Phal potted in a soil based mix, good or bad ?

[Asher]

Hi everyone i'm sure you have all heard this question a million times before but i'm torn on what to do

I purchased a new phal a couple of weeks ago from a supermarket, it is now in full bloom, growing a new bud at the end of the flower spike and growing a new leaf. These all seem like good and healthy signs to me .......BUT when i watered it yesterday i noticed on closer inspection that its potted in soil with large bark pieces on the top.

I've heard that phals shouldn't be potted in soil based media so now i'm quite worried. Should i repot straight away or wait until its stops blooming then repot. Or should i just leave it in the soil stuff as it seems to be doing ok as it is.

Any advice would be appreciated

[camille1585]

You heard right, potting soil is bad for Phals (and most orchids). Phals grow up in the trees with lots of air circulation, so it's important to have a medium that replicates those conditions, i.e. will bring moisture yet dry quickly and let plenty of air circulate around the roots.

If you want to be sure to keep the Phal alive in the long run, you should repot right away into something more suitable. Don't worry about the blooms, more often than not they tolerate the repotting process quite well. The main danger is actually accidently snapping something while manipulating the plant during repotting.

[Gin]

Phals. can be grown in a mix used by several large growers it is called Pro Mix they can do well in it if you are careful regarding watering , I have used it and they did fine if not kept to wet ..

[Asher]

Thanks for the quick reply i appreciate it i'l get it repotted 2morrow. I wonder why they pot them in soil in the first place if its bad for them. Hopefully i noticed in time and the roots aren't rotted beyond recognition fingers crossed. Thanks again

[camille1585]

Well like Gin says there are special soils that the commercial/professional growers use. I have no doubt that it works fine if they use it, but they have completely different growing conditions than the average hobbyist grower. Their greenhouse give optimal growing conditions (so the soil will dry out fast probably), and we do what we can in the conditions we have!

[Asher]

Yeah that sounds about right as the roots have stayed green since i brought the phal home which suggests to me that they have never dried out between waterings or have i got that wrong ? I've heard thats its best to wait untill they get silvery before watering...... conflicting opinions make things alot harder sometimes

[camille1585]

Waiting for them to turn silver is given as a general guideline to avoid overwatering. I still use that technique, it's the easiest way to know when to water the Phals.

If the plant has never really dried out in all that time, then that's not really good. You probably have a somewhat similar climate as my dutch one now, and to give you an idea, my Phals in bark are dry within 5-7 days right now even with the icky weather.

[Bud]

No worries...if the phal bloomed in that media it is thriving there...but since you are the one caring for it now...then you call the shots...listen to your instincts because it is leading you to the corret path already...its not scary to repot a phal in bloom I have done it several times but with extreme care; wet it well first to loosen the roots and then you can choose the media you like...I even have a phal in S/H with LECA...but most of my Phal NOIDS are in large coco chips, lava rock, hydroton and charcoal mix.

[msaar]

Your phal is probably potted in what is actually known as a soilless mix, consisting of milled peat moss, vermiculite and/or perlite, and fertilizer. Most people who use these mixes usually add coarse perlite. They promote fast growth in seedling phals, but are problematic for adult phals. The most important thing in using these mixes is to repot at least once a year; after that they break down rapidly will damage roots.

[Asher]

Well i got it re-potted this morning, thankfully the roots are ok and seem healthy to me... only a few rotted tips to remove. There was actually abit more bark then i orginally thought but still way to much soil for my liking. So time to keep my fingers crossed and hope it takes to the new media Thanks again for the great info guys i really appreciate it