Just dropped my new Phal. Baldan's Kaleidoscope 'Golden Treasure'

[MittenOrchidLove]

New orchid lover here!

I purchased a Phal. Baldan's Kaleidoscope 'Golden Treasure' last week at the Atlanta Orchid Society Show. Managed to get it (in bud) back to Michigan in one piece without bud blast.

I had it perched on my overhead storage at work (approximately 24" from the lights). Just now someone slammed the door across the hall from my cube, and the orchid came tumbling down, falling approximately 5 feet.

There are no breaks to the spike, and no visible bud damage. I do have one leaf that's looking rough, but had bruising when I purchased it.

The potting medium spilled all over my cubicle floor, and all that remains is some foam peanuts.

The plant was off-balance to begin with, so I had planned on re potting after it went out of bloom, but I'm now faced with a bit of an emergency situation.

Because I am in a cubicle, I'm thinking my best bet may be to report in a hanging basket. It's currently in a 4" transplant/greenhouse pot.

I've ordered some orchid medium from Amazon (with overnight shipping). Will the orchid be alright until tomorrow afternoon when the potting medium arrives, or should I plan on running out on my lunch break to get something?

Again, I'm a total newbie, so any advice on basket size (or if a basket is not appropriate, a sturdy pot that can hold up to the "abuse" of doors slamming nearby) medium, repotting tips, etc are greatly appreciated.

[silken]

So sorry about the fall. I've had that happen more than once. If you just set the orchid back in it's pot until your potting media arrives, it should be fine. A hanging basket would be fine, but Phals and many other orchids like to be almost pot bound. So use a container that is only big enough to contain the roots and not a lot bigger. It should also have very good drainage and air holes. If you can't find a suitable basket, you could use a plastic pot (I like clear ones) and then put the pot in an ornamental ceramic pot. There are those nice 'orchid' pots with the big holes in different shapes cut out. Home Depot has them and they aren't very expensive. they have a base attached and are very stable. Never let the orchid stand in water in a 2nd pot tho. I usually repot a Phal as soon as I get it even if in bloom and I don't lose blooms or buds too often. They are usually in soaking wet moss that would kill it before its finished blooming so I take the chance with the blooms. Good luck.

[MittenOrchidLove]

Originally Posted by silken

So sorry about the fall. I've had that happen more than once. If you just set the orchid back in it's pot until your potting media arrives, it should be fine. A hanging basket would be fine, but Phals and many other orchids like to be almost pot bound. So use a container that is only big enough to contain the roots and not a lot bigger. It should also have very good drainage and air holes. If you can't find a suitable basket, you could use a plastic pot (I like clear ones) and then put the pot in an ornamental ceramic pot. There are those nice 'orchid' pots with the big holes in different shapes cut out. Home Depot has them and they aren't very expensive. they have a base attached and are very stable. Never let the orchid stand in water in a 2nd pot tho. I usually repot a Phal as soon as I get it even if in bloom and I don't lose blooms or buds too often. They are usually in soaking wet moss that would kill it before its finished blooming so I take the chance with the blooms. Good luck.

Thank you! I was lucky to buy this beauty at a show by someone who knew what they were doing, so no moss or root rot.

Would one of those baskets you find at the hardware store that's lined with coconut fibre work well? If I go that route, would I need to line the bottom with drainage blocks (such as foam peanuts/terra cotta pieces) before adding the orchid potting medium or will the coconut be enough?

[silken]

I've never used one for an orchid, but I would likely put a bit of something chunky in the bottom. Phals (and many orchids) grow on trees so their roots get lots of air and sunlight (why I like clear pots) and when they get rained on, the breezes dry the roots quickly. So this is what you are trying to approach for the culture. Of course we can't all mount our plants on trees and water them every day so we use pots and baskets for our convenience and still try and keep the plants happy. I'm not sure you can find a basket like that small enough for a Phal. they really do best when kept in a small container.

[Orchidgirl83]

Another idea is you could pot the orchid back into the pot it came in if it did not break. Then you could set that pot inside of the coconut planter.