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  #1  
Old 08-25-2010, 12:36 PM
OrchidLover2010 OrchidLover2010 is offline
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Default Newbie could use some help!!!!

A friend of mine bought me two Phalaenopsis Orchid plants, knowing I love Orchids, but she didn't realize that I hardly know anything about them. I have been doing some research, but feel a lil overwhelmed.

Both plants are young, but in full bloom(as far as I know).
They stand about 8 inches tall, with several adorable mini blooms on them and a few buds at the top. They are in 2.5 inch clay pots with a plastic pot inside, which doesn't go all the way to the bottom(I'm assuming for drainage). I did pull them out of the pots to look at the roots and noticed both have some root rot.The plants are potted in moss I believe. I also believe both have at least one off shoot starting about in the middle of the stem.In general the plants look to be in good health, except for the root rot.

Can someone tell me what they would do? Thanks so much.
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  #2  
Old 08-25-2010, 01:04 PM
tucker85 tucker85 is offline
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I wouldn’t repot until they finish blooming. Phals. Usually bloom once a year and can stay in bloom for several months. Growing indoors and planted in moss you can probably water them once a week. When you do water, put the plant in the sink and water thoroughly so water is running out the bottom. Try not to get water in the crown. It can cause crown rot. You don’t need to fertilize while they’re in bloom but if you want to fertilize use an orchid fertilizer and mix it very weak and use it every two weeks during watering. Keep it in an area that gets good light but not direct sun (which will burn the leaves). Direct sun in the early morning won’t hurt it. When the plant is finished blooming replant it in a slightly larger plastic pot with a bark mix from Home Depot or a nursery. Cut off all the old rotten roots. If you want to go to the trouble and expense you can use a fungicide like Physan 20 to try and control the root rot. Ask your local nursery about it. Phals do well in semi-hydroponic also but you don’t need to worry about that unless you’re planning to make orchids a hobby. Don't cut off the flower stem right away. They sometime grow a side growth off that stem and rebloom in a few weeks. On the other hand it doesn't hurt anything to cut off the stem after flowering. Happy growing!

Last edited by tucker85; 08-25-2010 at 01:10 PM..
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  #3  
Old 08-25-2010, 01:38 PM
OrchidLover2010 OrchidLover2010 is offline
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Thank you,Tucker! I have always wanted to grow Orchids, maybe these two plants will be the start. :-)
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  #4  
Old 08-25-2010, 03:11 PM
RosieC RosieC is offline
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I'm afraid I would disagree about not repotting, if the roots are showing signs of rot then saving the plant is the first thing you should concentrate on and repotting is the first thing for that.

Phals can loose flowers from re-potting, but not always. You are more likely to loose both flowers and the plant it's self if all the roots are alowed to rot.

Many people here on OB swear by always repotting new plants as soon as they can. Personally I leave them if the roots seem healthy but re-pot if there is ANY sign of problems.

Last edited by RosieC; 08-25-2010 at 03:42 PM..
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  #5  
Old 08-25-2010, 03:16 PM
CTB CTB is offline
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Welcome to the Orchid Board, is you saw a lot of good roots wait till flowering is over if you did not have many good roots repot now.
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  #6  
Old 08-25-2010, 03:18 PM
RosieC RosieC is offline
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For me moss dries a LOT slower than a week, but that's one of those things which can vary drastically depending on your climate. In hoter/drier climates it will dry quicker, in cooler climates it will grow slower. Your choice of media can also depend of this. If moss dries quickly enough for you (drying within a week is 'quick enough' in my experience) then you may be happy to repot with fresh moss. If it dries slower then using a bark mix is a better idea.

Whatever media you go for make sure it is high quality and fresh, already decaying media can cause even worse problems. I've heard a lot of good things about www.repotme.com although I don't use it myself as I'm in the UK.

Last edited by RosieC; 08-25-2010 at 03:33 PM..
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  #7  
Old 08-25-2010, 03:21 PM
RosieC RosieC is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CTB View Post
Welcome to the Orchid Board, is you saw a lot of good roots wait till flowering is over if you did not have many good roots repot now.
Agreed, if most of the roots are good and only a couple are rotting then you can probably leave it, if there is a lot of rot however then re-pot sooner rather than later.

Just as a note, rotting roots are soft/mushy. Firm roots are good, whatever the colour. Sometimes people see brown roots and think they are rotting but that can often just be staining from the medium.
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  #8  
Old 08-25-2010, 03:30 PM
RosieC RosieC is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tucker85 View Post
When you do water, put the plant in the sink and water thoroughly so water is running out the bottom. Try not to get water in the crown. It can cause crown rot.
This is really good advice. I water in a couple of ways but a key thing is plenty of water, then let it dry before watering again.

I water either by running water through the pot or by standing it for 10-15min up to the top of the pot in water.

Let the water drain before you put it back in the outer clay pot. Try to make sure that the water does not sit in the bottom of the clay pot (if there is a gap as you describe a little bit will be OK, but not so much it is touching the inner pot).

If you do get water in the crown you can use paper towel to dry it out. Sometimes you can also blow it out.

I like to fertilise all year, whether they are flowering or not. I put fertiliser in the watering water, except for once a month when I flush it with plain water. Flushing helps to remove buildups of fertiliser salts which can be harmful if they build up too high.

The general advice is to fertilise weekly weakly. A simple method if you have an orchid fertiliser is to look at the instrcutions. If they say once a month use quater strength weekly, if they say once every two weeks use half strength weekly, if they say weekly then use as advised. There are some more detailed calculations you can do for strength but this sees a good guide.
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  #9  
Old 08-25-2010, 03:42 PM
RosieC RosieC is offline
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OK, some final thoughts.

As has already been said, they can burn in direct light. They like bright light but not direct (except early morning).

I generally cut the spikes off all the way, but most people here leave them until they turn brown and dry up. If you think you already have a side spike developing it would definately be worth leaving.

I've sometimes used a Listerine rince when repotting but I don't believe it's necessary every time. Many people will also use a fungicide when repotting but again it's not always necessary unless you have something you are trying to get rid of. I've never used it.

You should choose a pot size which matches the root mass. Too big and you may find it does not dry correctly, too small and you can't fit the roots in. You do not always want to go up a pot size, sometimes you need to go down a pot size, especially if there has been a lot of root rot. I've made the mistake before of putting it back in the same pot after there was root loss and they struggled until I got them in a smaller pot.
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  #10  
Old 08-25-2010, 03:47 PM
RosieC RosieC is offline
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OK, forgot my final tip for beginners...

There are three ways to judge when to water again...

1. If the pot is clear (the inner plastic pot) then you can pull it out and look at the roots. If they are silvery in colour then they are dry and ready for watering again. If they are green then they don't need watering again yet.

2. Use a wooden skewer and stick it down in to the medium. Leave it in there and when you want to know if it needs watering pull it out and if it's damp it's not ready to be watered yet, if it's dry then it needs watering.

3. You can learn to judge the weight of the pot. It get's noticably lighter as it gets drier. This is the hardest to judge for beginners but it's worth trying to learn. Use one of the other methods but feel the weight of the pot each time and eventually you'll get the hang of it.
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