New little phal, and question on the strange way it is potted

[camille1585]

Tuesday I went to the garden center to buy some more shavings for my guinea pig's cage. Well, I sort of got side tracked and ended up leaving the store with this cute phal, but not the shavings! It's a small multiflora phal. Leaves are only half the size of a normal phal, and really narrow. And it has 2 spikes! I love the colors.

I couldn't get a good picture of it, but it's potted up really strangely. The plant is in a 10cm net pot which itself is in an 11cm clear pot. I can't even get it out because the roots are growing in the space between the two pots and are stuck. Should I leave it like that? And how on earth do I repot this thing in the future since all the roots are going through the net pot?

[RosieC]

I've never heard of anything like that. If you wet the roots can you inch it out slowly?

I would advise trying to slowly remove it, because the bigger it gets the harder it will be to remove and you are going to want to repot eventually.

[harrywitmore]

I would get out the scissors when you repot and cut away the net pot.

[Bird Song Farm]

Originally Posted by harrywitmore

I would get out the scissors when you re-pot and cut away the net pot.

I'd also cut away the clear outer pot. If you give the plant a good soak before you attempt the re-pot it will help to loosen them and they tend to be more supple.

Al

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Bird Song Farm

I'd also cut away the clear outer pot. If you give the plant a good soak before you attempt the re-pot it will help to loosen them and they tend to be more supple.

Al

That's what I was thinking too. Give a good soak then cut both pots off. The roots are winding around between the two and are stuck to the clear pot. The mix seems to be in good shape, so I'll wait for it to finish blooming, and get some more clear pots.
I really really wonder why on earth the phal was grown this way!

[rogerman]

I have no idea why it was grown that way. I quite often get the scissors out to cut pots away from the plant. This is a no hassle and easy way of getting the plant out without damaging the plant.

[WhiteRabbit]

hi Camille -
just wanted to say - I LOVE the color of that phal! I would have bought it too

[Shirley]

I can usually get roots unstuck after I've given the plant a good soak by carefully working the blade of a table knife underneath the roots where they're stuck.

[Ethan]

Camille, that's a beautiful phal! I LOVE the color!

[kiki-do]

Beautiful Phal!!! Poor abused guinea pig!