Phalaenopsis Schilleriana 2N which pot?

[james mickelso]

I say "be bold" and pot it in a basket. Let it hang naturally. It will take a couple years to outgrow a basket (4 inch) and then you just put the whole planting into a slightly larger basket and when that becomes too small, you put that into a larger basket and so on. Dryness. You worry too much about dryness. These aren't african violets. They can take some dryness. We have what are called santa anas here (devil winds) and it gets very dry. Can last for days. You just adjust your watering accordingly. Dryness for the most part doesn't affect the leaves and the roots can take it too as long as you water them a little more often. If in basket culture, as long as they are watered thoroughly they will be fine. Take it into the shower, turn on the water, and let it stay there for half an hour. When finished just take a spray bottle with some dilute fertilizer in it into the shower and spray the roots. Let hang until it stops dripping and hang it back up. This phal won't get so big as to be unwieldy for at least 5 or 6 years. If it isn't what you like then you can repot it into something else. In a basket there will still be plenty of root material that if you need to take it out you can simply cut the roots that are clining to the basket and repot it into whatever pot it needs to go into. Orchids fall off trees and rocks in the wild all the time and survive nicely. I repot my orchids from clay pot to clay pot and have to trim roots with no problems. I just dab on some sulfur or cinnamon in the cut and then repot. It's not rocket science. Any questions please let me know. Once potted into say a 6 inch basket (for a 4 inch plant) it can stay there with no further potting for years and as long as you water the hanging roots frequently it will do fine. On a side note, I am sorry you don't feel good. May the Lord bless you with peace and healing. Good orchid growing.

[gardengirl13]

Oh great now you have me wanting a vanda basket again! ha ha!! sigh. It warmed back up again last night so the humidity went back up 15% to closer to where it is normally.

For now I think I'll put it in a pot like the other phals then when re-potting in a couple years I'll see about a basket. I guess since I've never done anything like it I want to get to know the plant better before trying something new like that. I would move another phal into a basket to try it with a cheaper hybrid first, but they all were just re-potted this spring/summer. One is kind of hanging out in the pot and not really securing itself in there well so maybe I could move him and put the new phal into that pot. Then try hanging and see if I like it. He has a decent spike right now so he won't be moved for a while though.

As I said the weather warmed up a bit today which is good since the orchids arrive today! For those of you who are curious, I got it from orchids limited. Yes they are a bit more expensive then other places but all the plants I got from them seem very nice and I love their CS. Always helpful! I saw CH had some cheaper but I'm not sure they're the 2n that smells like roses. I only have one orchid with a very light scent (hasn't bloomed yet so I'm not sure how it smells,) so I really wanted this one. They have a 4n cross too but it was almost double the price. It's coming in spike so I hope it travels well. I'm so worried!!

[gardengirl13]

OK here she is!! And also the encyclia cochleata I got with her. Plus my rain water is non-existent with all the snow, so I am using snow, melting it in pots and slightly straining it (just to get the grass out of it mostly)



her pretty leaves!!

[Call_Me_Bob]

Very nice!! I am lazy and just use tap water for mine!

[gardengirl13]

I do too, but the pitcher plant I have really somewhat requires it. I also am supposed to use for one other orchid not sure which it is, that's been getting tap water, but I may switch. As of right now I water with tap and fert with rain/snow water, the pitcher gets rain now though and does seem to be doing very slightly better since I changed. Of course our water is SUPER hard. It's well water though so no chemicals. Just really hard.

[bballr4567]

The shilleriana looks pretty good. Definitively its first time blooming.

[gardengirl13]

Thanks!!

I went out and bought her a pot this weekend. I can't wait to re-pot her. I worry the moss is staying too wet, even in my dry house! But being so fragile right now I'm afraid she'll lose her buds if I do. I normally re-pot even when they come home in full bloom, but with her being a bit more special then the NoIDs I want to treat her well!

[ronaldhanko]

Beautiful plants and very well grown! Eager to see pictures of the Phal.

[gardengirl13]

Originally Posted by ronaldhanko

Beautiful plants and very well grown! Eager to see pictures of the Phal.

Yeah I kind of worried about their prices, but man once those plants get unpacked you see how beautiful they are! These photos were taken about 3 minutes after the box was unpacked, the trip here was about 15-25 degrees outside so I'm very pleased!!

[gardengirl13]

OK she bloomed!!! got one flower one day and once each day after so far, then she stalled, which is good then i have the last two longer!! But she's so pretty!!!!