In search of bad phal roots clarification

[aliceinwl]

Maybe it’s a bit of a gamble, but I’ve ordered a lot of Phalaenopsis from Norman’s at this point, so far all have had really good roots when I received them. I don’t have great conditions (temperatures usually stay in the low 70s) for growing Phalaenopsis in sphagnum so I usually give them a week or two to settle in and then repot into bark. Norman’s tends to send them well watered so sometimes in the winter I repot as soon as I get them.

I’m not saying this is the case here, but if Phalaenopsis are kept at room temperatures (low 70s and below) in wet sphagnum, root death can occur pretty rapidly. I find it really easy to accidentally overwater and set myself up for trouble with Phalaenopsis potted in sphagnum.

[Karl G.]

I'm not sure about the rules of engagement on this forum,
but I'll just say that Normans is a really good guess.

What I have learned so far (as Alice stated), is to repot incoming phals much sooner than I have been. The results of waiting 3 or 4 months are shown in the photos...sigh...

Ray, thanks for you input as well.
I'm definitely going to use your product and soak the plant and new medium, but I'm going try still try the s/h, and put a bag over that. Seems like that would trap at least as much humidity as a plastic pot, if not more.

[sweetjblue]

KarlG can I ask whereabouts your located in the USA?
May I also ask what your growing conditions are like particularly growing temps?

Judi