Inherited Unidentified Phalaenopsis Repotted - What now?

[Sylphire]

Hello everyone!

I have managed to inherit - read: expected to take over the care - of this Phalaenopsis orchid from my mother-in-law because I grow chili plants and apparently this qualifies me to care for them.

The orchid is over 5 years old and had never been repotted from the bark medium it came in. I noticed it had a lot of dead/dying roots so I did my best to get rid of the old medium, remove the decayed roots and have repotted it in a large clay medium. My reasoning for this is that my mother-in-law likes these plants but not the care required for an organic medium.

How much of a shock do you think the plant will have? I expect it to loose the flowers but I'm worried despite my best intentions I may have caused a lot of root damage. What should I be looking for and what special care will it need?

I'm also a complete orchid newbie so any and all help is appreciated!

P.S. Can anyone ID this orchid or is it just a generic hybrid?

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

It is a Phalaenopsis, probably with Phal. stuartiana in its background.

Your instincts have been excellent; what you have done is exactly correct; it should do well for somebody who knows how to grow chili peppers in Great Britain. Repotting Phals does not usually affect flowers. Continue to keep it warm, in bright shade, and water when the roots are dry.

There is an excellent thread here on learning to care for Phals. From the left yellow menu select Forums then Beginners. Near the top find the sticky thread The Phal abuse ends here.

[Sylphire]

Thank you for the reply.

I will shortly have a little greenhouse for the chili's but I think I may have been bitten by the orchid bug and would like to start my own collection!

I have heard that Phals are generally quite robust but I guess I've believed all the talk about orchids being notoriously difficult to grow and stayed clear.

This orchid will be quite a learning experience for me.

[estación seca]

All plants have quirks that need to be learned, but Phals are much easier to grow than many common house plants. It often takes them months to die when you forget to water. All you need to do to keep them alive is use well-aerated potting media; keep them warm; don't sunburn them; and, let them get nearly dry between waterings.