Rank beginner - advice on next steps with a phalenopsis?

[Blackbyrde]

Hello,

I am very new to orchids. I've only had a couple of hardware/grocery store phalenopsis, which I killed within a year. I have a new phalenopsis (again from the grocery store, one of the ones that comes with a plastic shotglass). I would like very much to keep this one healthy if it's possible, so I was hoping that if I posted some pictures here someone would be able to tell me what I can do to keep it going.

It just dropped the last of its blooms. I understand I should cut the flower spike about an inch from the base and dust it with cinnamon. Is that right? And do the roots look okay? It is putting out lots of little aerial roots, so I peeked at the roots that are down in the medium. They look a little grey, and there are more of them on one side than the other. There are also a couple of spots where they are peeking up at the top and they look a little brown. Overall I think it has the potential to be a healthy plant, but I really am afraid I will ruin it! I would very much appreciate any advice you could give me on the next steps to take with this one!

Thanks so much!

[james mickelso]

This plant is in really good condition for a store bought plant. I would venture to say that the reason you killed all the others was overwatering. This plant is in a bark media which is good. But.... and here is the caveat....it may have a small plug of sphagnum moss inside at the core of the roots. Everyone here will tell you to repot it because that has been the norm. But without any prior knowledge on potting you might be a little timid. Understandable. If you read through the last bunch of posts here you will run across a picture expose' on repotting a potbound phal. If you want to learn to repot, and it is easier than going to the fridge for a beer, just let us know. The next best thing you can do for this orchid is to learn to water it correctly. Phals are naturally an epiphyte. That means they live on tree branches and tree limbs and have no soil to grow in. They just cling to the surface of the tree with their roots exposed to the elements. So.... you can see that they like to be watered and then allowed to dry out. They also store water/starches/sugars in their leaves as opposed to most other orchids like cattleyas and cymbidiums. You want to water them with good water like distilled or the water you get at the store for drinking. I'm not sure where you live and don't know the quality of your tap water. Orchids get rain water in the wild and so have not become used to water that is high in dissolved solids or salts. Here's how to water. Put the plant, pot and all, inside another slightly larger pan and fill it with water to the rim. Let it sit for a minute, and then take it out and let it drain. That's it for at least a week. If it is hot where you live, do this every 7 days. If it is cooler than say 75*f then every ten days. And read the post above at the beginning of this thread that says, "The phal abuse stops here". Great info in it. Good luck.

[Dendy83]

Well those new roots look extremely healthy! Now that the blooms have fallen off now would be a good time to unpot it and take a look at the middle of the roots to make sure none are rotted and to trim off any black/mushy ones.

[AnonYMouse]

Looks good.

It might be a good time to take a look in the pot (look for that sphag plug James mentioned) and evaluate/replace the media. Trim away any dried up-twiggy aerial roots and mushy under-media roots.

Think of it as a spa day for the orchid.

[Blackbyrde]

Thanks so much guys - James, I really appreciate the detailed answer, thank you so much for being so kind to a newbie! I am certainly game to give repotting a try, but I will be moving soon - is it better to repot before the move, or give the plant a chance to adjust afterward and then repot? I'm hoping that if I can keep this one going I will have the nerve to look into getting more, so I want to learn as much as I can. Orchids sure are addictive!

[Discus]

Phals are pretty tough - now it's done flowering, it's likely to put energy into sending out new leaf(ves) and roots, so that makes it a good time to repot; I wouldn't stress too much about an "acclimation" period.

While The Phal Abuse Ends Here is packed with information, it's pretty intimidating; I wrote this article on my blog to help beginner phal keepers:
Orchids on a Balcony: How to grow Phalaenopsis - an orchid blog "meme"?

Hope it helps, and best of luck!