How healthy is my Phalaenopsis?

[PaxTea]

Hello everybody! I got my first orchid as a gift a few weeks ago (on Valentine's Day) and I'm both thrilled to have it, and terrified that I'm going to kill it.

Origin: It came from a local co-op, and I've tracked down the (also local) greenhouse it came from, so I might be able to get a full name for it eventually. Right now all I know is that it's a Phalaenopsis.

Culture: It's in a clear plastic pot with drainage holes in the bottom. The potting mixture appears to be mostly moss with some bark mixed in. Right now it is sitting on a metal shelf in front of a west-facing bay window. The window has slatted blinds. I would guess that the apartment has been 68-70 during the day and around 65 at night. I have watered the orchid three times: twice with ice cubes, and then a few days ago I took it to the sink and gave it a drenching. I keep a little desk fan nearby for some airflow.

Condition: It's in bloom right now with seven flowers and a bud that I think is probably blasted. The stem is a dark green/black and looks dry. The leaves are plump, and one of them is perky, but one of them is flopped over and had a break on it when I bought the plant. I can see some brown around the edges, and some reddish coloring near the crown.

At least one of the surface roots is looking withered and probably dead. The lower roots look like sauteed green-beans: plump, green, and some sad dark spots that I hope aren't rot. It's also putting out a new root.

Question: So, you guys... how does it look? Should I leave it alone until it's done blooming? Should I prune the roots and then re-pot it?

I am death to plants. I am afraid this poor Phal is not long for the world!

[SlipperGirl]

NOOO! dont use ice that will kill you plant!
you want to use room temp water rain or distilled is best, and make sure it dries out in between waterings

I think you should move it to a east window.

Other then that it looks good.

[PaxTea]

Yeah, I figured that out! (Oops!) That's why I stopped doing that. No more ice for this orchid, don't worry.

Sadly I don't have any east facing windows. I'm on the west side of an apartment building. Is there something else I can do instead?

[quiltergal]

It's starting new root growth, so now would be the ideal time to repot. The leaf damaged is just mechanical so nothing to worry about.

Ice is not the ideal way to water. Phals are warm growers so ice water on their roots is not the best way to make them happy.

[SlipperGirl]

Originally Posted by PaxTea

Yeah, I figured that out! (Oops!) That's why I stopped doing that. No more ice for this orchid, don't worry.

Sadly I don't have any east facing windows. I'm on the west side of an apartment building. Is there something else I can do instead?

well you could put it by a shaded south window but I am guessing you dont have that so I would put it under lights. you could put it under some 40 watt lights or you can get a big light set from first rays.

[PaxTea]

Okay, cool. I only have west-facing windows, although it is technically in the south-west corner of the bay, so that might help a bit.

I will look into boosting the light with a lamp, thank you for the suggestion.

[The Orchid Kid]

Look similar to mine which I guessed as Phal. 'Purple Valley'. Your bloom looks lush!

I would be careful with watering as the moss can retain too much sometimes, esp in the centre. If you can get that balanced for now, then I would leave as is till the blooms fade then repot in something more free draining. It will also give it chance for the roots to fill the pot. If they don't by the time you are ready to repot it could arguably go in a smaller pot for a year or so.

Look in good shape to me at moment.

[PaxTea]

When I re-pot it, I'm planning to use Espoma Organic Orchid Mix. It's supposedly a mix of fir bark, perlite, and charcoal. The fir bark makes up about 65% of it.

Should I stick with a pot that is the same size, or look for a different one?

EDIT: It looks like my question was answered before I even asked it.

Thank you for the compliment! I also think the blooms are quite pretty. They move between pink and purple depending on the light.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If you can peel away the moss and see what is growing underneath all that moss, you can find out real quick if it really is ok or not.

The roots that are exposed to the air are kinda dry, but that's kinda expected.

It is growing some new roots, so that's always good.

The leaf damage will not hinder the plant at all.

The terminal bud rarely blooms. Most of the times they do blast, but that's normal.

If you wanna check out some other info on Phals, you can check out the sticky "The Phal abuse ends here." in the "Beginner Discussion" section of the OB.

Your temperatures are fine.

It does not appear to have a virus infection, but I'm not going to say that with 90%, or even 100% certainty. For that, you'd need to order yourself a virus test kit, and find out.

As long as the potting mix does not have fine particles in it, then it's fine. Most Phals grow on trees in the wild. Other Phals grow on moist limestone cliffs.

[The Orchid Kid]

Phals prefer being a bit pot bound. I once asked a grower when to repot and he said "when it climbs out of the pot"! Meaning when the pot gets so congested with roots it starts forcing the crown up and out.

So I would see how the roots are when you take off the moss. I reckon you'll get away with a smaller pot, maybe 1cm down from the current one.

I have only a few years experience with orchids, but one thing I learnt is not to be scared of killing them, as you referred to. I don't believe they are inherently difficult plants to grow (at least not phals in particular). You have to know not to treat them like your standard houseplant (infact compared to some houseplants they need less fussing over!). Once you learn where and how they grow in the wild it all makes it much simpler.