Newb question about a Phal. re-pot (Pics)
 

First off, I want to say :hello This is my first post, but I have used this site for most of my education on orchids. As I am a budding biologist currently going through college, I do quite a bit of gardening, but I love "special needs" type plants, that are a bit more fickle.

Anyhow this is my first orchid, a pink phalaenopsis. I bought it early this spring, and came potted like most in a small ceramic pot with sphagnum moss medium. I thought it was kind of odd for an epiphyte to be in something that retains so much water and normally used for plants that need a nutrient deficient medium... After research I new that I was going to have to do a re-pot, but I wanted to wait until it finished blooming. After much reading I had decided that I would try and find some of the clear perforated pots that many people use. However, I couldnt find any of them in my area, but I did find some pretty nice ceramic pots for orchids on sale. So I bought them and did my re-pot.

Now, I am starting to question my choice. It seems sound to me but after looking everywhere, I cannot find any info on how to care for a Phal in a pot like this, and could use advice. It has been repotted for about 2 weeks and seems to be doing well, in fact its spiking. Though the bottom leaves seem to be dying up.

Now for the specifics.


This is the ceramic "orchid" pot on the left that I used for the re-pot. (I bought 4 of them on sale for 3$ a piece.) It's 4"X4" has holes on all sides, as well as a single hole in the bottom, with a 1/2" deep basin that holds water. The old 2" pot is on the right.
Attachment 88416



This is the potting mix that I used, and the fertilizer stakes that I intend to use for the new pot.
Attachment 88417

This is how it is looking at the moment. I have finaly moved it back into a few hours of full sunlight that it seems to like. I also mist it once a day.
Attachment 88418

My questions include any info on these type of pots, and how should I be watering in this situation? It always seems so dry that, I feel I need to water everyday, but I have tried hard not to. Would the ice cube method be good? Any info would be most appreciated. Once I feel certain that this guy is happy, I want to go purchase others for the other pots.

Well, first thing's first: Miracle gro makes a lot of great products, but I don't use any of their products for my orchids. I have also found that, in general, fertilizer stakes don't seem to work as well as using a liquid fertilizer. I used the miracle gro stakes for my african violets and switched to the liquid fertilizer when I realized that they weren't actually doing anything for the plants. I think the fertilizer stakes just don't dissolve the way they're supposed to, particularly if they've been on the shelf for a while.

Love that orchid pot! I cleared Lowe's out of those last week when I saw them go on clearance! I line them with a clear plastic slotted pot of some kind (usually a recycled venti starbucks cup that I cut holes in. Just don't do this with a box cutter, I ended up with stitches over that one.)

As far as watering goes, apply the skewer method. Insert a bamboo skewer into the center of the medium and leave it there. Check it when the exposed roots look silvery, instead of like a green bean (you do have some exposed roots, right?). If it's damp, put it back and check again in a couple of days. If it's dry, time to water.

The ice cube method isn't how I do things. It doesn't make sense to me to drip ice cold water on plants that grow in tropical climates. I think you should probably start with this thread right here:

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html

Also: :welcomeflowers:

Welcome to orchids and the forum. Where r u from? Here is a link to general care of orchids http://www.orchidboard.com/community...chid-care.html

Sphagnum is widely used in growing orchids. It can rot pretty quick and create stagnant conditions around the roots. Some people have great success with it.(not me) Overwatering has been the death of many an orchid, so resist the urge, or grow your orchids mounted and you can water it all you want. Mounting an orchid means to secure it to a piece of cork, wood, treefern, etc. and growing the plant more like an epiphyte. I grow the majority of my orchids mounted on treefern. Here is a link to one of my post so you can see how mounting looks. http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ing-areas.html Also here is a link to a youtube video about mounting. Mounting Orchids - YouTube good luck

Welcome Aboard !!!!

