should I replant my Phal?

[lament]

Hi, I'm a total beginner with a Phal question. I have a NOID Phal that I got in bloom as a gift last year. It's my only orchid. It just finished a second blooming and overall seems healthy. It's growing in moss in a terracotta pot. I have never replanted it or seen what the roots look like. I'm afraid to tinker with it since it seems to be doing fine on its own.

Should I leave it in moss or risk replanting it in bark? Also, it has two long, thin aerial roots - six inches long and almost as tall as the flower spike. Do I have to put up with these for the rest of the plant's existence? They look kinda... creepy. Could this indicate some problem with the roots in the moss?

(I did read the whole Phal sticky thread... which is where I got moss=bad from.)

[calypsoB]

I would say now is a good time to check out the roots. I am a firm believer of re-potting as soon as I get them since I am prone to getting root rot. Moss is also an interesting thing, I used to hate it but then I moved to a sunnier area and it is better for my orchids than the bark. So, moss isn't always bad. Different things work for different people and areas.

[Bud]

the aerial roots happen because there is moisture in the air ...and the tip of the roots follow the moisture... if the moisture is in the moss they will go inside the pot...but the roots are following their instincts...
your pot is big for your plant: in fact you will have to repot in a year by the looks of it...
just find the best watering regimen for your plant in moss... you also have the option to repot in bark or any media you want, any time you feel like it...since the roots are still growing
and weekly weakly fertilizer.

[silken]

I too re-pot the day I get them, in bloom or not. The fact that its in a terracotta pot likely helped prevent root rot. I have read that if they produce a lot of aerial roots it can be that they don't like the potting media so have nowhere else to go. Not sure if that's true. I would check the roots and consider re-potting if I were you. I use a mix of moss and bark chunks and my phals are all happy campers with tons of roots. Sometimes if you make a drastic change (all moss to all bark) it can be too hard on the plant to adjust. Also terracotta breathes and the media will dry faster than in a plastic pot. I like clear plastic so I can see how the roots are. Everyone's growing conditions are different so you have to adjust to what works for you. However its good to re-pot every year or two anyways so its likely time to see what's happening in there!

[Daethen]

I would say yes, repot. It is time to see what is going on inside the pot. I like using terra cotta. It does breath and it also stays moist for a while providing humidity. I like moss on my smaller phals and a mix of that and bark for my larger ones. You evidently have a lucky knack with watering in moss as your plant is still alive and rebloomed, so don't be afraid of it. A first time repot can be scary, but it is really no big deal. You are doing great with it so far. If you don't like the aerial roots, soak the roots for half an hour or so before putting it into the new pot to make them pliable and gently direct them into the pot.

[tucker85]

Phals do not mind being repotted. If the roots in the pot look good, that would mean that you watering habits work well for sphagnum in a clay pot and you may want to continue to use it. If the roots are black and rotting you could switch to bark or a bark and sphagnum mixture. As far as the aerial roots, the longer you grow orchids the more you'll grow to appreciate roots. If you go to an orchid show you'll see plants with roots all over the place. Those aerial roots you have are the newest and healthiest roots on the plant. Personally I would not remove them, although it won't kill the plant to do it. Good luck.

[Paul Mc]

I actually love the look of the aerial roots - it's almost "edward scissorhands" like, lol... Honestly, it's just part of what it does. The roots constantly seek out new/better sources of moisture and nutrients. That's how they grow in nature, although as a side note, in nature the actual plant hangs vertical to up-side-down and those aerial roots would typically be headed to the branch to attach themselves as opposed to through the leaves.

As others have said, moss is not a bad thing. However, if you decide to continue using moss then you need to be sure you get high quality/rated moss and change it once a year. The lower the quality and over a year's time your moss will become more and more acidic, an environment your orchid will not want to live in. When working with bark mixes (which you can chop up some pieces of sphag moss and put in there by the way to help transition your phal to bark - or as an alternative to all moss or all bark), you will need to change the medium about every 2 years or when you see it starting to break down.

With sphag, depending upon your environment, you will be watering less often (unless it's extremely dry and hot in your area), and with bark you would be watering more often. Example, I have one in sphag moss that I water maybe every week, but those in bark mixes require twice a week if not more during the hotter months.

Hope that was helpful...

[tucker85]

Phals do not mind being repotted. If the roots in the pot look good, that would mean that you watering habits work well for sphagnum in a clay pot and you may want to continue to use it. If the roots are black and rotting you could switch to bark or a bark and sphagnum mixture. As far as the aerial roots, the longer you grow orchids the more you'll grow to appreciate roots. If you go to an orchid show you'll see plants with roots all over the place. Those aerial roots you have are the newest and healthiest roots on the plant. Personally I would not remove them, although it won't kill the plant to do it. Good luck.

[Merlyn]

I also use sphagnum moss and mix it with bark or leca for larger pots. Aerial roots should not be cut because in nature ALL roots are aerial. When repotting I gently put the ones I can, without breaking, back into the media in the pot. If they're too long I don't.