Phal: Small root system, wrinkled leaves and non opening blooms

[JMNYC]

Originally Posted by james mickelso

Most folks don't realize that orchids don't need to be watered all the time or kept wet all the time. I have a bunch of rescue phals in small 3-4 inch clay pots that are growing very well and are only watered weekly when I don't have time. They are growing new leaves and roots. Nice if I could water every three days but I don't have time during the week. Here are some of them.

Absoutely! With some notable exceptions of course, i.e, Paphs.

But always works back to the individual plants and the medium. I find Phals like being grown on the dry side, and as always, with good air movement to the roots, as they grow in nature with roots completely exposed to the air.

Fab pics, James!!!!

[RosieC]

I water most of my phals once a week, but they take about that long to dry fully, mainly because I drench when I water. They grow great that way and I don't have problems with rot.

I find if they don't dry in a week I start worrying about rot, 10 days at the outside. In which case I take steps to get a medium that dries quicker or put more holes in the side. At 7 days or less to dry they do well, at 14 days to dry they seem to struggle with root problems.

Just my

---------- Post added at 10:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:19 AM ----------

I've noticed something in your pictures James... you are growing in moss there... In moss (mostly non-phals for me) I water lightly just enough to wet the roots, just as you have suggested. You will still moiten the moss doing that, you can't avoid it, and it holds that moisture for a little while (how long depends on many things, including climate of course).

In bark, much of the bark I use holds no water at all if I just run water through to wet the roots. Some new bark I have wets really quickly (similar to Orchiata but not that), I've not used it on phals yet but on other plants I've started watering by running through enough to just wet it, it then dries about like I expect from moss doing the same. On my older bark that just doesn't give enough water and it has to be soaked or the plants start dehydrating or need watering more often.

I try and aim my potting medium mix to allow my weekly watering. It doesn't always work, but that's what I aim for. I really like this new bark because it's wetting so easily so needs less water over all to achieve that.

I DO agree though that phals when healthy cope quite well dry, in the summer with weekly watering mine are probably dry a couple of days at least before I water again. However with already struggling phals I've found they improve quicker if they get a little water often, it's only a couple of struggling ones at the moment that I water every few days.


I find that interesting and haven't consciously noted what I'm doing until thinking about it now. I soak if the type of medium/bark needs it, I run water through if the medium takes up water quickly because I don't want those mediums to become too sodden (as moss and this new bark I have would).

This can be the danger giving advice, experience means we automatically adjust what we do based on past experience, novices might stick to the advice not knowing how to adjust

I will try and be more careful of that in future, thanks James

[james mickelso]

Rosie, I have found over time that most folks new to orchids over water. They hear that orchids come from the tropics which means rain every day. And so they water without thinking about it. Then when their roots rot or the leaves get fungal diseases, they give up or just throw the plants out. I've seen your plants and know right away that you learned to adjust to your conditions and media. You grow nice plants. My threads are almost always aimed at new growers. I try to impart some easy basic knowledge so that they see how it works. Once they learn a few basics and get something out of growing orchids they are hooked. Mwaa haa haa! That is why I post pics over and over again of simple tasks like repotting phals in the same moss in which they came (oh my gosh!! Say it ain't so!!!). Of course my preference is my special mix I use for most of my orchids which dries really well but still retains some humidity. But that is not easy to make for most new growers and it confuses them a bit. The moss I grow in when rescuing phals gives them humidity around the roots without remaining soaked for more than a day and small pots go hand in hand with moss. As I discussed with King, I never disagree with anyone's points of view. I just offer discussion through experience without getting bogged down in minutia. In other words... But in my travels around orchid world, I have found that what I preach, works if followed. And most folks forget or don't quite comprehend just how slow growing orchids are and when they don't get immediate results , they too soon try something else. Case in point. When we purchase phals at the big box stores, too often the roots, and therefore the plants, are going downhill. So the new grower tries all sorts of methods to rescue the plant instead of choosing one simple method and staying with it. But if they can learn from us about how the plant grows, how slowly it grows, and how long it will take for these strategies to work, they will use a strategy and then follow and be patient. The roots the plant came with will die off but the plant is more resilient than they realize and can cope and push new roots. But the new roots don't absorb water yet and so the plant wilts. But that is normal for most phals in those conditions and the new leaves will push out and be healthy. If the grower waits and practices common sense, the plant will push a new leaf, the roots will become more mature and absorb water, and the plant will respond with flowers. But if the grower isn't patient and tries another approach, the plant usually dies. Once the grower learns a little bit from us and succeeds, they start to learn more and more. And that is what I hope happens when I take the time to preach. It is difficult on the internet to show intent or emphasis. My intent is to always teach what I have learned through the 40 years I have been growing orchids and lots of other plants. I am the first to realize and say, "I don't know everything." I just try to teach basic knowledge. I don't try to teach folks how to grow perfect orchids. Just to get their orchids to survive. Sorry. I forgot where this was headed. But to all the great growers out there, let's keep the dialog going. We already know how to grow orchids well. Let's teach the new growers what we know. And that will be different for each one of us but the same on the basic levels.

[RosieC]

with all you say about patience and not keep changing this when you actually just need to wait for the plant to grow in those new roots, and new leaves to replace the wilted ones. Seen that several times on my early ones, or ones I've rescued.

Originally Posted by james mickelso

My threads are almost always aimed at new growers. I try to impart some easy basic knowledge so that they see how it works. Once they learn a few basics and get something out of growing orchids they are hooked. Mwaa haa haa!

yes get them hooked

Originally Posted by james mickelso

That is why I post pics over and over again of simple tasks

I love your helpful posts, It's so great having someone on the forum willing to spend time explaining these things to beginners.

What's interesting is how so many people have so many different conditions that what works for me isn't always the same as for others.

That's what I'm learning reading your posts and comparing your methods to how I do things, then trying to work out what core principles are and why one things works for you and another for me.

Like realising yesterday that what works for one sort of bark I use, doesn't work for another and doesn't work for moss. I need to adapt my advice for beginners to try and stick to the core principles... while not confusing people too much... something I'm good at doing, confusing them that is

Just one other comment, is that I see a lot of people underwatering. They have heard that people kill orchids by overwatering and so they give it just a few drops of water once a week. That's why I've ended up advising a soak when watering provided it's then left not standing in water until it's ready for watering again.