Blooming Phal- Musty Smell- What to Do?

[CA_Emily]

Hello! I was recently gifted three lovely blooming phalaenopsis orchids. They are all in bloom and look relatively healthy (nice leaves, healthy roots, happy blooms).

They were arranged in a decorative pot and covered in moss. When I took them out of the decorative pot to inspect (they were still in their individual clear plastic pots) I notice a very musty smell. The plants are all planted in sphagnum moss. They are packed a little tightly. I would normally wait to replant until blooming has completed, but the smell concerns me. It's very noticeable. I've never had a plant give off such a musty smell (reminds me of mildew). And yet the roots that I can see look pretty good.

Thoughts/advice? Should I replant even though they are in bloom? I generally prefer my phals in a bark mix so I will be replanting eventually. Thank you!

Emily

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

Good nose. Many Phals come packed in wet sphagnum moss, which leads to root rot before you even bring them home.

Healthy Phals don't mind repotting even in bloom. Most people repot new orchids right away for the very reason you have found out.

Chunky bark is a good choice for Phals. Unpot them and cut off the dead roots. I hope there aren't too many. If all the roots are dead, you will need to cut off the bloom stalk, too, to give the plant the best chance of surviving.

There is a sticky thread on taking care of Phals near the top of the Beginner Discussion forum. There is also a thread there about using a wooden cooking skewer to check how wet it is inside pots.

When you have made 5 posts you can show us photos of your plants. We look forward to it!

[CA_Emily]

Thank you for the reply! I repotted all of the plants and they seem to be doing well. I had a few drop one or two buds, but it wasn't bad. The plants seem much happier and I've spotted some new growth on several of them.

One of the poor plants had quite a few rotten roots. It is struggling a bit in the new pot, but I think it is turning a corner.

Thank you for your help!

Emily