I re-pot at once if I receive a plant - except my neos - grown in sphag. I believe it has to be totally dry before watering otherwise it ends up green and sets like cement. I would venture to suggest that your roots are entering the first stage of developing rot since they are turning green.

[camille1585]

How do you manage with the Neos? Back when I had some I kept them in traditional sphag mounds with a hollow core, and I was still having trouble with them. I think that if I still had them they would have moved to bark at some point.

[Kelo]

I allow the sphag to become bone dry before watering. The tiny neos I have dry out on a daily basis long before sunset. The larger ones get watered, depending on how dry they are, every second day. I think over-watering neos is the prime cause of losing them.

[Eyebabe]

Lots of tricks to being successful with Sphag and thus many find bark easier; especially if you water frequently.

Your sphag is way too soaked! You are over watering

Gently remove the sphag around your roots and trim any soggy flat or brown roots.
You have lots of healthy plump green ones.

To prepare your sphag...use a high grade material like New Zealand Sphag which probably will last one year.
Soak it in a solution with some fertilizer or root stimulant like KLN and then wring it out very firmly so it is more damp than wet.
I prefer some medium perilite in my sphag to create air pockets but that is my preference.
Pack the new sphag in firmly and repot.
Leave about 1/2-3/4 inch from the top of the media to the top of the pot.
I like a clear plastic pot so I can see the roots and the roots can also photosynthesize.

Now the key is to only water like Kelo said when the top is almost bone dry...when you pinch the top sphag and it begins to crinkle between your fingers.
When you water, you only fill the 1/2 inch space from the top of the media to the top of the pot.
That's it!
Let the water soak in and don't water again until it is almost bone dry.

Never soak a plant potted in sphag like it is recommended with bark.

Sphag will hold humidity better than bark and if you don't overwater the plant, it will do great.

Another trick: If your plant is pretty large the sphag may inadvertently still hold too much water. So take some styrofoam peanuts and stuff them in/around the bottom core of the plant. This will prevent the "crown rot from the bottom up" syndrome.

Sphag is a nice low maintenance potting material for phals and that is why most of the phals you get are potted in it.
The problem is that many of us are high maintenance people

Good luck!