How long before the plant adapts to S/H?

[Lene Th.]

I repotted some of my phals and a cambria into S/H for about three weeks ago, and so far they are doing fine. The phals where in bloom, but i decided to repot anyhow, becourse of the medias condition. When i bought them, they where almos bathing in their pots...and the media was pretty decomposed, and had started some root-rot. I trimed the roots, and repotted.

I have been expecting the old roots to rot, and i alsow expected to loose some flowers/buds. And this did happen to the cambria, as this one was used to dry conditions. The old roots have started to rot. But this one did not bloom, and alsow had a lot of new growth when i repotted, and it seems to grow even more and faster after the repot.

But the phals seems to have adapted to the new cultur whitout any swet...seeming to doing better than before. Ive lost to small buds on one of the phals. But the other ones have even grown more buds, and this after i belived they where pretty much finished blooming... Some of the old flowers had started wiltering, so you can just imagine my surprise when they started to set new buds on the same spike, and even the spike has grown taler and the new buds is in the top, above the wiltered one. Three of the phals has responded like this.

I belive that this may be becourse they where already used to wet medium, but the growing conditions has becom better sice there is now mutch more air-flow to the roots?

Should i still be conserned about them, since they didnt had mutch new roots before the repot, or does it seem like they have adapted to S/H witout loosing any roots?

[Ray]

"How long does it take?" is sort-of like "how high is up?" - unanswerable. It all depends upon the conditions, the plant, and it's current growth phase and rate.

You are correct that if the difference between the old root-zone conditions and the new one is small, there will be almost no adjustment needed.

[quiltergal]

Maybe that's why the latest Phal I transfered to s/h is doing so well. It was in nice airy coco with a great root system, and a couple weeks after transfering to s/h it started growing two new leaves. The roots were in good shape when I moved it and so far they show no signs of rotting. It's been in s/h for about a month now.

[snow]

nice phal btw.
i would still keep them a bit drier then normal for a few weeks until the roots had time to ajust to the new medium.
at least thats my opinion.

[kavanaru]

Mx experience so far is that Phals do not mind that much when transferred to S/H. They get it easily, and start producing roots like crazy almost immediately. They not even loose buds or flowers (had to move 2 Phals in buds/flowers to S/H due to different reasons, and they cope very good with that) but maybe I have just been lucky with them (11 Phals so far)

Same (except for the buds/flowers (no experience in this case) applies for Paphs and Phrags so far (13 Paphs and 2 Phrags). Catts, Laelia, Onc., Brassia, and others have reacted different, some adapting very easy and quick other taking a bit longer (I have always moved my plants - except Phals and Paphs - only when in active grow!)

my two cents

...but listen to Ray, he is the most experienced here with S/H. He grows in GH (so far I know) I grow indoors... This makes a big different due to variations in humidity and Temps!

[Lene Th.]

Thanks for answering!
I know that its difficult to answer at how long, and i see i have explained my self somehow stupid
Since its been over three weeks, and they still seems fine, i was wondering if i could relax, and belive they have adapted. Or if this root-rot could start now/down the road sometime, due to repotting not other bad growing. I grow indoors as well, but the cambria is outside for the summer.

The cambria seems to need some time, but the roots that were growing before the repot, is still growing, and seems to speed up as well.

Right now i have to sit on my fingers, since the repotting of my phals seems to be that easy... And i still have chids in bark, that i want to repot into S/H in time. But i didnt want to repot everyone, before i learned more about this metod. By experience, and not only by reading Im quite a waterer, and i like the idea about a media that can help my chids by regulating the waterflow to a point where my chids wont suffer if a water once to often...
Balancing the watering is not one of my strong sides... I either water to much, or to little...cousing the roots to either shriwel up, or rot.
Now i can mist the surface every day, and water when the reservoir starts drying out. And another thing, when im away from home, i dont have to worry about explaining watering to my friend (she will water all my plants for a month when im on vacation), she just mist the surface, and run water thru when the reservoir is empty. Theyll have to survive whitout fertilizer that month.

Anyhow, thanks for helping!

(Wow...my fingers run as fast as my mouth... )