Repotting rescue phal orchid?

[Acwilliams]

So I have an orchid I rescued From the hardware store. It was 2 dollars and I couldn't pass it up. I got it home and watered it. I believe it to be a phal however I am not sure as I am new to orchids. It's leaves do look similar to another phal I have though so I'm sure this is what it is. When I was inspecting it I noticed it was tightly packed in moss and several roots were broken some were rotten and the spike was long dead. I cut the spike immediately, but the fact that it was in that moss didn't rest well with me. I went out and purchased some miracle grow coarse mix bark and repotted it in that, and cleared out all of the bad roots. I guess the information I am looking for was is this the right way to go about doing this? And secondly does this plant look healthy to everyone before and after?

[Acwilliams]

The first three are before potting and the last two are after potting

[jkofferdahl]

I think you did a fabulous job! I like shallower pots. I like plenty of air holes in pots. I like large chunk bark. It appears to me that you did just right by your Phal!

And yes, it is a Phalaenopsis, most likely a hybrid. Phals like plenty of air movement through the roots, which in nature wrap around and cling to tree branches. With good air flow the roots can breathe, and thus will stay far healthier than they were in the sphagnum, a medium I don't recommend to new growers. Allow the media it's now in to completely dry between waterings to further encourage root health.

Well done!

[Acwilliams]

Thanks so much for the great response I'm glad I did well!

[estación seca]

It would have been fine in the first pot if you waited to water until the moss was almost completely dry. It will be fine in your current pot and medium.

There are good threads here dealing with Phal cultivation:

The Phal abuse ends here.

Using skewers to determine when to water

[Pippa]

I always repot my rescue phals immediately, as I've found some very nasty surprises in the past! Bought one that looked like it was in bark, but when I repotted it, I found the bark was surrounding a soil 'plug' and most of the roots had rotted off because the soil was too wet! So now I repot as soon as I get it home.

[bil]

Originally Posted by Pippa

I always repot my rescue phals immediately, as I've found some very nasty surprises in the past! Bought one that looked like it was in bark, but when I repotted it, I found the bark was surrounding a soil 'plug' and most of the roots had rotted off because the soil was too wet! So now I repot as soon as I get it home.

Sensible attitude.