Phal Re-potting with possible root problem
 

I have a Phal that was re-potted a year and a half ago. It is quite large and just completed 6 months of blooming. I am wondering if I should re-pot it again. My concern is that I may have put it in a pot that was too large (6") because it had a wonderful root structure before I potted it but there has been no sign of root growth in the potting medium since. In the mean time there is a bevvy of root growth above the medium...8 new in the last six months. I am worried that all the roots in the medium are rotted and gone. if that is the case, I am not sure how to re-pot with no roots below the surface and whether a smaller pot should be used. Suggestion would be very welcomed.

You can re-pot if there is any "growth." (With phals, I just pot, and don't really care when).

My suggestion is to get a clear pot to check the progress of the roots without having to take it out of the pot. If you have a decent large deli-container (like 2-pint size) you can poke holes in it, and there is your pot.

You do not know if the roots are rotten. Roots growing from the top do not indicate dead roots below.

Also, After spiking/blooming phals (and all other orchids) do really have a slight dormancy period. They just stop growing. Then they start again.

Optimist, thanks for the reply.
The Phal is currently potted in a clear pot with slots on the side. I do see a few roots on the bottom but they appear to be dead. none are visible on the sides of the pot. this is why I am fearful that all the buried roots have rotted away. I use wood skewers in the medium to determine when to water. I usually don't water until the skewers are quite dry (usually 7-10 days) and then give them a very short soaking and extended drain time. the plant is indoors, never outside.

The plant looks quite healthy to me, the bark looks good, and your watering sounds good. I would leave it in that pot and carry on.

You don't say where you live, nor give temperatures. Phals are warm-growing orchids. In an air-conditioned house they don't grow very fast.

If the phal is potted in sieved, coarse bark, the pot could be a metre in diameter. You can't overpot phals in clean, coarse bark.

I like to give mine more room for their roots. They go into pots that are more than a foot in diam.