Phalaneopsis - new flowers wilting - Page 3 - Orchid Board

bluedevil · #21 03-13-2013, 08:21 AM

I pulled both of them out last night, I couldn't stand still. The one with "problems" in flowers had very healthy roots, not a single brown one, and has a LOT of roots. When I untangled them (gently, of course), I needed 2 sizes bigger pot because it wouldn't fit in 1 size bigger.
The other one I replanted in the same-sized put, but that one had some rotted roots in the center of the plant, not visible from the outside. I removed those, of course.
Why I did it mostly because I saw a green moss on one of them, on top of the bark, all the way up, so I presumed I overwatered it. Now I'll be more careful, but the 1st one didn't have the green moss, and I watered them always at the same time... go figure...
Anyways, I hope they'll appreciate this change. Eventually...

RosieC · #22 03-13-2013, 08:26 AM

Sounds like the roots good then

I've just edited your post to show the links as links correctly.

I used the button above editing the post which is a globe with a chain in front, then just typed in the link you had entered (overwriting the http:// as you don't want that).

The sort of link you used can't be used as images in the post as they are links to a website where the image is, rather than links to the image within that website. Some image hosting sites will have an option to provide you with the link you would need to show the image in the post, but I don't know if TinyPic does.

bluedevil · #23 03-13-2013, 08:28 AM

Thanx Rosie, I appreciate it!

RosieC · #24 03-13-2013, 08:33 AM

The roots do look quite good in the pictures

bluedevil · #25 03-14-2013, 05:40 AM

[off-topic] holy flower, Batman! I just checked Rosie's photos, it's incredible! [/off-topic]

So far so good, they doesn't seem to be getting worse. Those two blooms keep shrinking, but the 3rd one looks as good as before, so I guess the repotting didn't do them too much of a stress.

A question: I've read you're not surposed to water them until the bark is almost completely dry. How do I determine the state of dryness inside the pot? I can look & touch the top layer, but that one will always get dry first, even if the lower layers are still wet enough. Plus, the top one gets its daily share of water when I mist the leafs in the morning. So it's not quite a good measure to judge the whole pot by just the top layer. And I can't dig in, nor can i pull the plant out every time I want to see the situation.
So how do you do? I can tell a bit by observing the condensation on the walls of the pot, looking from outside, but since the pots aren't completely clear, I'm not so sure. They are see-through, but not like the old ones (completely transparent). They're more like semi-transparent, with sort of a "milky shading" on them - you can see what's touching the pot, but if something is not directly touching it, it's hard to see. Like looking through a mist.

camille1585 · #26 03-14-2013, 05:58 AM

Wooden skewers! Keep one in place in the pot and pull it out periodically. If it still feels damp, wait to water. The best test is to touch it to your cheek (skin is most sensitive), and if it still feels very cool, wait another day or so to water.
Try to put the skewer back in the same hole each time, to avoid damaging roots every time you put it back in the pot.

bluedevil · #27 03-14-2013, 06:52 AM

Skewer? English is not my native language, and this one I'm not sure off... Is that a small piece of wood, like that tiny things that fly off all around when chopping wood with axe?
[off-topic] wow, you too have some serious orchid collection! [/off-topic]

camille1585 · #28 03-14-2013, 07:00 AM

It's a thin stick of wood that normally you would put pieces of meat on, like for cooking on a barbeque. Otherwise you can use something like the wooden stakes that keep flower spikes unright.

bluedevil · #29 03-14-2013, 07:03 AM

Oh, I see. Good, good, I love the idea!
Prefferably, do I stick it in near the pot border, or more towards the center of the plant?

RosieC · #30 03-14-2013, 02:04 PM

Sticking the skewer further in is preferable in some ways because it's a better measure of dampness in the middle, but you obviously need to be careful of the roots. Always use the same hole so that if you do damage roots it's only in once place. A lot of orchid roots coil round the edge of the pot anyway so further in may be better for that reason too