White stuff on bark

[scy]

I went to my local Home Depot with my sister, because she wanted to see their orchid selection. I really wasn't expecting much, since the selection is usually white, purple and the fake blue phals super packed with sphagnum moss. I wasn't planning on getting anything, because a) I just bought myself 2 orchids online last week, b) anything I get in sphag dies (even when I repot it in bark or try to leave it in sphag), c) i had 2 phals previously and both died.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when we showed up and did not find any white phals. We saw 2 purples and the rest were yellow with purple lips, orange/pink, white with purple spots, white with purple veins! Sure enough I was holding 3 orchids saying, "OMG! Which one do I get??? If only I could get all 3!"

I put it in front of my east facing deck door. I did not know if it had any issues, so I did not want to put it near my other orchids for fear of spreading potential bugs or other issues. I think it looks great - leaves are a nice deep green, roots are nice and green, it's in a plastic pot with drainage holes. It even came with a beautiful pink plastic pot. I drilled my own holes at the bottom and center! I did not unpot it yet since it was late and plan on unpotting tomorrow to check for pests.

My questions:
1. I would like to know if I need to replace the bark since there are white stains on it. Is it salt deposits? I normally repot all my orchids just to be safe in terms of medium.
2. Would replacing the medium cause the blooms and buds to drop? I would be replacing the bark with orchiata bark.
3. What can I use to clean off the leaves? I normally would use rubbing alcohol. That's also my way of checking for mites / scale. Is that ok for phals?
4. Is there any other advice you can suggest for helping my phal transition to my home better?

Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
-Susan

[Gage]

The white spots on the bark are mineral deposits, probably from the water but could be from fertilizer. That amount isn't a big deal. Just water thoroughly when you water to flush the media well.

p.s. The third picture is showing condensation on the inside of the pot.

[scy]

Originally Posted by Gage

The white spots on the bark are mineral deposits, probably from the water but could be from fertilizer. That amount isn't a big deal. Just water thoroughly when you water to flush the media well.

p.s. The third picture is showing condensation on the inside of the pot.

I noticed that too. Does this mean I should not unpot and repot it?

[Gage]

I see no reason to repot at this point, but people repot for many different reasons. If you're comfortable with how it is potted then leave it be. But if you would rather it be potted differently, phals are not usually bothered or disrupted by a repot, even while in bloom.

[Dendy83]

Very nice! I actually went to Home Depot after a WHOLE DAY of driving around the nursery's around town and not finding any orchids at all. Most of them said that they were just too hard to sell once the blooms fell off. Anyways, I bought almost that exact same orchid at mine, the sales guy said to grab any yellow/purple ones I can so I did. I am jealous about how yours are potted, mine was in the typical super packed sphagnum moss and currently the last of my blooms are about to fall off.

Anyways, nice find, and I'm sure with almost any orchid there will be some shock adjusting to your climate. Good luck!