Repotting in glass bowl with bark/charcaol/rock

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

I totally disagree that Phalaenopsis can't be kept long term in vases without drainage. I would rethink the choice of media however. I know someone who grows them very successfully in vases filled with large landscape pebbles. He waits until the roots are silver, fills the vase with lukewarm tapwater and lets the plant sit for 15-20 minutes until all the roots are nice and green and then pours off the water. When the roots turn silver he repeats. I think the ticket for success is using larger chunks of inorganic media to provide good and permanent air space in the root zone. All that said, drilling a hole in glass isn't that difficult with the right drill bit, a trickle of water, a good thick piece of glass to drill and the proper mindset.

What your friend does is essentially vase culture, which can work quite well (I have a couple Phals and some Vandas growing his way).

What I had a concern over was the combination of large container, medium that is likely to keep things too wet, and a concern over whether there is or is not drainage.

I have two Phals, growing in cylindrical vases, no medium at all. I do what your friend does, minus the rocks. It is sort of an experiment at his point, one that has been going on about 10 months. These Phals each have a huge mass of roots, but overall the plant still seems to be adapting to new growing conditions, even though they seem generally healthy. No bloom yet.