New phal, no drainage, and other issues

[allyqat]

Hello! I have recently lost my first phal and my sweet boyfriend's family has got me another, and I have many questions. I am paranoid of harming this new beauty so I'm going to be patient and let you guys tell me how to proceed. It's a just add ice orchid, though I know that ice is typically a bad idea. I've got distilled water and bamboo chopsticks for checking medium moisture. Here I'm going to try to give as much information as I can to receive the best advice, so brace yourselves for what I hope is extensive, but not too extraneous

Ok, first, there is no visible drainage in the bottom of the pot. The medium is bark from what I can see. I have just read that it is advisable to let the plant adjust to new climates before repotting - I just got the plant yesterday. I haven't watered it yet. Should I repot now before letting it adjust to the new home? Before the blooms finish?

There is a white 'glazing' to some of the tops of the medium - I would guess deposits from water, or is it mold? Some roots that I can see are shriveled up and crispy looking, while some are blackening, and some others have a rusty tinge near the base of the plant. I discovered a bit of white dusty powder as well on some loose medium. There is also one root that seems to have disfigured bumps all along one side. Pretty sure that one is infected with something and needs to be cut off. Ideas what is causing any of these things?

Also, one leaf (that the stake was skewered through) is browning/yellowing at the tip. Some blooms are wilting (4), while others (9) seem to be normal. She's got about 4 buds left yet to open. She has some new, short roots growing.

I have neem oil to fight infections. Should I spray the roots now, before repotting? I imagine I should trim all the less than shiny roots when I do repot, and spray the cut ends with the neem oil. I've got new bark/perlite mix that I've microwaved to insure sterilization.

So! After that information overload, please let me know how to proceed. Should I keep her in low lighting until after adjustment/repot? The house is typically 72 plus or minus 3 degrees, humidity between 50 and 60%. Repot now? I've got bark soaking, just in case

Thank you in advance, and here's to many years of growth!

[flexdc]

First of all don't add ice, it's a scam!! I actually wrote the company. Not only it is a bad idea, it is an orchid killing method!
If no drainage, lift the entire orchid out of the container, and put it in a pot with drainage holes in it. Then depending on the medium, water it by giving the entire plant, leaves and roots a brief shower (2-3 min) in the kitchen sink, usually once a week will do. When you think it doesn't need water, it probably doesn't, leave it for a few more days.
I've had this kind of orchids gone without water for two weeks and it is still fine.
This is a very general guide line.
Good luck
Andrew

[shushu45]

Your orchid is very pretty.

Well I'm definitely no expert. From pic 5 there is a new root growing. So it must be happy in a way.
I have a just add ice orchid and they scurried a leaf on it as well.
If you think that the 'glazing' on the medium is mold I would take a pice of the medium that has a lot of the 'glazing' and pour H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) on the pice. If it bubbles then it most likely be a mold. A lot of fungus bubbles when exposed to H2O2.
As for the bumpy thing on the one root I don't know what that is. I think it is apart of the root and its normal. But like I said I'm not an expert.

[Dendy83]

I personally like to repot my plants as soon as I get them if I suspect any rot issues, but that is up to you. I'd say if you don't want to repot right away, do so in the next week so you can chop off the roots with rot. I've successful repotted without blooms falling off, just be careful with which roots to cut off and don't go "chop happy".

The leaf looks to me he's just at the end, the lower leaves falling off aren't unusual.

The blooms falling off may be normal. You don't know how long she's been sitting in the store and how she was treated there, so it may just be the end of the bloom cycle.

Once you repot in bark in a well-draining container just give it bright, indirect light, water when the plant tells you to water, and fertilize weakly. I like to fertilize once a month, but it's ok to fertilize weakly every week.

[MattWoelfsen]

Hello allyqat: The plant you have is in two pots. The outside pot has no holes, but the inner pot, a clear plastic pot, contains your plant. You can lift your plant out of the outer pot and check the roots. You might also find a lot of water inside. Whenever I get JAI plants, I always pull the plant out to see if it needs to drain, I usually have to drain the water. I add a layer of pebbles or bark to the outer pot so that the lip of the inner plastic pot is above the lip of the outer pot. That way, the next time you water, you can water just the plant in the inner pot. When you water, let the excess water drain into the sink. With the inner pot installed this way, you can easily check to see if the plant needs water=green shiny roots, no water. Or silver gray roots, means you need to water.

In the past, when I saw an orchid looking like yours, I always thought it was wilting because it needed water. Orchids are different, they sometimes wilt because they have too much water. From the look of your plant, it looks like it has too much water and needs to dry out. If this is the case, keep the plant in its inner pot out of its outer pot, put your plant in a bright, not direct sunlight, with good access to fresh, moving air--by an open window or a fan, until it dries out.

[james mickelso]

Your plant looks healthy. Nice roots. Those shriveled roots are not an issue and when you repot it they may put out new roots from them. Usually these need repotting because they went from a great environment in a growing house to the store where they were watered too much and left to sit with no ventilation or air movement. You can repot carefully with no detrimental effects to the flowers if you very carefully take it out of the pot and let the media just fall away. Luckily the phal is potted in a bark mix which makes it easier to repot. get some bark mix at the store or nursery. Pull the plant out as described and repot. Easy. The proper method to water is to por water around the top of the media without getting water into the crown of the plant. I prefer to just fill a bowl (in my case a 5 gal bucket) with water and a little fertilizer, and set the plant in that for 30 secs. Established roots on orchids are covered in a spongy material called velamin which soaks water immediately. No reason to let it sit any longer. Fertilize weakly (1/4 to 1/2 strength) at every watering with a soaking in clear water every 4th or 5th watering. Put the newly potted phal in a medium light with some air movement. An open window is fine. You can just use the same pot it came in as long as you wash it out with soap and water before you repot into it. When you have it out of the pot, cut off any blackened or mushy roots. I usually just cut them off with a clean new razor blade or very sharp knife flamed over the stove for a few seconds. The sharper the better so as to not injure the plant root anymore than necessary. That's all there is to it. As to watering, as flexdc said, they don't need as much watering as most people think. Weekly is just fine. Even if they feel really dry, it's not imperative to water them. Just damp is ok but never soaked. I let mine dry out to the point where when I lift the pot it feels paper light. Here's a quick few pics on how easy it is. And I didn't lose any flowers after I repotted the one on the last pic. These flowers are about a month old since repotting.

[james mickelso]

Also you don't need to spray it with anything. No neem oil no cinnamon. The plant looks very healthy. The dropping of flowers just means it's been in bloom for awhile and it's finished even if there are unopened flower buds. let it take it's natural course.

[JamesL]

James that was a great explanation and terrific picture tutorial..JamesL

[james mickelso]

Thanks. Pics are always better at explaining things.

[flexdc]

Btw has anyone ever sen Just add Ice a message that adding ice to orchids will kill them?
I think it is a travesty to lie like that. It is a marketing ploy for lazy people! And watering your plant under the kitchen sink is not that much trouble!
Andrew