Over potted...what now?

[Giggirl]

Newbie here,very excited about this board. I repotted store bought phals from 4.5 in pot to new repotme.com oxygen core crystal clear pot which has a plastic "net" the roots sit in. but the net/pot is 5.5 in and I changed the original moss medium to the repotme.com bark Monterey imperial mix. I think plant is drying out faster now. so, should I repot to downsize or just water more frequently? ( afraid of that) . I live near Seattle house stays around 71 degrees , I have humidifier trays and a small grow light. And have the overhead fan on during the day. I think I'm killing them with attention and maybe better get a dog before I hurt my orchids with too much obsessing.... Advice is appreciated![

[AnonYMouse]

Anytime you change from one media to any other media, the plants and you have to make adjustments, worse when starting with sphag moss.

Firstly, choose a pot that just fits around the root mass. Switch back to the original pot if it has plenty of drainage holes (add more by cutting out holes). You might even have to go smaller. Many people prefer clear pots to visually inspect roots.

I'm not familiar with Repotme's media, likely a chunky mix. You should saturate the mix before potting. New dry mixes will not retain water so presoaking is a good idea.

Use the skewer method (do a search) to indicate when watering is required. Overwatering will cause root rot, the death of many orchids.

Read the thread at the top of this forum phal-abuse-ends-here,l its full of very good info.

Welcome aboard!

[Nanook 2010]

I think you did fine....with a clear pot it will be very easy to see if yor roots are too wet or too dry. If they look green and full...good. Turning black and slimy.....bad.

Don't worry about the skewer...with a clear pot you won't need it.

I would just water it once a week to 10 days and see how it goes.

American Orchid Society website has great info and short videos

Good luck

[Giggirl]

Thanks so much for the reassurance!

---------- Post added at 11:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 AM ----------

Thanks Anonymous lots of info there...

[tucker85]

It's much easier to manage the moisture in the root area if you use the smallest pot that the roots will comfortably fit in. That doesn't mean you can't grow in a larger pot. It's just more difficult. Only water when it's almost completely dry. If in doubt, wait another day.