New Phal from Big Box in Bloom HELP Overwatered
 

Ugh. I've been doing OK then I broke down and bought a beautiful in-bloom phal. 3 spikes, in bloom and bud all over. I had one job: Keep it alive and in bloom! But I overwatered it. :((

Its in one of those teeny tiny plastic pots with only one drainage hole. I watered it with the rest of my orchids- once per week- but those orchids are in a medium bark and multiple-holy pots. So because of all the sphag this new one is planted in, I'm guessing, it didn't need more water this weekend. Now the tiniest of the buds look like they're going to fall off!

I know how to repot but I don't really want to lose all these beautiful blooms. :(

Can I just remove it from the pot to let it dry out? Will this make it sad and drop its blooms? ARRGH

Any assistance or advice is appreciated, thank you.

Bud drop can also be from moving from one temperature to another, or from high to low humidity.

If it's in moss inside a thin plastic cup, yes, take the moss ball out of the cup and let it sit in the air. If the roots you can see look fine, there is no urgency to repot.

You can repot a Phal at any time it is growing - which means warm weather. Even in flower they don't mind being repotted. I wouldn't repot a Phal when it's cool, but other people do so.

When growing orchids in sphagnum moss, you never soak all the moss. You lightly sprinkle water on just the top of the moss. It diffuses throughout the moss, leaving it just damp, with lots of air inside. Soaking the moss obliterates the air spaces and may lead to root suffocation.

Most people growing Phals in a home in sphagnum moss might need to water only once every 2-4 weeks.

Thank you! Hopefully I can air it out and save it.