WHAT KIND OF POTTING????? for my phal

[camille1585]

Hi Help,
Yes, this question comes up a lot, but we're always glad to give an answer, so don't worry! Are you talking about the pot or the medium? Phals are ephiphytic orchids, which means that they need lots of air around their roots. For medium you can you a bark based orchid mix, or sphagnum moss. Sphag can be tricky if you have a tendency to over water. But it does seem to work well in dry climates, for people who don't water too much. Most people prefer bark medium. Try to get good quality medium, since the stuff sold in big box stores and garden centers usually has too much fine stuff in it, or has peat added. If you do get bark, make sure to soak the medium overnight before potting up the phal. New bark doesn't hold water very well, so soaking beforehand helps a lot!
For pots, you can use clear plastic pots or clay pots. Jut make sure that the pot is not too big, phals really do better if they are a bit root bound. That usually means using the smallest pot in which the roots can comfortably fit.