HELP! Too Much Water in Phalaenopsis - Orchid Board

labyrinth1959 · #1 05-08-2015, 04:02 PM

I have this beautiful white Phalaenopsis that I received as a gift three weeks ago. Last week I checked the potting medium with my finger to about 2 inches deep and it was very slightly moist so I thought it probably needed a watering. It is in a plastic pot with holes around the bottom, but no holes in the side. I thought the medium was bark with a minor content of moss on top. I poured a pint of water into the pot and hardly any drained out. Apparently, the medium is all moss. So now it is very wet and I am afraid the roots will rot. One week later it is still very damp. I don't know what to do. Should I leave it alone and take my chances, or re-pot with bark and maybe some moss. Suggestions PLEASE!

Bud · #2 05-08-2015, 04:45 PM

I suggest you repot. Check out the center of the root mass if there is a ball of moss and remove it. Make sure to use a well draining media mix. Flooding your plant will kill it. Holes at the bottom of the pot is fine no need for holes on the sides all you need to check is that there are no blockage.

Leafmite · #3 05-08-2015, 06:56 PM

I would get the moss away from the roots as quickly as possible. If not enough air is getting to the roots and the medium stays wet, it invites root rot.

bil · #4 05-08-2015, 07:06 PM

I always repot phals in bark, no moss. If the air can't get to the roots, it's not good.

Jungeoma · #5 05-08-2015, 11:16 PM

As a gift orchid it is probably packed with moss for travelling long distances. If it is still in flower very carefully pull it out of the container and gently remove the bulk of the moss from the center of the plant. You probably will get quite a pile. Have your re-potting medium ready and fill the new pot with it. Set the plant at a slight angle( Phals like it that way) and twist it back and forth very gently to settle it. Fill the rest of the pot with medium.
Because I set my Phals at an angle I put a small rock on the opposite end to help support and steady it.

fudJy23 · #6 05-09-2015, 05:33 PM

For one, definitely pull it out of the pot and check out the roots to see if they have started to rot.

I actually have one phal that is completely potted in moss. It's great for when I travel. On my last trip, I was gone for two weeks and I told my friend that was coming over to water my plants to just ignore it. I had bought it at the local orchid show and I was talking to the grower about it since my history with orchids had been over watering and death. Her recommendation was to learn to feel for when the moss is completely dried out (crispy dry as someone else put it) and then water. That orchid is doing fine and in fact has sent up a new spike while under my watch.

Moss is not for every one, but I'm just saying it's not that scary.

labyrinth1959 · #7 05-09-2015, 11:16 PM

So when I re-pot in bark, should I not water it right away and if not, how long should I wait to water and how should I water it?

bil · #8 05-10-2015, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by labyrinth1959

So when I re-pot in bark, should I not water it right away and if not, how long should I wait to water and how should I water it?

A lot of people say don't water for a day or two to let broken roots heal.

Me, when I water I do so with a spray, and I keep wetting the bark till the water runs out the bottom. I do that twice a week. (It's hot and dry here)

Phals can go a surprising length of time without water.

labyrinth1959 · #9 05-10-2015, 11:50 AM

I re-potted in bark. I could hardly believe the amount of moss in the pot. It appeared that the plant had gone through several re-pottings to a larger pot each using moss. The roots looked very good and healthy.

I live in Minnesota so it is very dry in the winter and fairly humid in the summer. All my Phals are potted in bark only. My normal routine with the Phals I have, are to soak the pot in water for about 15 minutes in the sink. I use a sprayer and spray the leaves and exposed roots until they are completely wet. Then I let the pot completely drain. Once a month, the soaking is done in a very dilute orchid fertilizer solution per the directions. My success is marginal with regards to blooming and growth which makes me think I am doing something not quite right.

bil · #10 05-10-2015, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by labyrinth1959

I re-potted in bark. I could hardly believe the amount of moss in the pot. It appeared that the plant had gone through several re-pottings to a larger pot each using moss. The roots looked very good and healthy.

I live in Minnesota so it is very dry in the winter and fairly humid in the summer. All my Phals are potted in bark only. My normal routine with the Phals I have, are to soak the pot in water for about 15 minutes in the sink. I use a sprayer and spray the leaves and exposed roots until they are completely wet. Then I let the pot completely drain. Once a month, the soaking is done in a very dilute orchid fertilizer solution per the directions. My success is marginal with regards to blooming and growth which makes me think I am doing something not quite right.

Fertilising is best done weakly weekly. I do it ultra weakly all the time.
For flowering, they need enough light and warmth in the winter. Check your levels. Get a light meter. Several people, myself included have bee shocked to find that places we thought bright enough, weren't.