Had orchids for years, looking to improve conditions

[homebrewdude]

I mostly grow phals, some I have had for years.
I do have issues with lack of humidty and water.

I had a few go south, I moved them to a vivarium I have for the kids (supposed to be frogs).
They really jumped back, have new plant sprouts forming, lots of roots, leaves and have strong blooms.

My plants in the living room are surviving, I would not say thriving.

Any other options for potting to help with my forgetfullness to water?
What is a better method?

I am thinking of removing some from the vivarium and back into a pots? Maybe it is the bark I am using?

[RandomGemini]

Hrm.. that's odd... It's usually better to underwater.

Phals only need to be watered every 7 to 10 days. The bark you are using might be keeping the plants a bit drier than they need to be. It might also need replacing, they might also need to be repotted into larger pots. Most people say you should repot phals annually.

My phals seem to grow best when I forget about them for a week or two. I get a whole bunch of root growth if I do that, then give them a good soak for 15 minutes with some fert and put them back, then I forget about them again. I grow most of my orchids in bark.

What else is going on with them? What makes you think they aren't thriving?

[homebrewdude]

I think the biggest thing is lack of root growth.

When I moved them to the vivarium, they pushed roots like crazy.

Maybe I need to get some photos.

[RandomGemini]

You'll need some more posts first. It used to be 5 posts before you could post pictures, but that may have been increased to 10.

I haven't had a problem growing phals without a humidifier, but humidity in my house is kept at around 40%. I set up a shelving unit in my office. I mounted some lighting on it and put in a single room humidifier for my dracula and other orchids that need humidity of around 50 to 60% and root growth on my phals kind of took off.

What I do, is grow the plants in my office and then when they bloom, they get set out on the kitchen table or in other areas around the house, so we can enjoy the flowers, then they go back to the shelf when the blooms are done. I'm trying to acquire plants that bloom at different seasons, so I can have something in bloom all the time.

Maybe doing something like that would help you out a bit?

---------- Post added at 09:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 PM ----------

Just thought I should add, my daughter grows phals without a humidifier in her room, but she grows hers in moss and waters them maybe twice a month? She gets decent root and leaf growth this way, nothing like what I get in my office, but still steady progress with her plants.

I don't like to recommend that people grow their phals in moss, because most folks tend to overwater, but if under watering is your problem... moss might be a good choice for you.

[homebrewdude]

I just misted the vivarium today, so it is foggy.

I think my problem is no easy way to water.
I have to take each plant to the sink.
I use RO water, as my tap is on a softener.

Each plant is slow to water, then they need to drain before I move them back.

If I had an easier system, I would probably water before the leaves start to shrivel.

[homebrewdude]

The middle photo that has the large dead leaf was one that almost died.

A few weeks later I can see green roots, new leaf starting.

The others in the vivarium were in a similar state a few months back, they really bounced back.

I suppose I can cut the small plants from the base of the larger plant and replant these?

[RandomGemini]

Sounds to me like you need a bigger vivarium! The phals in there look very happy!

My shelving unit has plant trays so I can carry a gallon of water up to the plants and water them where they are. It does mean I have to set aside some time to do this. Maybe potted plants aren't the way you grow orchids? Nothing wrong with that!

[RandomGemini]

You can remove the keikis (baby plants) as long as their roots are about three to four inches long. They should thrive on their own if they have long enough roots.

[homebrewdude]

So you water the plant on a tray, water drains in the tray? This then evaporates?

I was thinking of this, as I can water in place.

[RandomGemini]

Nah, the trays catch drips for me and keep messes off of the floor. I have most of my orchids potted in plastic pots, inside a heavier cache pot, and I soak them when I water. So I fill the cache pot up to the top of the medium, let it soak, then drain the excess into a bucket then I let the plastic pots drain on a towel for 15 minutes. Like I said, it takes some time. I have to set aside an hour or so to water my plants, but I have 20 to 30 orchids. When I had fewer plants, that was a lot faster of a process.

That does remind me, you could set up humidity trays under your phals to increase humidity around them. You'd just need a shallow tray and some pea gravel (aquarium gravel is cheap). You line the tray with the gravel, then fill with water.