Root mass & Phal's age?

[Wild Orchid]

I frequently visit a local corner store that sells noID Phals.

As this is the best season for stores for making money with Christmas rush, I guess, they started having increased supply of Phals, including some interesting, less common colors, etc.
What I'm noticing is that many of those new arrivals have massive root system and almost are coming out.....I was about to say one's ears.... - out of the pot. Also interesting that the roots aren't covered and buried in moss as been sort of a 'norm' for other selling times.

I've been just wondering, since some of the members worked in the garden centers and know the tricks of the trade... Are these much older plants and were they perhaps used for breeding purposes or anything else??

I remember buying a couple of those in the past and despite the massive root system, they stopped growing and eventually didn't survive, unlike much younger (judging by appearance) Phals from the same source.

Thanks, Everyone!
Lilia

[Rowangreen]

I really don't know, but another possibility is that they are ones that especially do well in the commercial greenhouse enviroment, and therefore don't do as well in the home. They might also have had their enviroment juggled to bring them into growth and flower at the right time, leading to a fall-back in the longer term. It may also be that the medium they are in is on it's last legs, and if you don't repot that causes problems (repotting and a change in medium and/or conditions can also be a shock)

[cbuchman]

I can't say anything about commercial growing for the mass market. As a consumer, I have noticed that many of the orchids at large stores have nice blooms but are generally not very healthy. I have noticed that larger plants (i.e. ones that fill the pot and have good root systems and healthy growth) almost always need re-potting promptly as the medium is in a bad way. I think that growers send them for sale rather than go through the re-potting time and expense. Just my thoughts.