Did I just kill my phal?

[kat.costamusic]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Do not put potting media on the stem of your Phal. When I use the word "stem", I'm actually referring to the Phal's true stem, which are where all the leaves are.

I'm not talking about the Phal's "flower spike".

Is this better??? I read on another site and watched a youtube video that said to cover the roots completely... by taking soil away from the bottom leaves, some of the roots are slightly exposed because of how they grew before i bought it.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Is that potting soil?

If it is potting soil, I highly recommend getting that orchid out of potting soil immediately.

They grow on trees, not in the ground. Phals are not terrestrial orchids.

I recommend looking at photos of them growing in the wild.

I highly recommend using medium to large grade bark instead of this fine mix you have.

You can also have more of the potting mix removed from the stem.

In the wild, the orchid's roots are constantly exposed to very humid air, it is not covered by anything.


Here, watch this YouTube video instead:

Phalaenopsis in natural habitat ( in situ) - YouTube

[kat.costamusic]

I bought miracle gro orchid potting mix. I couldn't find anything else. I went to multiple stores in my city. Miracle Gro was all they had. If I remove the plant, I'll have nothing else to put it in besides an empty pot

I removed most, but not all of the potting mix. I left the largest chunks of bark in. I have propped it up a little to allow for air circulation and sprayed the roots with a light mist to keep them from drying out while I head back out in search of proper potting materials for this baby.

The roots appear to have new shoots on them and I don't see any evidence of root rot, just over crowding.

[Wild Orchid]

Bark mix for orchids is usually found at Canadian Tire and Wall Mart. I agree with the above statements that soil is not recommended for Phals.

Phals can stay barefeet placed in a bowl or any container indefinitely as long as they have their roots moistened and dryed periodically. I would wash off all the soil from the roots, let them dry thoroughly and repot into orchid mix making sure that the roots covered VERY LIGHTLY, with lots of air pockets.

The alternative to bark mix is also coco fiber that can be found in the pet store (reptile department.) Coco fiber has to be washed off of salt before being used for orchids. It's done by soaking the fiber over night and rinsing it thoroughly under running water for at least 3-4 days. Please note that coco fiber holds much more moisture than bark and takes longer time to dry, so you would need literally just a few strings if using this for media.

Don't worry, we all went through the trial and error period with repotting first few Phals and figuring out the best culture for them.

Good luck!
WO