New Non Green fingered Orchid owner

[Jaqs]

First and foremost apologies for the long message ahead.

Hi there I am new to the orchid scene and the forum, well I say new I have had my orchid since November 2021 it was purchased for me for my birthday by my brother, the flowers lasted soooo long then they dropped off and I kept the orchid to see if it would re flower.
I used to have it in the far end of my living room and it did nothing, so quite a few months ago I moved it to a windowsill and I have just looked at it and its gone wild.
I have tried reading up on what I should do with it but all the information is very confusing.
It looks like it could be due to flower at some point in the near future as there has new buds appeared along with more branch offs.
So I am looking for advice on what I need to do i.e. repotting and how, making new plants from this one or what useful information anyone with any knowledge can give me really.

I can take and post pictures of my orchid to see what i am facing

Thank You in advance
Jaqs

[Roberta]

First, Welcome!

A photo would help. Supposedly one needs to make 5 posts before you can post photos, but I have seen cases where new members have been able to right away. Give it a try!

Whatever you are doing, keep on doing it! Clearly you have found the plant's happy place. A repot is a likely need depending on the medium, but if you have roots all over the place, no hurry. Phals are OK with repotting while in bud or bloom if you handle carefully and don't try to remove all the old medium. Phals don't lend themselves to dividing. Sometimes they make new plants along old flower spikes (keikis) and those can be removed and potted separately once the roots get 8 cm or so. So if you get one of these, a way to propagate.

[Jaqs]

i hope this works

[Jaqs]

and thank you for the lovely welcome

[Roberta]

That is, indeed, one happy plant. It probably does need repotting - if the medium is starting to get soggy and airless, the aerial roots are a response to that although they are also part of the natural habit of Phalaenopsis. Maybe a slightly larger pot but not a lot. I favor medium orchid bark rather than sphagnum, because it's much harder to over-water. (A note if you repot, new medium is going to dry out faster than the old, so you'll be watering more frequently)

[Jaqs]

So normally what I've been doing is once in a while ill take the pot out of the pot and let water run thru the pot its in and drain out before putting it back in to the ceramic pot.

Sorry if i misunderstood but am i best just leaving it as it is if you say its happy.

and can i create more plants from this one as the new branches are more or less horizontal rather than vertical like it originally came.

---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:54 PM ----------

also do all the under and over roots look ok and healthy

[Roberta]

Your watering sounds perfect. I agree, just let it be.

You are not likely to be able to make more plants from a flower spike, unless it happens to generate a keiki. The flower spikes aren't "branches" like tree branches. And in most cases with orchids you can't generate new plants from cuttings. (There are a few exceptions, but Phalaenopsis definitely not) Eventually, they'll stop blooming and the spike willdie back. But when flowers drop, I leave it alone, as you have, and often more flowers do develop, sometimes at the end of the spike, sometimes it does a side branch. When brown and dry (or when you're tired of looking at a bare spike even if green), the spike can be cut near the base where it comes out of the plant.

Roots look great.

Have you been fertilizing at all? Orchids don't need much, since they grow slowly. (The minerals in fertilizer are utilized when growing new tissue, the energy - carbs - for daily living gets supplied by photosynthesis.) But a little every couple of weeks is beneficial. You don't have to get fertilizer that is specific for orchids if you don't have it, a regular house plant fertilizer works too, use half of whatever it says on the label.

[Jaqs]

ok thank you for your help very much appreciated.
If its ok if i have any further/future questions i will put it here saves cluttering and making more messages

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Jaqs

ok thank you for your help very much appreciated.
If its ok if i have any further/future questions i will put it here saves cluttering and making more messages

There is no limit on questions! Better to make a new post ("reply" to the thread). That will trigger an email. Then I, or any others who respond to this thread, will be notified so they can reply. If you just edit a post, the new question may be missed.

[Dimples]

It could just be older leaves being older leaves, but the plant looks a little dehydrated to me. Just slightly, so maybe start watering a day before you otherwise would. The branching spike should be fun!