New Orchid - Help needed

[emcarso1]

Hi there,
The other day I lost an orchid after trying desperately to save it, I'm still not exactly sure why it died. I just got home with a new orchid because I missed the last one. I picked a 'mini' species because the normal sized ones available didn't have healthy roots (learned from my last experience). I think this one's healthy but would love some advice for my new beginning.
As soon as I got it home I took the clear pot out to see what was going on inside and it was PACKED in moss. So I took out all of the moss, cleaned up the roots and gave the plant a soak. As it was soaking (room-temp water) I picked out the smallest pieces of bark that had been soaking for a while and I drained them on a paper towel so they weren't sopping. I've replanted the plant and just wanted to make sure it looks okay. A couple roots in the center were a gross dark brown so I cut them back and put cinnamon on the tips (just the tips). And the two arial? roots look really good as far as I know.
Again, I just wanted to post to see what you think? I am as novice as they come

[kindrag23]

Im not a phal person but if I was I would say you have amazing taste in pretty flowers!

[NYCorchidman]

It is not a species, but a hybrid that I will say is probably Sogo Gotris floral ark.
Is it fragrant? some of this cross is fairly fragrant around noon under bright light.

The roots look good to me and you also did good job repotting it.

All the best!!!

[Leafmite]

So pretty! Good luck with your new phal!

---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:26 PM ----------

I can't really offer you advice as I haven't had phals for a while and am just starting to grow a few again. I also am not very successful with bark, unlike everyone else. While everyone else grows lovely orchids in bark, mine were very happy when I gave it up. :|

[NYCorchidman]

I think with bark, you want to water more often and thoroughly as it can get dry really fast.

I grow phals in both straight bark and straight moss with success. I soak the ones in bark with daily misting on the exposed roots. The ones in moss, I rarely water thoroughly but just add little bit of water when the moss dries.

By the way, with such a tiny pot and in bark, you really want to make sure roots do not dry out. Small pots can dry out very fast. Minis need extra tender care that way. lol but aren't they so cute?

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[emcarso1]

Thanks everyone! I'm really excited about this and think my last orchid, though it died, taught me a lot. I will definitely spray the exposed roots daily, I wasn't sure if they liked to be drier or not so thanks for letting me know. Fingers crossed this one lives

[NYCorchidman]

Good luck!

Sogo Gotris makes a basal keikis when fully mature.
When the whole thing, mother plant and the babies, come into bloom, it is quite something!

[Tabbyblack13]

It looks like you did a good job. I'm not an expert tho. I would look at watering it at least once a week by soaking the pot in water.

The plant looks healthy and the flowers are beautiful. Good luck.

[No-Pro-mwa]

I love my phals and I have 3 of these mini just add ice ones. I think that's what you have as the pots look the same. My avatar is one of mine. However your inside pot has slits in it which mine did not so I carefully cut my own in it.

Looks like you did a good job in re-potting it. I didn't re-pot mine till my first 2 stopped blooming and my one is still in the spag moss. I am just being very careful when I water it and it is doing great. It has lost all the blooms it had when I got it but it extended it's spike and has never stopped blooming yet.

I am putting mine in a bit bigger pots after they bloom as there roots are growing and I couldn't get them back in these flimsy pots. Also I cut them off when I re-potted. I am putting them in bark mix I got from Kelly's Korner, also got the clear pots from there.

Both the ones I have re-potted have already put out a new spike and my avatar one has branched out of the old stem as it never did die back. There is just one down size and that is I am having to water both of them very day, yes I said it every day, well or every other day and I am not over watering them. I am more of a under waterier than an over waterier. I love them. Good luck with yours it kind of looks like my avatar one but a bit different.

[NYCorchidman]

Filmsy "pots" are only for shipping as the US government only allows imported phals in that material. I don't know why, but that is what I heard from a knowledgeable member.

I hate repotting (just lazy and I hate touching plants lol ) so I usually keep plants in whatever they came in with for a long time. lol
When sphag moss is too tightly packed in, I do loosen it up a little, otherwise it is so hard to avoid root death.

The minis tend to dry out so fast in those tiny pots with little material. I had hard time with watering even with straight moss.

I think slight underwatering is better than overwatering. so you have a good practice I'd say.