Small Phal Orchid with Small Flaws

[TheJadeOrchid]

Goodness. I haven't posted since April 4 years ago. Well, my other orchids died. I finally broke down and got another one. Since, where I live has finally gotten better orchid products.

Anyway, I bought a beautiful small Phalaenopsis orchid. Not without flaws, of course. One leaf has a slight tear. Another leaf has a brownish seam. Some roots have dry bits, I see another root is brown and now dry. It does have a new root coming in. A couple of smaller pale leaves, shoved against the outer pot and under the bigger leaves.

Currently house in a thin flexible plastic pot with a large hole in the bottom of it. Placed in a dark red plastic-like pot.

I figured the best course of action is to repot it and trim any bad roots. But what could I repot it in? I don't have a clear plastic pot tiny enough. The pot it came in is very thin, flimsy.

I bought some Better Gro Special Orchid Mix. Opened the pieces are pretty big. I underestimated the size of the pieces of bark, charcoal, and perilite. Will it be fine or should I find some smaller bark? Or maybe crush what I have up some? I also bought some Sphagnum moss, would that be better?

I really don't under stand fertilizers. Is it better to use a higher nitrogen fertilizer or an equal fertilizer?

Best thing to get the hard water stains on the underneath of the leaves clean?

The only things I have done so far is wipe the tops of the leaves with water and lemon juice combo for dust. And watered it.

[bil]

I have a few of that sort. Some are ridiculous flowerers. One white one has been flowering continuously for almost the whole year.

The huge problem here I find is that the roots are butchered to get them into a tiny pot, and sometimes they don't get over that.

I pot them in fine bark with no moss and water with ultra weak fertiliser. The fertiliser I use is KLite, but a balanced fertiliser with equal numbers is fine. Just use it at a very low dilution. Google 'First Ray's and read about fertilisers there.

[Orchid Whisperer]

All of my Phalaenopsis are in coarse bark, either bark by itself or mixed with coarse charcoal. The Better Gro mix is fine with no additions or changes. Leave out the moss, it will keep the roots too wet. If you can't find a plastic pot that works well, use an unglazed terracotta pot. Almost all of my Phals are in terracotta.

Phalaenopsis should have the bark nearly dry out before watering again, which usually means watering twice a week. Water at the sink, water flowing through the bark.

Orchids need less fertilizer than other plants. It is possible to calculate precise fertilizer rates, but I find that giving most fertilizers at 1/4 recommended strength once a month while the plant is growing is a good place to start with Phalaenopsis. Fertilizers nutrients are expressed by nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K) numbers, and like all plants, orchids need more N and K than P. As long as you are providing all three the plant should be fine. Sometimes fertilizers are marketed as urea-free; while it is OK to use these, urea nitrogen in orchid fertilizer is fine (there is a disproven myth that orchids don't use urea)

Good luck with you new orchid!

[gngrhill]

If you want to use plastic, but can't find the size you neet, Plastic disposable drinking cups can be used. Just put some holes in the sides and bottom with a hot nail or screwdriver.

[estación seca]

Welcome back!

So sorry about your previous orchids. The photos you posted look good. The leaves have mechanical damage from getting bumped. The roots look really good.

[No-Pro-mwa]

Welcome back. I have this same orchid, it's so cute. If you want to wait til it's done blooming to re-pot what I do is take a sharp knife and cut slits in the pot where you don't cut roots and also cute about 3 in the bottom of it. Then when you re-pot it just take a pair of scissors and cut it off. I have had the roots grow all over and out of that pot.

Other wise I use small bark mix they call seeding mix but you only have one so far so maybe you can just pick out some of the smaller bark from what you have.

[TheJadeOrchid]

Thank you everyone! I would rather not leave it in the moss, even if I have to wait for it to be done blooming. The moss looks pretty gross.

Also, another question.

An aerial root has gone bad, in a picture I posted the shriveled root, could I use some tiny sanitized scissors and clip it off?

Okay, looking at it closer three have gone dry and shriveled.

Or should I just let them fall off on there own?

[Orchid Whisperer]

You can cut dead roots with scissors that are flame sterilized, or chemically sterilized with an oxidizer like chlorine bleach or trisodium phosphate (use one chemical or the other; don't mix). BTW, alcohol will not sterilize tools, use something stronger.

Fwiw, you can just leave the old aerial roots attached, it won't harm the plant if it is not rotting.

[TheJadeOrchid]

Okay. I removed the orchid from it's little flimsy pot and cleaned the moss off. Well, it isn't as bad as I thought. Only one root fell off from rot and a few rotting spots. I trimmed just a few rotted ends and very try dead ends.

At this moment it is bare, with no bark at all. Back in the cheap flimsy pot with added holes, placed in a heavy clear glass cup.

[TheJadeOrchid]

Hate to double post. I tried walmart and several other stores to find a pot for my Orchid. Finally found one! I went to the Dollar Tree and found a 12 pack of 9 oz cups. A little big. But hopefully it will work.

One of the lower yellowish leaves did fall off.