Phalaenopsis Amabilis root damage? Springtails?

[KWielenga1115]

Hi everyone,

I am very new to orchids, as I just purchased my first one yesterday. I bought it in a pink pot that had a clear plastic insert with one drainage hole in it, and it's currently potted in moss. I have not yet watered it as the moss feels moist, and before putting it in a blue clay pot, I poked more holes in the plastic part to allow for more drainage.

From what I've researched, it is a phalaenopsis amabilis.

I had another plant in the same room, and I just noticed today it has what I think to be springtails? Little white wormy like creatures, crawling/jumping/burrowing around. They're very small, but I hate bugs and was creeped out, so I immediately put that plant outside. I don't care too much about it, but I am concerned about this orchid.

I was moving some of the moss around, and I am quite sure I saw some more springtails. I'm thinking they might have been in there when I bought it.

From what I see, I feel I need to re-pot this orchid in a new medium and more airy pot. I am fairly sure there is some root damage.

I want to get rid of the little bugs obviously, and the root system seems to need a better medium. Should i re-pot it even tho it's in bloom? What are the recommendations for re-potting, such as the medium and pot?

I think I have attached some images that may help. Thank you so much for reading this long post, I appreciate any advice

[MrHappyRotter]

Well, here's the deal...

It's definitely not Phal. amabalis. It's an unknown Phalaenopsis hybrid (NOID) unless it has a name tag, though it probably does have Phal. amabalis in the background and certainly would require similar care.

The commercial growers do tend to pack the roots tightly with moss. It keeps the plants anchored, it's fairly inexpensive, it allows them to minimize watering, and when allowed to dry, it's super light weight (which is important during shipping). Unfortunately, in a home environment, it's not necessarily a good combination. Moss itself is fine as long as you don't mind frequent repotting, but definitely don't pack the moss around the roots as tightly as the commercial growers sometimes do.

I'm going to be honest, if "bugs" are an issue for you, then plants may not be the best hobby for you. Even if you are growing in a completely inorganic potting mix, unless you're treating with pesticides regularly, there are going to be critters in your plants. There are springtails, snails, slugs, nematodes, gnats, flies, ants, pill bugs ... the list goes on. And, in a moss based media, the issue is compounded by the fact that the mix is exactly what a lot of hitchikers want, namely humidity, water, food, and shelter.

Some of the animals you'll find are helpful (for instance predators like spiders), some are benign (neutral) like gnats, some like ants may not directly harm the plants but may bring scales or aphids to your plants, and others are outright @$$holes and damaging, like slugs. In other cases, while these creatures may not be harmful, they can be a sign of other conditions (like decaying potting mix) that are harmful. Springtails can sometimes be such a harbinger -- they generally aren't damaging your plants, but if they are proliferating in large numbers, it's possible you are keeping your mix too wet and/or your mix has broken down and needs to be replaced.

I recommend top dressing with some nice pebbles (so you can't see the surface of the potting mix where the critters live), and if you wear glasses or contacts, take them off before looking at your plant. LOL "Bugs" are going to be there, so really you should just take steps to minimize your chances of looking at them if they creep you out.

Otherwise, feel free to repot, spring is the best time to do it for almost any plant. Stick with moss if you want, or go buy some bark based mix. After repotting, you'll see a reduction in bugs, simply because you tossed the others in the old mix. Be sure to use a new pot or soak the old one in bleach for a day to kill eggs if you're going to reuse it. But, expect to see spring tails and other things again. It comes with the territory.