Small Phal questions

[cluelessmidwesterner]

This little noID Phal followed me home from Lowe's.

The reading I have been doing tells me that it's culture isn't different from its bigger "cousin". Is that correct?

Presently she's in moss in a throw away 2" plastic liner pot. I want to get it out of this moss asap since not knowing how tightly the moss is packed, how old this moss is, or what tiny livestock might be hiding in the moss. With a pot so small I am not sure if using the bark blend I used for my Cattleya and standard size NoID Phal would work. I am definitely not comfortable with moss as a beginner. Would going from moss to bark cause too much stress since its so small?

[MrHappyRotter]

Although I agree with your reasoning for wanting to repot, my word of caution is that it's not a good time to repot the plant right now.

It's winter. Natural lighting is at it's weakest. Days are at their shortest. Indoor temps are often at their coolest. The plant is currently in bloom. The plant is currently dealing with lots of change going from near perfect nursery conditions, to transit conditions, then retail conditions, and then finally to home conditions. It is stressful for plants when you change the potting mix significantly from what they're used to.

Unless it was a particularly valuable plant, I'd keep it away from other orchids and just enjoy the blooms for a bit. Yes, moss can be tricky, but the thing is in a transparent plastic pot, that should help take most all of the guesswork out of the equation. You can tell when it's time to water because of how light the pot/plant will be, plus you'll be able to actually see when the moss and roots are dry. Particularly if your home is a tad cool this time of year, the plant won't need to be watered as often to begin with, so just err on the side of letting it dry out too much and you should be fine.

Then in a month or few, especially when you see new roots forming and the plant is out of bloom (or nearing it), you can repot. Standard advice holds: give it warm temperatures an elevated humidity. A chunkier mix should be fine, you'll just need to make sure to adjust your watering routine to match the faster drying cycle. Resist the urge to stick it in a much larger pot, use something that's only slightly larger than what you've got now.

And yes, the care for this is going to be the same as any other mass produced complex Phalaenopsis hybrid.

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about critters. Your plant came from a commercial nursery, those places usually treat their plants with insecticides and fungicides on a schedule so as to prevent any chance of an infection or infestation. Jokingly, I'd say the plants practically glow in the dark from the chemicals they use to keep them clean for the potted plant trade.

[Dollythehun]

All my phals are in moss. Minis, species and regular size. When the top of the moss is "crunchy" drizzle water on the top. Don't soak them in water. Drizzling, Estacion Seca told me, keeps the moss from compacting. It's been working for me for quite some time. I'd pot when you see new roots. For a small phal, I'd use finer bark, if only for the sake of re- potting. My minis never leave 4" pots. Your weather is my weather two days later.

[fishmom]

Although most of my phals are in bark, I have a couple in moss. Based on something I was told by one of the growers, I have been watering from the bottom. A saucerful is enough water to distribute it throughout the pot; it goes from crispy to moist overnight. They are both doing well. One was a seedling that had been grown in moss, and I decided I didn't want to change it over as it looked pretty tender. It has grown and now is spiking.

[aliceinwl]

I think it depends a bit on what temperature you plan on growing it at. My indoor Phals stay at room temperature which is high 60s to low 70s maybe even into the mid 60s on the windowsills this time of year. At these temperatures, tightly packed wet moss is a root killer. Even if I’m careful watering, it stays wet too long. I repot any new acquisitions to a fine bark mix (my preferred substrate) and it doesn’t seem to set them back at all. If the roots are healthy, you’re gentle when you repot, and careful about rewatering (new bark tends to dry out fast), I don’t think there will be any issues.

If you’re keeping it warmer, this might not be an issue. Since it’s in a clear pot, you can also watch the roots and repot if you notice any deterioration.

[cluelessmidwesterner]

Originally Posted by aliceinwl

I think it depends a bit on what temperature you plan on growing it at. My indoor Phals stay at room temperature which is high 60s to low 70s maybe even into the mid 60s on the windowsills this time of year. At these temperatures, tightly packed wet moss is a root killer. Even if I’m careful watering, it stays wet too long. I repot any new acquisitions to a fine bark mix (my preferred substrate) and it doesn’t seem to set them back at all. If the roots are healthy, you’re gentle when you repot, and careful about rewatering (new bark tends to dry out fast), I don’t think there will be any issues.

If you’re keeping it warmer, this might not be an issue. Since it’s in a clear pot, you can also watch the roots and repot if you notice any deterioration.

My house does typically run from about 70 to 64ish most days during the winter. A bit warmer on unusually warm sunny winter days such as today (40's- 50's that's almost bikini and Bermuda short weather) and colder on harsher windier days.

[Dollythehun]

I ask for advice and then I sift it. For what it's worth my climate is the same as yours, my phas are in a north window where it often gets down to 63 degrees Fahrenheit. They're planted in moss and clay pots and they're only watered when they are very crispy. They do fine and bloom regularly sometimes more than once a year. You will learn more by trial-and-error then you will learn from advice, because we ALL grow differently. By the way, thanks for the sunshine.

[aliceinwl]

If you decide to wait to repot, I’d take a close look at the roots as they are right now. Follow the advice on watering from the bottom, and if you notice any additional browning on the roots repot immediately. In cases where I’ve had to keep Phals in these flimsy pots with the packed moss for extended periods I’ve ventilated the pots (I took a sharp pencil and punched holes all over them being very careful to avoid roots) and this seemed to help.

In my experience small Phals are just as tough as large ones. The difficulty lies in making sure that they’re not overpotted and then, because they’re in a smaller pot, they often have to be watered a bit more frequently.

It’s a lovely Phal by the way! My Lowe’s and Home Depot got some of these in too. One may follow me home yet ;-)