Repotted Phalaenopsis - Orchid Board

rosslyn1037 · #1 04-24-2012, 02:22 PM

Hi everyone,

I am neither a newbie orchid grower and by no means an expert grower. I am still learning all about these amazing plants. I recently re-potted a store-bought Phalaenopsis. When I bought it, it was planted in sphagnum moss. I removed all of the moss and put it into a clay pot with orchid mix. Now, this mix only has bark mulch, charcoal and some white things, maybe perlite. I did not add any sphagnum moss to the pot. The leaves are droopy, but firm and the roots are slowly starting to peek up out of the mix. I am wondering if I should have put some moss in there too, because the pot dries out very quickly, since clay is very porous. I find that I need to water this orchid at least twice a week. Do you think this is okay? I would love to have some feedback and advice regarding this. Thanks.

Gage · #2 04-24-2012, 02:28 PM

Drying quickly is a good thing, if you are able to keep up with the watering. You just don't want it staying moist longer than 2 weeks or so. If your mix dries out in less than 2 weeks, I think you're in good shape. Anything longer than that and you may rot the roots. Drying out in a time frame of anything less than 2 weeks is just a matter of what watering schedule works for you, and/or what potting/mounting style works with your space.

flexdc · #3 04-24-2012, 03:06 PM

I agree with Gage, however, I do mix in Sphagnum in my potted phals because I can't be watering it constantly and also I live in a dry climate.

Here is a pic of a rescued pahl in sphag/bark mix. Roots do ok, I water at most once a week.

rosslyn1037 · #4 10-09-2012, 02:04 PM

Here it is 6 months after I posted about my Phal's droopy leaves. Well, they don't look any better, but the plants are still alive, roots look good. I water them once a week and lightly feed them 3 weeks out of a month, giving them a break once a month from fertilizing. So I can't understand why no new leaves have come up. I think it is because they are sitting in front of a north-facing window, starved of sunlight. As I live in a condo, there's no other windows I have facing another direction. Also, one of the Phals are not tight in the orchid mix, kind of wobbly. I was thinking of getting some sphagnum moss and repotting it in the same clay pot, or just repot again, adding more orchid mix without the moss. But I'm afraid of killing it. I would really like some DETAILED advice here. I definitely don't want to lose this one, because the flowers are so pretty. Can someone please advise me what to do? I won't do anything until I hear back from anyone. Please tell me everything I need to know. Thanks so much! Here's two photos of the orchid. I hope the links work. http://db.tt/Ofx4tO6l
http://db.tt/fOjuu7jL

flexdc · #5 10-09-2012, 02:25 PM

Can you provide a picture?

Rowangreen · #6 10-09-2012, 03:04 PM

If you want detailed read through 'The Phal Abuse Stops Here' (sticky at the top of this forum)

orchidsarefun · #7 10-09-2012, 03:14 PM

phals need a fair amount of light - and north-facing doesn't provide it as you know.
If you don't want to get rid of them and want blooms and good growth, you are going to have to buy artificial lights....

flexdc · #8 10-09-2012, 04:33 PM

There are exceptions regarding North facing windows. If light is reflected thru a light colored wall, or you live in a sunny and warm climate, North Facing windows can be ideal growing areas for shade loving orchids.
I grow most of my phals and paphs in a north facing window. But that window has no obstruction and my climate is also very sunny.
Phals respond very well to artificial lights. A simple set up of shop lights with florescent tubes specially made for plants is very easy to assemble.
For most Northern Climates, the light level in a north facing window, especially in the winter, is simply not sufficient.
Andrew

rosslyn1037 · #9 11-07-2012, 10:50 PM

Has anyone looked at my photos that I recently attached? I still haven't done anything with that orchid in the photo, such as repotting it, because I want to hear from any of you with some advice. I really don't want to kill this one because the flowers were gorgeous when I bought it. Right now, as I said in my description above, it is lose (wobbly) in the pot. I want to repot in the same clay pot, but adding more orchid mix, with or without sphagnum moss, but I didn't want to do anything until I hear from someone what the best thing is I should do. So PLEASE someone help soon. Thanks!

rosslyn1037 · #10 11-07-2012, 11:37 PM

Hi,

The side of the condo I live on faces another condo, and the sunlight that shines on that building reflects onto our condo, which provides a good amount of indirect light, but this only happens in the winter because the sun is lower. In the summer, it doesn't happen this way, but it does get longer daylight hours. So my one good orchid is budding again, plus sending out another flower spike. So I can't complain about that plant, but the other two are the ones that are stalled right now in doing anything, and these are the ones I was telling you about in my previous post. Thanks again for your help.