Two Mini Phalaenopsis...How should I repot??? - Page 2 - Orchid Board

Brauwin · #11 02-21-2017, 04:05 AM

I have kept minis very successfully in an all sphagnum potting for a year now. The key is to only water when it feels nearly dry to the touch. I also never pour water into moss, instead I bought a little misting can and mist directly into the moss until it is damp not soaking wet. The other key is to make sure the moss is not wadded up tightly around your roots, just lightly tucked into your pot for support of your roots. Many orchids are sold with mossed jam packed around the roots, just tease some out. I live in a pretty dry climate so it little extra moisture around the roots has helped mine stay alive. I don't have good success with bark or loose mediums because they dry out way to fast.

Hope that helps!

bil · #12 02-21-2017, 07:45 AM

I know it won't appeal, or be feasible for everyone, but the last of my minis are now on mounts, where they are looking very happy indeed.

It does mean more watering, but I am really thinking that the nature of mounts, ie they get wet, then dry out rapidly, is so much closer to what they would see in nature.

That would seem to me to be the best way to avoid problems.

Irielicious · #13 02-24-2017, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bil

I know it won't appeal, or be feasible for everyone, but the last of my minis are now on mounts, where they are looking very happy indeed.

It does mean more watering, but I am really thinking that the nature of mounts, ie they get wet, then dry out rapidly, is so much closer to what they would see in nature.

That would seem to me to be the best way to avoid problems.

These two mini's are now growing some roots I keep them Bare Root and they seem to be doing better than any I tried to put in bark media! So I totally agree with the your thoughts on mounting, that wet dry period is crucial to avoiding problems.

---------- Post added at 11:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 AM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brauwin

I have kept minis very successfully in an all sphagnum potting for a year now. The key is to only water when it feels nearly dry to the touch. I also never pour water into moss, instead I bought a little misting can and mist directly into the moss until it is damp not soaking wet. The other key is to make sure the moss is not wadded up tightly around your roots, just lightly tucked into your pot for support of your roots. Many orchids are sold with mossed jam packed around the roots, just tease some out. I live in a pretty dry climate so it little extra moisture around the roots has helped mine stay alive. I don't have good success with bark or loose mediums because they dry out way to fast.

Hope that helps!

Thanks so much for your suggestion! I haven't been able to find any good quality moss here, so I've kept these two bare root. They really seem to like the wet dry period, but when I do find some S.moss I will keep try adding some around the roots. I think the extra humidity from the moss around the roots will help them be a bit more vigorous in their growth.

The minis are alive and making roots but aren't what I would consider "thriving"...My summers are like yours they are super hot! SO I think I will need to ensure they stay a bit more moist than they did during the "winter" here in N.Texas.

jkofferdahl · #14 02-24-2017, 02:46 PM

I would urge caution when using moss. If you take care of the plant's water needs properly then moss can be a good growing medium. However, rather than using moss to maintain extra moisture I think it's usually better to use a bark mix and water a bit more often to keep them hydrated. An important part of what a Phal needs is air in and around the roots but sphagnum, even loosely packed, doesn't allow good air flow within a pot. Also, the relative humidity level is important - in a dry house even sphagnum dries quickly but in a more humid house it may stay wet for days on end.

That's not to say I don't use it, and that I'm against the stuff. In my experience, moss works really well when used in plastic basket-type pots. They are wide open for air flow, and so allow more breathing within the confines of the pot. Still, on every single Phal I have potted this way, probably about 25 or so, the roots grow down into the pot and then find their way out through the holes, indicating that the roots may be happier out of the moss than in it, OR, that the plants are simply so happy that they're shooting roots at a prodigious pace. Due to the open nature of the pots my plants in them need watering every other day or so, and I grow in relatively high humidity.

You can get good quality sphagnum off Amazon, or from numerous plant sellers.

If yours are happy growing bare root then I'd urge you to mount them. I'm a huge fan of mounting, and Phals love to grow in that manner. Get a good stick (I scour my back yard for what I use) and give it a quick boil to make sure it's not carrying any nasties. Soak the Phal for a good hour to soften the roots. Use a small ball of sphagnum at the base of the plant, then wrap the roots around the stick and secure everything with a fine monofilament fishing line (or dental floss). Focus on the health of the roots and the rest of the plant will follow suit!

Irielicious · #15 03-02-2017, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkofferdahl

I would urge caution when using moss. If you take care of the plant's water needs properly then moss can be a good growing medium. However, rather than using moss to maintain extra moisture I think it's usually better to use a bark mix and water a bit more often to keep them hydrated. An important part of what a Phal needs is air in and around the roots but sphagnum, even loosely packed, doesn't allow good air flow within a pot. Also, the relative humidity level is important - in a dry house even sphagnum dries quickly but in a more humid house it may stay wet for days on end.

That's not to say I don't use it, and that I'm against the stuff. In my experience, moss works really well when used in plastic basket-type pots. They are wide open for air flow, and so allow more breathing within the confines of the pot. Still, on every single Phal I have potted this way, probably about 25 or so, the roots grow down into the pot and then find their way out through the holes, indicating that the roots may be happier out of the moss than in it, OR, that the plants are simply so happy that they're shooting roots at a prodigious pace. Due to the open nature of the pots my plants in them need watering every other day or so, and I grow in relatively high humidity.

You can get good quality sphagnum off Amazon, or from numerous plant sellers.

If yours are happy growing bare root then I'd urge you to mount them. I'm a huge fan of mounting, and Phals love to grow in that manner. Get a good stick (I scour my back yard for what I use) and give it a quick boil to make sure it's not carrying any nasties. Soak the Phal for a good hour to soften the roots. Use a small ball of sphagnum at the base of the plant, then wrap the roots around the stick and secure everything with a fine monofilament fishing line (or dental floss). Focus on the health of the roots and the rest of the plant will follow suit!

Mounting does sound like a good idea! I live in the suburbs so there aren't any trees close but I will go to a park and see what I can find! One mini is putting out its first leaf since I've had it woohoo

! I look forward to trying this soon! Thanks again for the help and advise