You need to provide us with your grow zone, your environment, humidity percentage, source of light is it south facing window or east....
you potted this in large bark so it needs to be watered often ....that fertilizer you have as Gemini said is inefficient in providing food for the plant. Better use the liquid or the granules you dissolve in water....
NEVER give ice to orchids....especially if they have aerial roots....these are tropical plants that never experienced frost or winter....maybe ice was useful for orchid pots covered with thick moss on the surface so the melting ice just become cold water as it melts but this is a very lazy and ineffective way of watering plants.... directly putting ice on the plant crown or roots is damaging. The plant needs to be put under a sink and drenched with water not just a few drip of cold water from melting ice.

Generally as a rule of thumb I don't use any Miracle Grow products if I can help it, it was just all that I could find at the time for orchids, and only used it when it was int he old pot.

Are you saying that I should use some sort of insert in those pots instead of just feeling them w/ bark?

I haven't heard of the skewer method but I will look into it, and I do have a few exposed green roots, they just aren't very long.

---------- Post added at 03:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:58 PM ----------

+Kevin+

I live in North Carolina. Those are some really cool mounts you have there, and thanks for the vid. I would love to do something like that in the future! It's just that I would need to bring everything inside in the Winter, but I am debating a greenhouse.

---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:02 PM ----------

My growth/hardiness zone is 7b. The humidity here in the Summer is normally very high.
As far as environment, I live in a rural area within a temperate deciduous forest biome.
The only windows that I have are north and south facing. I have my phal positioned in a southern window so it gets Eastern light in the morning, and moves into the shade in the afternoon.

I am going to order some better fertilizer online, and I thought it sounded like a dumb idea to use ice as well. Thats why I never had, but I have just seen it so much during any type of search... (It's on the interweb, so it must be true! :facepalm: ) :lol:

Go read that thread I linked to in my post. It's got the answers to 90% of your questions already in it. Just focus on reading the posts by King of Orchid Growing. It's a LOT of info to get through, but it's very helpful and it will save you some money too.

I use the better gro orchid plus urea free fertilizer. So far, so good with it.

I have several of those "Just Add Ice" orchids. The plants are great. I've had excellent luck working with these plants so far and of my several orchids, these were the only ones that are growing new leaves and roots for me, until last week when I finally got some new root growth on my phal sogo yukidian v3.

I don't water them using the ice method. I treat them as I would any other phal and a lot of what I learned about how to treat them, came from that thread I linked to, so that should really be your first stop before you order anything or even do anything else.

As far as the pot goes, I use the clear containers inside the pots so that it's easier to water. I water using the bucket method and it's easier and less messy to dunk a cheap plastic pot in the bucket, than it is to soak an entire ceramic pot. I believe that you can use these pots without the liners, no problem, you'll just have to be a bit more careful when you water.

Ah, I see. I was thinking that dunking would be the best way to saturate the medium. I will keep the plastic insert in mind when I get a new plant. As for that link I am goin through it as we speak.

I used wooden shish cabobs to check my medium, I have some schomburgkia orchids in a net basket outside and in my climate the outer walls were dry to the bone but the inside was still wet.

I love better gro mix works great for me, I also like their orchid moss I use that for some of my water thirsty plants again due to the heat here during the summer.

there are several people who will tell you what type of fertilizer they use. I like the better gro as well on a weakly weekly basis. My plants have also thus far been happy happy happy good growing!
and Welcome.

---------- Post added at 03:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:00 PM ----------

@Dracon6 you can go ahead and mount the chids of your choosing and create a type of shelving to hang them on. That is what I will be doing for mine when they come in. Metal holey free standing shelving by a bright window to hang all of mine on.

The more I hear, and look into mounting, the more I am liking the idea. It has the wheels in my head starting to spin. I have little to no window sill space, and most of that is already used by my carnivorous plants when they aren't outside or in dormancy. If I could make some type of framed wall mount, that would be ideal in the Winter, and could be moved to the porch on the North face of my house and catch the Westerly sun in the afternoon during the Summer.

@Dracon6 awesome idea. Would love to see what you come up with. I also find carnivores are good friends with orchids; also be mindful that some wood types break down 2 quickly. And some wood types have tanins(?) That are harmful to orchids. I have my phals for example mounted together on a reptile tunnel. You can find it at petsmart.

