Valentine's noid mini phals question :) - Orchid Board

Lady Tottington · #1 02-12-2011, 08:18 PM

Hi all! I got these two lovelies today from my husband, who amazingly can shop for me while he isn't even with me at the store (read: I got these two, brought them home and kissed him and thanked him profusely for getting them for me, and he followed that with "I'm so glad you liked them!") he's a smart man.

Anyway, as you can see, they are little, and also they look squished into their little plastic pots of sphag. Would you all wait until they are finished blooming, or would you repot now to give roots some more room? The next size pots I have are a 2" square, and a 3" square, and a 3" circular. The latter two are likely too big. I can easily order something online, but I'm not sure what size to get?

Would you get the one with the cone at the bottom, or just put in styrofoam or both? I've never been very lucky with phals squished in sphag. I'd really like to keep these tiny's alive!

Thanks friends!

camille1585 · #2 02-12-2011, 08:27 PM

Don't see any pics, but with those mini phals in sphag it's best to repot as soon as you can. Depending on the roots you can put them back in the same pot (unless it's one of those soft pots with only 1 hole in the bottom) or move them up to something only slightly larger.

Lady Tottington · #3 02-12-2011, 08:30 PM

doh. let me try that again!

and

Lady Tottington · #4 02-12-2011, 08:34 PM

and this one...

Lady Tottington · #5 02-12-2011, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camille1585

Don't see any pics, but with those mini phals in sphag it's best to repot as soon as you can. Depending on the roots you can put them back in the same pot (unless it's one of those soft pots with only 1 hole in the bottom) or move them up to something only slightly larger.

Thanks Camille, they are in a soft pot with the hole on the bottom.

What do you think about going into a larger soft pot with a hole on the bottom, but with a few packing peanuts in the bottom? No good? I will look at repotme.com and find something to order!

silken · #6 02-12-2011, 10:15 PM

They look like little cuties. Smart hubby! Could you put some additional holes in the pots they are in?

Daethen · #7 02-12-2011, 10:38 PM

I would take them out of the pots, heat up a knife and melt some more holes in the pot, gently pull half of the sphag out of the root ball and slide the plant back into the pot.

Lady Tottington · #8 02-12-2011, 10:47 PM

thanks all, I will do this!! excellent tips!

Lana · #9 02-12-2011, 10:47 PM

What I'll say will go against what the majority of people here say, but... A few months ago my hubby got me a few orchids; they all were in the same kind of soft plastic pots with only one hole at the bottom and tightly packed in sphag. Well, because I could easily see the roots and because the pots were small, I felt confident enough I could leave my phals in pots until they were done blooming since I could adjust watering based on how the roots looked. A couple of months later, when they were done blooming, I re-potted in small bark and charcoal. The roots at the time of re-pot were green, healthy, and beautiful. Just my experience.
I probably wouldn't do the same if the pots were large though.

camille1585 · #10 02-13-2011, 06:18 AM

You don't need to heat a knife or anything to put more holes in those pots. They're so soft that a small pair of scissors does the trick very easily. I cut a few extra holes in the bottom, then a few slits in the sides. I have a sphag potted Aerangis in it, and the sphag dries out very evenly and quickly.

Lana, I wish that I had that much luck with them. Even being very very careful with watering the roots still rotted. I'm thinking that the rot process had already started before I got it (most stores keep these soaking wet) Unfortunately more people have trouble with them than don't.