Phal - issues with fertilizer, pots, and environment, mainly - just issues...

[jkofferdahl]

Welcome to the Orchid Board! This place is filled with fine people who are happy to help, and also to learn. Glad you've joined us!

I'm going to try to address (not answer) your questions. I think Carol did a fine job doing so, though there are a couple of points where we might not agree. And whomever posts after me is bound to disagree with some of what I say. As Carol said, we have a lot of different methods, and if what we do keeps the plants happy then it's right. Don't be afraid to experiment some and see what is best for your plants.

When I repot, I used well-soaked bark, so it's already pretty wet. However, if you didn't pre-soak the bark then I'd suggest a thorough soaking of the plants. If you did, don't water them until the media is thoroughly dry.

When I water, I flush the pots rather than soaking them. In my opinion, the potting medium serves more as an insulator to keep roots from drying too quickly because our conditions are less than ideal. When I water, I water the roots and not the medium; yeah, both get watered but my intent is the provision of water TO the roots and not the bark. When the roots are wet is when they also most need air, and soaking them for more them a few moments deprives them of air. In fact, this is why I prefer to either mount or pot in baskets. Further along these same lines, I strongly prefer open pots and open media (if the plant isn't mounted) because they allow for excellent airflow to the roots, and Phalaenopsis roots love airflow. To my way of thinking, if the media is able to dry so that I have to water the plant every other day, or even every day when the plant is active, that's fine. My mounted Phals get watered twice daily when they're active.

Regarding fertilizer, I'm of the "fertilize weekly, weakly" school. I mix at about 1/4 strength. It's fine to just pour from the mixing container onto the roots. Fertilizers can leave mineral deposits in pots after a while, so after every 3 or 4 waterings with fertilizer it's a good idea to flush the pot with plain water. The balance you bought, 30-10-10, is fine for how you are growing. Your orchids will absorb what they want, and store it for when they need it. If you want to get more intense about fertilization, Ray (that's his name here) is the guru.

Phals are fairly low-light plants and yours look healthy. That one is supporting a nice keiki is a good indication! I suspect the light they have is a bit on the low side, however. When you hold your hand 5 or 6 inches from the plant, does it cast a fuzzy shadow or a fairly well-defined one?

Since you have an air plant there I presume that you have a mister. Climate-controlled buildings are usually fairly low on the humidity scale, so a couple of sprays a day may help them.

Unglazed ceramic pots with lots of holes are my preference. I also really like plastic basket-pots (and even use sphagnum in them on occasion). A glazed but very open pot like yours will, I think, still dry faster than will a plastic pot. A plastic pot is just about my last choice for most adult orchids.