BIG Phal - Orchid Board

mojomick · #1 06-14-2007, 11:01 AM

IF you're out there Ray..a friend asked me to report her orchid. IT is a HUGE phal. There were actually two plants in the basket and the media was old, old, old. I took it out, separated it and the two plants are soaking in KLN and Protect. So here's my question..There are huge roots and lots of them. Many are air roots. How should I decide size of pot? Ignore the air roots and leave them outside of the new pot? I know the object is to grow new roots but what to do with so many old ones? mojomick

Oscarman · #2 06-23-2007, 02:19 AM

Use the smallest pot that the plant will fit in. Some say trim the roots, others say never! If they are too long they will get broken off anyway, so I vote for trimming them.

Dorothy · #3 06-23-2007, 10:00 AM

If you trim the roots, apply either cinnamon to the ends or seal them with candle wax.
The buzz is bee's wax has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties

Ray · #4 06-23-2007, 10:35 AM

Sorry I took so long to respond, and that I will be the contrarian here.

I have found (in the last year or so) that semi-hydro phals actually do better for me in larger pots. I might, for example, move to to a 6" pot (or larger, depending on the root system) from a 4"-er.

My interpretation of the phenomenon is this: A phal in nature spreads its roots out over a very large area of a tree's surface. By doing so, in addition to giving itself more absorption capability, anchors itself more broadly, providing stability to what is a wobbly structural design - think of the roots as "guy wires". You'll note that most of the time, so-called "aerial roots" come from a little higher up on the plant structure.

In the large S/H pot, I find that the once-aerial roots sink themselves right down into the medium.

Also keep in mind that the old guidance of "provide sufficient room for a year of growth (maybe two) was really based upon the understanding that the medium will decompose, not anything to do with the plant itself. As LECA won't decompose, that's an unnecessary constraint.

As far as "plants liking to be crowded in the pot", that's not universal, by any means, and certainly isn't the case with phals. I'm actually having a hard time coming to grips with interpreting that anyway, as - again in nature - no epiphyte has such mechanical constraints, so there must be something else going on that we've interpreted that way.

Dorothy · #5 06-23-2007, 12:03 PM

Ray - I believe the constraints are used for the commerical growers' advantage of medium and space saving.
Orchids are a matter of learning and experimenting.
What is written and said is based on experience .. but by no means is anything carved in stone.
Isn't that the reason for OB .. to share our experiences and possible differences that we may come upon growing, maintaining and caring for our flowered friends

I think it's great and I agree that things don't have to be as some say, as being the only way.
I intend to repot my phals into larger pots.

Ross · #6 06-23-2007, 03:39 PM

This is really good news except for one thing - bigger pots mean more space. Where do I get more space? There's a new orchidarium in my future - I can see it now (and I already know which one)