Hello and advice sought

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Well said, Mattwoelfsen.

Thank you Dolly!

[Dollythehun]

I agree with you both. Smaller bark, more frequent watering, less/more dilute fertilizer. Be sure to rinse your bark well and soak it overnight first. This moistens it and rinsed off any dust/silt that would clog the roots. I don't know where you got your bark but Lowe's has better grow for Phals and it works well enough.

[tucansam]

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

First, I must comment that you have a very healthy assortment of fruit--so you all eat well!

Haha, yes indeed we do, although I must say it is very expensive to eat healthy these days! Much cheaper to buy garbage... sad that it has come to that.

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

Let's talk about the blue Phal. You probably have learned these are dyed flowers? Some times the dye will cause darker blotches on the flower petals. So that is not a concern. These flowers will eventually die. When the plant blooms again, the flowers will be white.

Honestly I have not read that anywhere until just now. Very interesting to know. But I look forward to the white flowers, those will be beautiful.

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

For the other two older plants. The plant that still has flower spikes...and at one of the leaf base is showing yellow. That leaf will probably die soon. The flower spike next to it is also showing signs of dying. When this leaf falls off, you might consider cutting off the flower spike as close to the base without cutting or scratching healthy plant material.

Wonderful news. Should I, at any point, help the dying leaf along, or simply let nature take its course?

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

The second plant looks healthy.

In my posts above, the second has the droopy leaves. Is this the one to which you are referring? It literally has two or three good roots, the rest I had to trim. Its barely hanging on to the new media (I had a bag of much smaller potting material as you suggested, just hadn't repotted yet). My only concerns (aside from the hope that it will grow new, healthy roots) is that I had read that drooping leaves could indicate stress or dehydration, and the yellowing had me concerned as well.

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

I think these plants will be alright. You showed a picture of the roots of your blue Phal, those are well hydrated roots. As long as you have healthy roots, you have a good healthy plant.

The black spots on the healthy (?) green leaves, and the strange coloring and spots on the two leaves that are shriveling and yellowing, are what had me the most concerned. It resembled some of the pictures of fungal infections that I had been looking at online.

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

Other things to consider...your plants should grow in warm, fresh, moving air.

They are all presently in the kitchen, near a series of north-facing windows, whose shades we crack slightly during the day. So they are receiving plenty of indirect sunlight, although hopefully not too much. We keep the house at 70-72F, and there are no vents blowing air directly on the plants, however there are vents throughout the kitchen and dining areas, so there should be plenty of periodic airflow. I hope this arrangement is sufficient.

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

Most American city water is okay to use to water your plants because there are some healthy chemicals in the water. I fill up water jugs not to the top, allowing space for air exchange and keep the cap off, a day or two before I water my plants. This allows for cholorine and other gases to diminish. In the rainy season, I have rain barrels and water all my orchids with is natural water.

This is fantastic advice about the gasses, thank you. I will definitely take this advice. And rainy season is only a few months away, and I can certainly collect plenty.

Originally Posted by MattWoelfsen

If you haven't read or heard the phrase regarding fertilizer yet: "water weekly, weakly." Is often advised.

Thanks, everything I've read mentions once a week is sufficient, and any more than that may burn the roots. It has also been suggested that, for regular waterings, I should let the water flow through the pots freely for a period of time, in order to allow any accumulated salts to dissolve and be drained away. Followed by allowing the pots to soak for a few minutes, and then drain.

I get the feeling that the frequency of watering is not an exact science, that each plant is different, and that much of it is done by feel and experience. I have also read that its better to under-water than over-water. I can easily examine the roots of the plant that is presently blooming, as you have noted. The other two plants' roots are very small indeed after trimming back a lot of dead or rotting material, so what might you suggest would be a good way to determine whether or not the plant is indeed in need of water?

Thanks again so much for the help and information!!!

---------- Post added at 09:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:47 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

I agree with you both. Smaller bark, more frequent watering, less/more dilute fertilizer. Be sure to rinse your bark well and soak it overnight first. This moistens it and rinsed off any dust/silt that would clog the roots. I don't know where you got your bark but Lowe's has better grow for Phals and it works well enough.

