Should sphagnum moss be replaced annually? - Page 2 - Orchid Board

isurus79 · #11 06-27-2012, 11:14 PM

Honestly, I would repot it now. You've already disturbed the roots and you might as well shock it all the way now rather than now and again in the future. Repotting in bark is good, but in the future if you want to use spag, just be sure to purchase the long fiber stuff from New Zealand. It is of the highest quality spag and needs to be repotted less often. You might also want to consider using coir (coconut husk chips) instead of bark. It holds more water than bark, but not as much as spag and might be a good 'in between' media so as not to shock the current root system quite as much.

If you are seeing shriveling of the leaves and weak root system, you might want to consider chopping off the flower spike to save the plant. Flowers are VERY energy intensive and Phals are well know to flower themselves to death if the roots are bad. Can we see some pics of the leaves and roots if you repot? That will help with any future advice. Good luck!

cythaenopsis · #12 06-28-2012, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msaar

If you water a phal in sphagnum as often as you do for your other orchids, you can be overwatering severely. A 4" pot likely needs watering once every two weeks, and one in a 6" pot once in 3 weeks. You can't judge when to water by the top of the medium.

I figured that if there wasn't sufficient water, that the leaves would start to show shriveling and that blooms wouldn't last very long. I'd do a "deep dunk" watering about every 3 weeks and then do a "misting" or just a quick pour of some enriched water over the top about every 5 days or so. I did not find any moss rotting when I extracted it, nor any patchy mold/algae. The moss level never crept down from watering over the past year of ownership, so it must have been tightly packed from the beginning.

Quote:

Originally Posted by isurus79

Honestly, I would repot it now. You've already disturbed the roots and you might as well shock it all the way now rather than now and again in the future. Repotting in bark is good, but in the future if you want to use spag, just be sure to purchase the long fiber stuff from New Zealand. It is of the highest quality spag and needs to be repotted less often. You might also want to consider using coir (coconut husk chips) instead of bark. It holds more water than bark, but not as much as spag and might be a good 'in between' media so as not to shock the current root system quite as much.

I'd gotten some good quality sphag that is long fiber, but I was reticent to use bark for the very reason you cited, that it won't hold moisture nearly as long. Thanks for the coconut husk chip suggestion, as that does sound like a happy in-between. Maybe with a shallow layer of moss over the top to help keep moisture from evaporating, while the coconut chips provide sufficient drainage and aeration for the roots is a good way to go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by isurus79

If you are seeing shriveling of the leaves and weak root system, you might want to consider chopping off the flower spike to save the plant. Flowers are VERY energy intensive and Phals are well know to flower themselves to death if the roots are bad. Can we see some pics of the leaves and roots if you repot? That will help with any future advice. Good luck!

I see what you mean. If the plant is stressed, flowering is kind of a last ditch attempt at germination so that it can spawn a baby that then might have a better chance to grow healthy?

One mistake I made with this phal is that after the first bloom, I pruned only a little of the stem. As a result, the new spikes grew from them and went rather long, creating a peculiar display that probably taxed the plant (much more distance to travel to deliver nutrients to the flowers). I will take photos to show this before I prune it. Several flowers stopped short of fully blooming and there are still a couple hanging on... I'll do what you say and cut back on all of them except for the couple closest to the main stem that I'd like to enjoy for a little longer. Thanks again for your advice!

cythaenopsis · #13 06-29-2012, 06:11 PM

Here's what the spikes/stems and blooms look like at the moment (before pruning):

Long way for nutrients to travel, that's for sure!

Here's a couple of leaf shots:

They've been like this for almost two months. I don't know if they can recover, but there's signs of a new leaf emerging.

I had already repotted it with fresh moss and less densely packed before I had my camera ready... but the condition was pretty much as described.

RosieC · #14 06-29-2012, 06:39 PM

Personally I would remove the spikes, to let the plant gain strength.

The leaves might not recover and always be somewhat creased, although they may smooth out slightly. But as it recovers new leaves should be OK, and the older leaves will still do their job (photosynthesising and producing energy). Just leave them until the plant chooses to drop them.

cythaenopsis · #15 07-02-2012, 05:09 PM

Thanks, Rosie. I pruned all of the spikes and left just one for another week or two, at which point I'll prune that one as well.