It would be a cool idea to put both carnis and chids together. They are a lot alike as far as envitonment prefs except for the fact that any fertilizer at all will kill carnivores, even tap water kills them, but I water all of my plants w/ R/O anyhow. I think I will give it a go next spring when I pull my traps out of dormancy and divide them.
I'm assuming that there would probably be the tanin in most deciduous hardwoods, and why cork seems to be used so often?
How would you go about watering the chids that are mounted to freestanding metal shelving?

they would be mounted on the wood and then placed on the shelving during the winter months kind of like a small green house. Mine are mounted on wood with fishing wire. I spray every morning until green roots show. Then my plan to when I move them into the house this winter is to have a metal shelving unit that is mobile (20.00 at walmart) then hang them from that in their winter room. I also give them a good drenching about every 2 days except my zone requires that since it is so hot.

Most likely that is why the cork is used i also think that it holds up longer than wood pieces.

I mount a lot of mine, I live in NC... There is generally enough humidity, although, sometimes in the house, it can vary depending on the time of year. I also use a lot of wooden baskets, and my Phal species love those as well. Where in NC do you live? ...if you don't mind me asking? (I live in Salisbury, and then on the Outer Banks, just south of Hatteras, on Ocracoke Island, during the summertime)

I just use a spray bottle to water them, and saturate the mounts, avoiding the crowns of Phals, especially if there isn't much air movement, or if it's going to be slightly chilly.

put some large plastic pans on the metal shelves and let it catch the water from the mounted plants....that way it also serves as a humidity tray

I have a Lexington address, but I'm closer to High Rock Lake. So our climate is def the same;) So :waving from across the Yadkin. lol

Wow! Well, hello there! You're right next door then! Lol :waving from the other side of the river!! (technically, I'm on the Outer Banks right now, but will be back to Salisbury shortly! ...in about a week or two). Welcome to the board, neighbor! :biggrin:

I like the idea of a wall to hang your plants on. But place them back a ways from the window for phals as these don't like full sun for long. They sunburn easily. Do you live in the piedmont area or Apps? Makes a difference. Don't worry about humidity. The more course the media the more often you can water. What and how do you feed your fly catchers? I have tried but after awhile they die. I love them but never get them to really grow. Any tips? That pot you have the phal in is nice. Lots of air movement. That is the unsung key to growing good phals.

James, he is in the piedmont area of NC (where I am ;))

I don't use the fertilizer spikes for orchids- just too much fertilizer concentrated in one place in the pot. Orchids prefer weak (dilute) fertilizer, applied in occasional does (weakly and weekly, so the saying goes).

I do use Miracle Gro 30-10-10 soluble orchid fertilizer. It is urea-based, but that is OK, there's some scientific research (conducted with Phalaenopsis) that shows that orchids can absorb urea directly as the urea molecule, metabolize it internally. There is no harm using non-urea fertilizer if that is what you prefer.

I normally dont feed my traps, I keep them outside in the summer and during winter I put them in dormancy. They eat better than I do just sitting and sunbathing. Granddaddy spiders love my big traps, and they love them right back. :biggrin:
Carnivorous plants require a lot of different things than your normal house plant. For one, I feel like one of the biggest problems that people have with them is with over fertilization. You need to pot them in nutrient devoid medium. Even the minerals from watering with tap water can burn the roots, so you need to use either R/O H2O or distilled. I your interested, there is a ton of info from this website (flytrapcare dot com)

---------- Post added at 01:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:32 PM ----------

{An update on my Phal.} It was doing very well, and even has 2 spikes that have grown about 3 inches now. However, the bottom 2 pair of leaves are getting very leathery. I think that it is getting more sun than it would like, so I moved it as well as giving it a good dip. It did well where it was earlier, but i suppose as the sun gets lower on the horizon there is much more direct sunlight

If it was getting too much sunlight, the entire plant would exhibit the condition you see on the lower leaves. The new ;eaves are the most susceptible to burning as they haven't developed much yet. Older bottom leaves are the first to give up their store of moisture and nutrients when the plant flowers and behave just as you describe. They turn yellow, or leathery, or droop. Phals have no pbulb in which to store food and moisture so the leaves and roots are where it stores it. Be very careful how much water you give it because overwatering looks much like under watering.