Spot any issues with this mini Phalenopsis

[sweta]

Hi all. Yesterday found 2 discounted mini phals in the grocery store and couldn't resist so brought them home. Leaves and roots look healthy and they're holding onto the blooms. I would like some help from some of you if you can spot any issues with them. I want to be sure there are no serious issues with these plants and if there are a way to quickly address them. I dont want to repot them right away as they have blooms on them unless there is a strong reason to repot them right away. I did notice some white powdery stuff on the leaves that I cleaned with bayers insect disease and mite control. Also noticed some scars on the leaves. Please have a look at the pictures and lmk if you see any issues.

[sweta]

Heres set one if the pictures of the 1st phal

[sweta]

Heres set of pictures for 2nd phal

[Dimples]

They look healthy to me. So long as the bark/mix isn’t broken down it’s probably fine to wait to repot until after they’re done blooming, but phals don’t really mind being repotted while in bloom.

[sweta]

Originally Posted by Dimples

They look healthy to me. So long as the bark/mix isn’t broken down it’s probably fine to wait to repot until after they’re done blooming, but phals don’t really mind being repotted while in bloom.

Thanks Dimples I'm a bit scared of stressing the plant out with repotting while its in bloom.

[Dimples]

As long as you don’t break or damage anything in the process, they really don’t notice. I repotted one of mine today while it’s growing a spike because it was pushing itself out of the pot and needed more room. Sometimes you gotta do it when it has to be done but waiting until the flowers drop is fine. It is a lot more annoying to repot them with a long unwieldy spike so if you can safely wait, go for it.

[estación seca]

Phals don't mind repotting at any time if growing conditions (temperature, light) are good. They typically grow roots throughout the year. Most other orchids are far more picky about repotting.

[sweta]

Originally Posted by Dimples

As long as you don’t break or damage anything in the process, they really don’t notice. I repotted one of mine today while it’s growing a spike because it was pushing itself out of the pot and needed more room. Sometimes you gotta do it when it has to be done but waiting until the flowers drop is fine. It is a lot more annoying to repot them with a long unwieldy spike so if you can safely wait, go for it.

Yes I would love to repot these at the earliest because I'm worried about getting any new pests. While repotting is there anything I can do to prevent any pests from surviving? Some natural way to treat any pests that could be lurking around? I know one of them had some white powdery stuff and I'm worried if its scale I want to make sure I treat it before repotting. I dont want any scale eggs from surviving. I used to use hyd peroxide to disinfect roots but that I heard isnt good for the roots. Please suggest what you would typically do for any orchids that might have pests. There isnt any serious infestation but just want to take necessary precautions

---------- Post added at 04:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:37 AM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

Phals don't mind repotting at any time if growing conditions (temperature, light) are good. They typically grow roots throughout the year. Most other orchids are far more picky about repotting.

What temperatures are good for phals? Temperatures in our house are 70F and humidity around 40%. Light is usually less during colder momths.

[estación seca]

It's best not to treat for pests unless you're sure they're present. Then be sure of what is the pest, and the proposed treatment is appropriate. Watch and treat if necessary. Do you have photos of what concerns you?

Most Phals are warm to hot growing plants. They grow best at 80-90 F / 27-32 C in the daytime without much night temperature drop. The large, round pink and white flowered hybrids will tolerate being 70 F / 21C most of the time if they are in a medium that ensures plenty of air at the roots, and the grower takes care to water when almost dry. A heat mat makes a big difference for many people in cold climates. The star-shaped yellow to red to purple species and hybrids need to be kept warmer and shouldn't go below 70F.

40% humidity is adequate for most of the large round-flowered hybrids. The higher it is the better they grow. The star-shaped species and hybrids need to be much higher.

They prefer around 11-12 hours of light year round. It doesn't need to be intense but they do better with a longer day than they would get with natural light in Seattle. I've lived in Seattle so I know what winter is like.

[Mountaineer370]

Others have addressed your concerns about repotting and possible pests, so I'll just say, regarding your concerns about the scars on some of the leaves, I see nothing at all to be worried about. Stuff like that happens when mass quantities of orchids are being moved during their long journey from commercial nursery to retail store. It's just cosmetic, and as the plant grows and sheds it's lower leaves over the next few years, those scars will be gone.

Last year, I bought one with leaves that looked worse than yours, just because I loved the color of the flowers. It's thriving.

Also, FWIW, I grow Phals in a house that sounds like it has similar temps and humidity as yours, and they do very well. I use a chunky bark medium (Orchiata), which allows for air to reach the roots, so nothing stays wet too long, but the flip side is I have to water frequently, maybe more often than some would have the time or patience for, but I only have a small number of plants, so I don't mind.