New phal owner, what to do?

[pinkMusik]

This is my first orchid I got as a gift and I don't know what I should do for it first. It appears to have some little black spots on a leaf as well as a few tiny white ones. I'm pretty sure the pot is too small for it. Should I repot, and if so, what sort of pot should I use? I have purchased some phal mix already. See pics > As you can see the base of the blooms are pale and the bud is as well (one has already fallen off).

[flhiker]

Hi PinkMusik, and welcome to the Orchid Board. From what I can see it does not seem to be out growing the pot. There are many theory on when to repot, most say wait till the bloom drop and then repot and other repot as soon as they get them home (in flower or not). I think I would wait till they drop and repot in the same size pot with bark mix. Water 2 to 3 times a week and fertilize it with liquid orchid fertilizer at 1/4 strenght weekly. I hope this helps

[jkofferdahl]

I'm going to make a couple of presumptions, and try to answer as best I can.

In the first picture I see what I think is bud blast. This can happen for a lot of reasons, from a plant being moved and so adjusting to a new location to over-watering. I'm going to guess that it's some of these two reasons, in part because of picture #3, in which the sphagnum looks quite moist. I'm not a fan of sphagnum as a Phal medium, especially for new growers who tend to overwater their plants anyway. I'd say that the pot size is fine, but the plant needs a more breathable medium, such as a bark mix.

I don't think that the leaf spots are a concern. They could be freckling from light or possibly spots from some insect sucking, but as long as you don't see any insects on the plant, don't worry. The flowers still on the plant look fine and healthy, too.

There should be some basic care sheets on this site that will help a lot. I'd also advise buying a good, general book on orchid care. (Actually, since I'm a librarian I should probably advise going to your local library, going to the 635.9344 area of nonfiction, and looking through what's there.) The more you learn about orchids the more you'll understand how to keep your beauty alive for years and years!

[violetta]

I always repot my new Phals, even when they are in bloom, so that I can check the condition of the roots. They don't seem to mind.
I use bark and expanded clay pellets. I also prefer transparent pots so that I can monitor the moisture in the pots and the condition of the roots.
pinkMusik, the size of the pot seems OK, and the bud blust is most likely caused by the change of location.

[Ben Belton]

Hybrid Phals usually don't seem to mind repotting. I'd wait until the blooms drop though. Might as well enjoy them. :-)

Hard to tell from the pictures, but that one looks to be potted in all sphagnum. If that is the case, I'd only water it when it was almost dry. You don't want it crunchy dry, but not damp or wet. Hard to describe. You can pick the pot up and tell how dry it is by the weight. Sphagnum can hold lots of water for a long time depending on your conditions like air movement and humidity. If it is not drying out in 3-4 days, repot it or take something and dig around in the sphagnum to loosen it up.

That one root sticking out of the hole in the bottom has some brown on it. I'd gently pull some of the moss back and check your roots. They should be green or white. If they are dark brown, you might have trouble.

Good luck. Welcome to orchids. Most are not that hard, just different.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

I'm going to make a couple of presumptions, and try to answer as best I can.

In the first picture I see what I think is bud blast. This can happen for a lot of reasons, from a plant being moved and so adjusting to a new location to over-watering. I'm going to guess that it's some of these two reasons, in part because of picture #3, in which the sphagnum looks quite moist. I'm not a fan of sphagnum as a Phal medium, especially for new growers who tend to overwater their plants anyway. I'd say that the pot size is fine, but the plant needs a more breathable medium, such as a bark mix.

I don't think that the leaf spots are a concern. They could be freckling from light or possibly spots from some insect sucking, but as long as you don't see any insects on the plant, don't worry. The flowers still on the plant look fine and healthy, too.

There should be some basic care sheets on this site that will help a lot. I'd also advise buying a good, general book on orchid care. (Actually, since I'm a librarian I should probably advise going to your local library, going to the 635.9344 area of nonfiction, and looking through what's there.) The more you learn about orchids the more you'll understand how to keep your beauty alive for years and years!

I agree with all of this. I would guess you may be overwatering as it looks quite wet in the third picture and it's also easy to overwater with Sphag. The roots in the same picture also show worrying signs they may be starting to rot.

I would also second the idea of pulling back some of the moss to look at the roots. If they are looking brown like those showing at the bottom then you may have a problem and I would advise getting it out of that medium straight away. If they look white/silver or green/yellow and if they are firm then it should be OK to wait till the flowers are finished... just be careful not to overwater and let it dry well between watering.

I'm also a fan of clear pots. They let you see the roots and judge when to water. With a clear pot you can see when the medium looks dry and also if the roots are green/yellow it does not need watering, when they go white/silver it's time to water again.

[kiki-do]

Welcome PinkMusik!!!!!
Everyone has given you great advice so far. I just wanted to add that orchids take a little different care than regular plants. You don't water them the same way. Yours looks to be in moss which stays moist for a long time. I wouldn't water it again until I could stick my finger way down in and know it's almost dry. Then to water, soak the "pot" in lukewarm water for a few minutes. Be sure not to get water up into the crown of the plant, and if you do, make sure to pour it off. That is a regular cause of root rot. Leaves and/or crown must be dry by evening.
I think your leaves are doing okay. It could be caused by anything. As long as you don't see or suspect bugs, it's probably just cosmetic flaws caused by unknown changes it may have undergone.
You have a very nice Phal there. I hope you enjoy your gift and get much pleasure from it. I find phals very easy to care for and wonderful orchids to own.
As others have said, there is a general culture sheet for Phals here on OB. Check it out.

[Myst]

congrats on your first orchid! I am very new too so i can only say that I asked the same question about the spots on the bottom of the leaves and apparently it's nothing to worry about just pigmentation!

hope you will add some more pictures of your blooms soon!