Phal

[birdbrain]

Hello, I just got given to
Me a lovely phal. The phal has
Another plant planted in the same pot. I don’t remember the technical name of the other plant I have one planted in soil. Orchids are not planted in soil. They both look healthy. Can they both survive together? Should I separate them? I care more about the phal than I do the other pepper plant. Where do I go from here? I appreciate your feedback. Thank you.

[Paphluvr]

I would seperate them. As you noted, the (I think pepperomia) grows in soil, the Phal. should be in bark or some other well drained medium. Easier to seperate them now than later when the roots get well intertwined.

[Roberta]

Separate them now. They need different conditions. If you wait, you will have less of a problem of intertwined roots than the problem of dead roots (probably on the orchid) These "arrangements" are designed for aesthetics, not the long term survival of either plant. (I have a "lucky bamboo", actually a Dracaena, that was in an arrangement with an orchid, given to me by a cousin who didn't know about either... The Phal was already too far gone by the time I got it, but the Dracaena has been living for some 10 years in a vase of water - they LIKE to be very wet, unlike the Phal)