What are the chances of keeping a flowering spike after repotting? - Orchid Board

Kaykay · #1 08-31-2009, 03:21 PM

What do you all think? Or any hints as to how to keep it?
I had to repot a NOID today. I was given it as a leaving gift from work ( "she likes orchids, let's buy her a pretty one") and after a couple of weeks sitting happily, I noticed this morning that there were white mites crawling over her roots. So, necessity rather than plan meant that repotting was the answer. Incidentally, she was in a HUGE pot for quite a little plant, so that one is fixed.

Thank goodness the roots were in OK shape- not great, but far from the disaster I began to imagine.

I did keep the flowering spike on though, and there is another little one which has popped up in the past couple of days, but do you have any ideas about how to try and preserve them? I am prepared for them all to take a bit of a beating, but if there is something I could do, please do let me know!
Kay

PS on a related topic, this is a very interesting NOID Phal- complete with only 3 flat back petals, and 2 frilly ones around the centre- makes me think there is something more interesting than the standard phal hybrid there. I would post a pic if I could find my camera cable to upload one...

jkofferdahl · #2 08-31-2009, 03:25 PM

Kay, Phals are extremely tolerant. If the plant receives otherwise good conditions, then I can't imagine that a repotting, if done with care, would hurt the blooming too much. I've repotted Phals any number of times while blooming (though never as an ideal choice) and have yet to notice any major suffering as a result.

RosieC · #3 08-31-2009, 03:35 PM

I think it should be OK, if there is nothing else wrong with it. I've not repotted in bloom before but I have repotted one with buds and it's now looking wonderful covered in flowers and didn't loose any of them.

I think you did the best thing, if there is any sign of problem with the roots or medium it's best to repot even if that rists the flowers.

Your description sounds like it may be 'peloric'. This is when the petals mimic the lip, generally not exactly like the lip, but curving in and not the usual petal shape. This can happen to some plants when the same cross will also produce non-peloric plants, I think it's a mutation of some sort but many people really like them as they are a bit different to the standard. I've never owned one but I've seen them for sale and pics here on OB.

trdyl · #4 09-01-2009, 06:14 AM

I've repotted quite a few myself while in bloom and they just kept on going after the repotting. As long as it's health, which sounds like yours is, I would not expect to see any ill effects of repotting.

mehitabel · #5 09-01-2009, 12:48 PM

I agree with the others that you won't necessarily have a problem. What I've found is that sometimes a few of the older flowers go, but the new ones don't. Also, I've lost fewer flowers since I've been diligent about checking any newly repotted plants often and watering before it becomes too dry.

Is this what your new phal looks like?

ORCHIDS.COM : SHOP : PHALAENOPSIS : SEARCH RESULTS

It's the second flower on this page. Theres'a another on the same page, second from bottom. These are new, tho seem to becoming popular. They usually have a varietal name 'lycastoflora' or something of that nature, as the flowers resemble lycaste.

Kaykay · #6 09-02-2009, 09:02 AM

Thanks all for your reassurance! It's always a bonus to keep the flowers, and my phal seems happy so far! I've never had to repot something in bloom before and had always assumed that the flowers would have to go.

Mehitabel,
Thank you for finding that link. No, that's not quite what it's like. I actually have one of those lycastoflora types though. The phal I repotted has all of it's petal shapes as broader and shorter and kinda curly around the top edges. It also has a 'face' rather like a miltoniopsis in look. Other than that though, it has the same petal arrangement as the ones on the link you posted. I'm going to have to go find that camera cable, because I'm becoming more and more intrigued as to what my former colleagues found me.

You guys give the best advice! Thank you again so much!
Kay

zxyqu · #7 09-02-2009, 02:51 PM

The only problem I notice when repotting my phals in spike, is that sometimes the flowers dont last as long as usual. It's hard to say for sure, as other variables are surely there, but I do notice about a week or 2 less length of the blooms when you repot. Not really a problem, as the plant is saved from whatever bug/pest/issue there is, but thought you should know. Either way, it's best for the plant, and you get to keep the blooms!