Potting 2 orchids in the same pot? Good or bad idea?

[luvorchids]

My husband bought me some beautiful orchids from Costco for Mother's Day. There were 2 phal's in the same pot in their own plastic pots. What is the best option for these beauties? They are very root bound in the tiny pots and started dropping flowers.

[Fairorchids]

They were imported in those tiny plastic pots (with pure spaghnum moss?). You should repot into whatever medium you are most comfortable with.

If spaghnum is in good condition, you can leave it and just put fresh medium around the outside. Do not overpot; if in 2" pot now, go to max 4" now.

I assume that the two plants are ina common decorative pot. You can repeat that or not, depending upon what you like to see.

As to flowers dropping, this could be environmental, or from plants being mistreated in the store, etc (see list of possible causes on the AOS web site).

[kindrag23]

If overly root bound I would go up a size to repot them in your favored media. @ fairorchids is right it could be a number of reason for blooms dropping.

[luvorchids]

Thanks!

[james mickelso]

Chances are that your roots are suffocating thereby dropping the flowers in an effort to survive. That seems to be the cause of many problems brought here to the OB. I would repot them both. As to whether they can be planted in the same pot, IO have done so many times. I like the color combos I get and sometimes one will be in flower and then the other will flower afterward. Your choice. But I would repot now regardless of the flowers. They're dropping anyway. They may just be at the end of their bloom cycle. But unless the phals were bought from the grower, these have been struggling for awhile. Phals grow slowly and die slowly too. Once you get them out of the pot they are in you will see if there is any root rot and you can go from there. My guess is struggling roots.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Always check the roots on newly purchased Phals. As was mentioned, most of the times, that's the cause of the problems.

As for potting 2 Phals in the same pot, it can be done. The only foreseeable problem would be that the roots get so tangled up with each other that when you repot, it will be a headache to separate them if you wanted/needed to.

---------- Post added at 09:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 PM ----------

I recommend reading these 2 stickies:

An Orchid Buyer's Guide for Beginners

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html

[luvorchids]

They were very rout bound otherwise healthy. I removed all the sphagnum and sliced the plastic pot down the side to allow them more room but creates a divider to keep the roots separate. I've planted 2 in 1 without separation before and 1 always dies. So I thought I'd try this. Just put 2&2 together! Ha, our AC is out & it's been in the 90's the flowers don't like heat. 😳

[james mickelso]

Properly watered and in the proper light, the flowers generally don't care how hot it is. My GH has been getting into the 90f degree range and the phals are happy campers. Flowers standing right up there smiling every time I come in to see them. 90+ temps are what phals grow in where the come from. But it is not only hot but terribly humid too. But the near constant breeze/wind keeps them just slightly cooler feeling hanging out on the trees and limbs where they are usually found.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

As James had said, these things are naturally more accustomed to heat than cold. They come from areas where it does go into the 90's F, sometimes 100 F, and it is ridiculously humid (80% - 100%).

There are a few that grow a bit cooler, but most grow warm.

[james mickelso]

Philip, didn't you have a couple pics of phals growing in their natural setting? Last year or so.