To leave or re-pot currently flowering Phal?

[james mickelso]

Yeah. me too. I water most of the smaller stuff once a week it they're lucky. My orchids are at my folks house while I'm in the motorhome. So I water when I am around. The larger stuff is watered every two weeks and sometimes less often. I bought some stuff from Ray that was really good. Grew better roots faster. I'm going to get some more.

[No-Pro-mwa]

The kelpmax, I think that's the name? I was going to get it but I had already gotten the neptunes. I was still going to order it but have waited just because I don't need to spend needless money and waiting to see if I need anything else.

Those mini phals I water either every day or every other. I know sounds like is too much but it is not. I was waiting to long and I started loosing leaves on the one with all the roots. The purple/white one. Well I have 2 purple/white ones now just one with a bit of white. Yes I caved Thursday I will get a picture of it. I have been lazy lately and not taken any. Nor downloaded any.

Also the one that is in my avatar has come out a bit different this time around.

[NYCorchidman]

I would not bother with repotting.
I have a dozen or so phals that were bought in moss, never repotted for over a year (some over two years).

Mine have all been growing and flowering well.

You don't need to take it out and repot. I would just enjoy the flowers for now.
With moss, you just have to be very careful with watering. That is the key. Moss is a great potting medium that retains moisture well for the roots.

It is in clear plastic pot, so you even look at how dry or moist the moss is, which is also helpful.

Wait until moss is nearly bone dry. Feel the weight of the pot. Then add a little bit of water until moss is just moist instead of soaking the whole thing. Doing this may result the moss staying too wet too long and cause the roots to die.

Good luck!

By the way, I hope you keep this plant alive and rebloom because I had this very similar one and when it bloome again for me, it was just plain dark wine color. Another reason not to bother with this plant as you may or may not see this exact beautiful color combo again.

[No-Pro-mwa]

NYorchidman so how are these colored this way? It can't be dyed that way? Hmmm odd.

[NYCorchidman]

No, they are naturally colored that way.


I think that the reason mine bloomed out with plain wine color the second time is because the genes governing the flower color expression were unstable.

Just my guess.

[james mickelso]

It's the difference between cloning and seeds. Clones will nearly always be the same as the parent while seeds are variable.

[dounoharm]

I just LOVE the blooms! the color is fantastic, you got a very nice one!

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

It's the difference between cloning and seeds. Clones will nearly always be the same as the parent while seeds are variable.

You are right, but that is not related to what I was talking about.

This hybrid is a mericlone (which of course must have been made from seeds in the very beginning).

I had this same mericlone bought in bloom looking like the flowers in the photos here. That same plant flowered very differently the second time it bloomed, and I suspect it is the unstable genes that is to blame.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Hummm very odd. Yes I do understand James that the seeded ones will be very different but you would think that they would stay the color that they were when they first bloomed at least.

Like NY say's must have to be something like unstable genes. Which of course I don't understand.