Potting two plants in the same pot

[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

I bought two Phals last year that came potted in the same pot. I decided to repot them again together but I’ve noticed they haven’t had a lot of growth since. When I got them they were in desperate plastic liners within the decorative pot. They were each in the half moon shaped pots so they fit. I repotted them right after the flowers died but I put them in the same round plastic pot instead of separate ones. They did some good root growth so they definitely need a bigger pot but there wasn’t much in the way of leaf growth.

I’ve attached a pic of the orchid. The other pic is from when I got it. As you can see, decent roots but tiny leaves and tiny flower spikes in its current state. Admittedly, the mini spikes are cute but this is supposed to be a full sized orchid. I’m going to be repotting them again soon. This is a 5” pot and I have an 8” that I was gonna put them in. They are the exact same orchid so they need, and get, all the same treatment and environment. I do want to keep them together because I think it looks cool, but should they be separate? If they can stay together, what do I need to be doing differently?

[estación seca]

What are your growing conditions? Temperature day/night? Humidity? How are you watering and fertilizing, and how often? How do you decide when to water?

Phals with intense yellow/orange color tend to need temperatures and humidity considerably higher than most homes to do really well.

[Lil Duck]

going from a 5 inch pot to a 8 inch pot is way to much of a pot size jump. I would go to a 6 inch pot or 7 inch pot if you can find them, you don't really want a increase larger than 2 inches in pot size. Also from what I see the roots in the second picture aren't completely surrounding the pot, orchids are fine with being rootbound. Personably I would separate them and pot them up in 5 or 4 inch pots, whichever one fits the individual root system the most, Do Not Over Pot if you like the look of two orchids together I would find one of those big shallow fancy planters and place both pots inside it along with some decorative moss and maybe other plants if you want, (potted in their own pots).

They both might need a boost in fertilizer, what are you using currently.

[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

I should’ve known that the yellows were more picky! Beauty always comes at a cost 🥲.

The growing condition have just changed since I moved but they were in average humidity house getting a couple hours good sun through a window and bright indirect light the rest of the day. Watering was done when there was no more humidity visible on the inside of the pots. I generally measure that by the visible fogging/ water droplets on the inside. Watering is at least an hour long soaking. This is about once a week and will remain the same at my new place. Feeding is miracle gro tomato feed so not quite a 20-20-20. I’m am starting to look into a better food.

With the new place I’m in, I am looking into gro lights and a humidifier. It feels like a dryer space and they don’t get nearly as bright a light, even in an east facing window. There is a pretty big awning so it blocks most of the light except for the very early morning. Probably great for my Paph but nothing else! Temperature is pretty good in this place though, so that’s nice.

If I were to get a small humidifier and keep these guys next to it, will that fix the humidity issue?

[Lil Duck]

Originally Posted by Girl_With_An_Orchid

The growing condition have just changed since I moved but they were in average humidity house getting a couple hours good sun through a window and bright indirect light the rest of the day. Watering was done when there was no more humidity visible on the inside of the pots. I generally measure that by the visible fogging/ water droplets on the inside. Watering is at least an hour long soaking. This is about once a week and will remain the same at my new place. Feeding is miracle gro tomato feed so not quite a 20-20-20. I’m am starting to look into a better food.

Definitely look into getting a better fertilizer for your orchids, Miracle gro has... a reputation and I strongly do not recommend their products. You might want to up the watering, to twice a week no soaking, that way the plants will dry out but the Phal will not have to deal a longer period of drought. I doubt humidity will be an issue, the Chesapeake Bay isn't a place known for being dry.

Personally I believe that this hybrid just stays small and won't much larger than it is now, If you want better spike presentation I would just stake them. Again I reiterate no need to give them a larger pot.

[estación seca]

You don't need to let them go bone dry between watering. Water when roots are turning color from green or dark brown to silvery white or pale brown.

They do better with no direct sun. Phals are low light plants. In winter your sun isn't very strong but summer sun will be far more than they need.

What are your temperatures? Phals like warm to hot temperatures.

How are you mixing the fertilizer, and how often are you using it?

[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

estación seca, I’ll try to water more often and see if that helps. I actually disagree about light though. My Phals have always been much happier with some direct light and they do fine with summer morning and late evening sun. When the undersides of the leaves and tips of new roots show a little red, which comes from more sun, root, leaf and flower growth is always significantly better. It seems to be the sweet spot for them. I think it’s really interesting how resources say lowlight when mine do noticeably better with partial sun.

Temperatures fall within a good range for them. I’m in zone 7 so summers definitely meet the heat requirements. Winters get colder, obviously, but they are inside.

Lil Duck, when I first got the orchid the spikes were normal sized, about 1.5’, but this it definitely has a smaller flower. The leaves are supposed to be relatively normal sized too. Also, if they’re staying in the same pot, does that mean you think they’ll be ok in the same pot? I think I’ve heard more preference on separating, but that’s sounding more like personal preference?

Fertilizer is about 1tsp/gal and I feed every watering. What fert do you recommend?

[Lil Duck]

I would recommend MSU or K lite at half a tsp fertilizing once a week. How do you know that it's supposed to be a normal sized Phalaenopsis when the first picture of when you got it shows it to be a mini? have you also considered that the amount of light you are giving it could be stunting its growth? If it has small leaves and small spikes that could mean that it just has no reason to grow bigger. I would reduce the light.

[estación seca]

Here is information from a local Phal breeder, now retired, who won many awards:
Eric Goo of Phoenix Orchids: Growing Phalaenopsis

I keep mentioning temperature because most homes are too cool for this kind of Phal to grow to its best potential. They may flower with temperatures in the mid 60s - low 70s F / 20-22C but growth and flowering is far better with much higher temperatures. It had probably been grown in a very warm and humid greenhouse before you bought it, hence the lush flowering.

Phals flower best (quantity, size) with 1,000 foot candles / 10,700 lux of light year round. Increasing it to 1,200 foot candles in late fall for a few weeks helps initiate buds, after which time light intensity should be returned to 1,000 foot candles. Day length is important, too. Eric didn't cover this because he was addressing Phoenix growers, 33 degrees North. We have long enough winter days. Others here have commented their Phals flowered much better with supplemental electric lighting in winter to extend the day to 10-12 hours.

They are heavy feeders. Eric said studies showed Phals in good growing conditions flowered best with 1 teaspoon / 5ml powder of a balanced fertilizer per gallon / 3.78 liters of water, weekly through the year. For home growing, with lower temperatures and humidity than in a warm greenhouse, this would probably be too much. Eric said there's little difference between fertilizers so long as they are complete; he has used 20-20-20 and now uses MSU.

[Girl_With_An_Orchid]

Well, I guess I’m not getting any lights! 😅 I suppose it’s rather convenient that the new space gets less light. I will try the different watering cycle as well. It will probably save me some time as well which is nice.