Phal potting question

[labyrinth1959]

I have a Phal that desperately needs to be repotted. Right now it just finished a beautiful bloom period. It is in a 4.5" pot, badly root bound and it has already put out a new fast growing 4" leaf. I will be putting it in a 5" clear plastic pot with lots of small and large vent holes.
I have two bark medium to choose from; one is very coarse, the other is rather fine with a lot of variance in size and shape. The larger chunks tend to be long narrow pieces and the smaller pieces can be very small.
Question 1:
Which medium should I use? Or should I mix them together?
Question 2:
Should I thoroughly water the Phal before re-potting or re-pot and then water?
Question 3: If I re-pot dry, how soon should I water the plant?
Question 4:
Should I attempt to re-pot with the roots on or near the outside of the pot or more towards the middle of the pot.
Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

[snowflake311]

I have a Phal that desperately needs to be repotted. Right now it just finished a beautiful bloom period. It is in a 4.5" pot, badly root bound and it has already put out a new fast growing 4" leaf. I will be putting it in a 5" clear plastic pot with lots of small and large vent holes.
I have two bark medium to choose from; one is very coarse, the other is rather fine with a lot of variance in size and shape. The larger chunks tend to be long narrow pieces and the smaller pieces can be very small.
Question 1:
Which medium should I use? Or should I mix them together?
I like to mix medium. Over time you learn what mix works best for your growing conditions. Mixing is good.
Question 2:
Should I thoroughly water the Phal before re-potting or re-pot and then water?
This will depend on the plant. I do not water before repotting I will water during the repotting if I find the roots are such a mess. Wet roots are easier to work with. If the roots are all fine and good I will water after I repot to soak the new bark.

Question 3: If I re-pot dry, how soon should I water the plant?
I soak a newly potted orchid in a bucket. Let the medium get a bit water logged.
Question 4:
Should I attempt to re-pot with the roots on or near the outside of the pot or more towards the middle of the pot.
For a Phal I just put the plant in the middle and add the medium. Onc. hybrids need a big more planing when positioning in the pot.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

[Bunch_Of_Roots]

1. It depends on your water schedule. If you like to water less the smaller bark would be good. If not, then the larger pieces would suit you better.

2. I personally do both. I soak my phal first so that it would easily come out of the pot, and the soaking helps with getting rid of old potting medium. After the repot I will give the plant a good shower too. Be careful not to getting water in the crown.

3. I water after repot.

4. Pot the Phal in the middle of the pot because of its monopodial nature. Usually sympodial orchids are potted near the outside of the pot.

[bil]

I pot phals at the side of the pot because they develop a lean towards the light.

I use the larger bark pieces so I can't overwater. I wet the plant before repotting, pot it dry and leave for a day or two before watering.

[Raqsharqi]

Ask an orchid enthusiast a simple question, like the best media to use, and you'll get a hundred answers. I started out using the repotme sphag mix (regular) for phals. I thought it was great. Then I upgraded to their deluxe mix, and thought it was even better. Now I've converted to orchiata (Med) and won't go back to anything else. I like to water, so sphag more often than not gave me rotted roots. Since I've started using orchiata, the roots look like gigantic green earthworms. (That might sound disgusting to you, but I'm delighted!!)
The bottom line is you have to know yourself, your watering habits, and the growing conditions you can provide. If you're a waterer, go with bark. If you can't remember the last time you watered, maybe something with more sphag would be better for you.

And I always soak the plant before I repot so I can jiggle the roots around more easily. If you go with orchiata, you don't presoak. If you use anything else, you mostly do have to presoak.