Thank you Dolly. I picked up a bag of Better-Gro orchid mix after a lot of reading and recommendations I saw online.

The original (larger) material visible in the pictures is not gone (just finished repotting) and was a stop-gap measure... I picked up a bag of it in a sheer panic because -- and I will take any abuse you care to dish out -- in complete ignorance I thought a plant was a plant was a plant and placed one of the orchids in soil!!! Realized after some research that I was suffocating the roots, and of course that's the plant with the least in-tact root system now.

As far as frequency of watering, I have read everything from every-other-day waterings with a once-a-week fertilizer, to once a week waterings and no more, and then there's the pseudo-hydroponic setups in clay... This is probably the area where I need to learn the most at the moment.

Thanks again to all.

[Dollythehun]

We are in the same boat, learning. I would not panic. This is how I water and you will learn on the OB we all have different methods because, in part, we all live different places. I pot my tribe in clay...Not better or worse...Just preference. I soak them well, lift them, and make a mental note of how heavy they are. I lift them daily until I notice they feel light and then I soak them again. Other people use a skewer and there is a sticky note in the Phal forum on how to do that. After reading your last post, I would suggest you get a small fan to gently circulate their air. Lastly, if you are a perfectionist, try to get over it. Like humans, plants are individuals and at times almost seem to have personalities. They will both challenge and reward you. So, again, welcome to the OB.😄

[tucansam]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

I would suggest you get a small fan to gently circulate their air.

About fifteen feet away there is a ceiling fan; perhaps simply turning that on would generate sufficient airflow?

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Lastly, if you are a perfectionist, try to get over it.

Hahahahaha, probably the best advice thus far, and easier said than done!

[estación seca]

Most peple let Phalaenopsis get almost completely dry between waterings. They are warmth-loving plants. Ice is a bizarre maketing idea.

You may find these threads useful:
Using skewers to determine when to water

The Phal abuse ends here.

[Dollythehun]

[QUOTE=tucansam;833353]About fifteen feet away there is a ceiling fan; perhaps simply turning that on would generate sufficient airflow?



It wouldn't hurt. Try to think of how they grow in the wild. Suspended in a tree there is always good airflow. And do look at the threads Estacion suggested.

[Arizona Jeanie]

Welcome TucanSam! This is definitely the place for advice from the experts--that's not me, but I like reading what they have to say. I started with one Phal from Trader Joe's that was a get-well gift. I put it on the back of the plant shelf, totally neglected it, and fully expected to toss it in the compost when (not if) it died. Well, a year later it was still alive, so I started reading up on orchid care and found it fascinating. I still only have a few, but they are doing well--the original one is blooming nicely now, two more are getting ready, one refuses to even try, and one is a tiny rootless rescue project. Most of my other houseplants have faded away, but I'm sure having fun with the orchids. If you live in an area with an orchid club, I'd look them up, they are also a great resource. Don't stop asking questions!

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

We are in the same boat, learning. I would not panic. This is how I water and you will learn on the OB we all have different methods because, in part, we all live different places. I pot my tribe in clay...Not better or worse...Just preference. I soak them well, lift them, and make a mental note of how heavy they are. I lift them daily until I notice they feel light and then I soak them again. Other people use a skewer and there is a sticky note in the Phal forum on how to do that. After reading your last post, I would suggest you get a small fan to gently circulate their air. Lastly, if you are a perfectionist, try to get over it. Like humans, plants are individuals and at times almost seem to have personalities. They will both challenge and reward you. So, again, welcome to the OB.😄

I think that Carol's and my differing methods of watering well demonstrate how adaptive our orchids are. She prefers soaking while I prefer flushing, or running a good flow of water through the pot. I don't soak my plants except in the rare, rare situation that I accidentally allow them to get too dried. My approach is that the potting medium is an insulator to help maintain the moisture on the roots rather than as a means of supplying water. Obviously, both Carol and I have had success with our methods, so either is workable.

Your ceiling fan should do a good job with air flow. They move a lot of air quite well. Airflow is, I think, one of the important factors to maintaining your plants. I use small personal fans scattered in and among my plants. You want the air movement to be gentle but constant.

Finally, welcome to the OB!

[Dollythehun]

Except, John, on the days I'm too busy to soak. I still lift them, though.