Purchased online Phal seedlings keep or exchange?

[orchidhope]

Purchased two online seeding/seedling Phal. orchids today and want to know if my concerns are nitpicking or if they are worth complaining/inquiring to the seller about? I have been away from the care of my orchid collection for awhile but am researching and giving full effort towards those that survived. Regarding these two new seeding-seedlngs, I have never owned young plants like this so have no experience of what they should look like or what condition to expect or what might look healthy. One seems all of the leaf tips are darkening at the very tip edge and one leaf has a discolored area long its edge and another leaf has a nick in it. The other orchid I was pleased to see new growth, but on closer inspection the new leaf is split at the tip quite drastically. Am I supposed to consider that 1.)these are cosmetic issues or 2) a problem that may get worse and I should require an exchange for hopefully something in healthier shape?

Of course I didn't pay a lot for these young small plants and I am wondering why some call them seeding and others seedling?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Ray]

The first looks to be bruising incurred during packing and shipment. While an experienced vendor ought to be able to avoid that, sometimes it just happens.

The second issue appears to similarly be slight mechanical damage.

Neither is overly concerning, but I’d let the seller know of the issues and keep an eye on them in case of the areas expanding.

[Dimples]

I agree with Ray. Looks like healthy plants with some mechanical damage. Worth emailing the vendor so they’re informed. If the bruised spots don’t get larger, I wouldn’t be unhappy receiving them as-is, so long as the price was reasonable for what they are.

SeedLing vs seeding is typically an autocorrect issue. SeedLing isn’t a standard word for the average user and even with the frequency that I type it, my phone still attempts to change it to seeding.

[estación seca]

I agree.

If you haven't grown Phals. in sphagnum moss before, watering is different than in bark. Don't soak the moss thoroughly at watering time. Barely run water over the top for one second. It will diffuse throughout the moss leaving it just damp yet well aerated. Water again when the top is crisp dry. Thorough soaking obliterates the air spaces.

[orchidhope]

Ray, thank you. Exactly what I needed to know, but I believe your comments were limited to the first two photos of the same seedling plant. What about the new growth in the middle of the last photo, my other plant? Almost looks to me like something has eaten it?

Dimples, autocorrect eh? thanks.

Estacion seca I have over 36 phals and grow them all in moss. Love it, am not al comfortable in bark, as I am not as sensitive to knowing when to water with bark but the moss exposing silvery-green roots and lightweight is a superb indicator for me. I have a tendancy to let them dry out too much as I've lost a few prior to root rot and more fatally to crown rot so I've learned my lessons there. But I do admit I set them in a container filled with water up to the media top to soak at least 3 minutes (often longer) and hadn't thought I was doing damage as how much water they need and how they get it is confusing with contradictory information on facebook Florida forums. Some make a big deal out of media MUST touch the roots when I thought it was the moist air, aka humidity that did the job of hydrating them with air circulation equally important.

I do believe I will employ your advice from now on though although I must think it through a little more thoroughly as the soaking one day is an integral part of my watering/fertilizing routine in that I add a little fertilizer solution on top of the moss the day AFTER watering as their roots I understand are sensitive to fertilizers and this is a a gentler way to apply fertilizer.

One other procedure I use that I've wondered about is that I've read to flush orchid pots of salts once a month and I flush EVERY time I water - more like every 7 - 10 days. i Flush thoroughly with running water, then soak up to the top of the medium (which I have read removes a ton of salt/solids residue), drain, then flush media again with running water to prepare for my next diluted fertilizer solution to be applied the next day. I use 4: Cal/.mag with little epsom salts, NPK with a little epsom salts, seaweed extract then garlic water and start over again, rotating the 4 after waterings. This means they get each fertilizer about every 5 weeks or longer so never too often of any one.

I so appreciate all of the help.

[estación seca]

Much depends on how fast the root ball dries out. Many people growing in typical home temperatures would have soggy sphagnum for 3-4 weeks after a heavy soak. If yours dries in a few days you could use the soaking method. Are your plants indoors, or outdoors in the breeze?

Especially in high humidity Phal. roots are just fine wandering out in the air. In low-humidity homes exposed roots don't last long, but Phals. do well if there are good roots in the medium. Exposed roots aren't a concern.

Salt buildup depends on how much mineral content is in the water. Could you collect rain?

I think your fertilizer regimen is far more complicated than it needs to be, and you could save a lot of time by simplifying. Also your Phals. would grow and flower better with more nitrogen than you're using. Most people fertilize either at every watering, every week or every 2-3 weeks with fertilizer of varying concentration - low for every watering, higher for longer intervals. One complete fertilizer on a regular basis is fine rather than rotating various products. Go to Ray's Web site, in his signature block above, and look at the orchid fertilizing part of the Free Information section.

Here is a link to some notes I took while listening to a Phal. breeder in my own society. He grows in a high-humidity, high-temperature greenhouse much like your outdoor weather:
Eric Goo of Phoenix Orchids: Growing Phalaenopsis

[orchidhope]

My Orchids are outdoors on a covered open/breezy porch and I am in the upper Florida Keys and moss maintains a consistent moisture much longer than bark in our hot weather.

I am intrigued about collecting rain, but so far I haven't come up with a method to work into my other duties, activities, pets and responsibilities but we do have a whole house water filter and seller has recommended I use DISTILLED water on these young seeding plants and I am actually moving them into the house because he says 85 degrees is too hot for them, that they need 70 - 80 degrees which is exactly what we keep our house. Seller also states humidity needs to be consistent so I like your watering idea for these, more often and not soaked but moistened.

Thank you for the links, have skimmed over them and they looked tremendously helpful and a great find. Especially liked Ray's fertilizer regimen that has "flood the pot with water at every watering" which seemed a wise consensus I had already come to on my own which I had questioned and mentioned before.

My fertilizer regiment alternating between the four types of nutrients is working quite effortlessly and well for me but I am not beyond improving it and I'll look into reworking it to provide more nitrogen. I have just watched so many "old timers" sharing their fertilizing regimens and they are quite strict and inclusive so wanted to do the same because I hear over and over again most issues stem from lack of a particular nutrient so I wanted to have them all covered. Many swear by seaweed extract and others garlic water so I'll try to get some experience trying them. Anecdotal evidence is high on my list of what I trust.

Update: Interestingly Ray's fertilizing program is pretty similar to what I am doing with my 4 different nutrient solutions - including the garlic. His NPK fertilizer has added cal mag, and his Kelpak stimulant is a seaweed extract supplement. And in addition he adds a probiotic and garlic IS a probiotic! So I think I'll comfortably stick to my plan that is like clockwork for me and super easy to manage and keep track of with the color-coded tag system I have in place. Also with regards to soaking the pot, it is my understanding watering like that brings fresh air in when it drains leading to important air exchange.