Phal Question

[Buttercup]

Hi there,
I have a small phal (it kind of looks like "brother sarah gold" but has no fragrance and no tag so I'm not sure). I got it in early Dec. from a nursery (but not specifically an orchid nursery). Right when I got it I noticed problems. The bottom two leaves slowly got wrinkly and yellow and I ended up tearing them off. All the buds have opened and it really is a nice plant. However, when I water this phal compared to the other one I have I notice the medium is very slow to drain. I think the nursery sold it with decomposing medium? Now it looks like it is potted to high and some of the aerial roots have shriveled and some look rotted. What should I do? I keep reading everywhere you can't repot while an orchid is flowering. I'm afraid I am killing it though...I appreciate your help! Thanks so much. (I water it ~once a week to every 10 days and it is in a southwest window. We are not getting hardly any sun so I don't think it's too bright. Oh and I have most of my orchids in here so I have a humidifier too).

[Buttercup]

D'uh I am slow this morning! The plant I am talking to is my picture, avatar picture. Thanks!

[mayres]

Nice Flowers! You can repot a phal any time - even when blooming - without any serious effects. Not sure about your case, but it is normal for the bottom leaf or two to slowly turn yellow and drop off. Your plant should make a few new ones to take their place. There are a LOT of different medias and media combinations that phals are planted in. The speed that yours drain (different) could be to some degree due to different medias used. Most media used for phals drain right through almost like a sieve - extremely quickly. A few others, including sphag, coir, peat mixes, etc. will drain slowly and should only be used (IMO) by people who really know their stuff - they also retain water much longer and can easily lead to root rot if over watered. It is normal for some of the aerial roots to shrivel in that they probably came from a greenhouse environment with more humidity than your home and it will take some time to aclimate. Most phals that are properly taken care of before sale should be OK for a year or two without repotting. With that said, I like to repot all mine soon after purchasing so that I can have them all in a like media that I am most comfortable with - it also gives me a chance to thoroughly inspect the root system - removing any poor roots - and then I know going forward that any issues that might occur will be do to something I have done. Good luck - mike

[Buttercup]

Hi Mike,
Thank you! I didn't know you could re-pot when in bloom, that's great to know. I'm wondering, is this true of all orchids or just phals? I am kind of overwhelmed with the media choices. Since you have so much experience could you tell me what mix you like, specifically for phals? I would really like to repot it. It looks like it is potted way too high now those bottom leaves fell off. This was my first orchid and now I have 8! I had no idea they were such beautiful (and addictive) plants. My mom says I am turning in "the crazy orchid lady!" (but I don't mind).
~Buttercup

[mayres]

Hi Buttercup! No, you should definately NOT repot most orchids during the period that they are blooming. I generally would not repot a phal then either unless I had reason to believe the roots were suffering - as noted by lots of drooping and/or shriveled leaves. The media choice that is best is dependent upon the area where you live and where you are growing your plants to some degree. You may know that these plants grow on trees in the wild - no media at all. So, the pots and media are for us - so we can move them around and enjoy them. One of the easiest choices of media for beginners is medium or coarse bark which might also have pieces of perlite mixed with it. The advantage here is that it drains really quicky and helps avoid one of the most common problems with beginners - over watering. There are usually premixed bags of this available in local stores. Commercial growers, people in very warm southern climates and more advanced hobby growers often use a finer more moisture retentive mix - less time needed in the business spent watering (less frequently). This might be New Zealand sphagnum moss, a peat mix or a mix with coir (coconut fiber). Lots of people use blends of differnt ingredients to get something they are comfortable with. I tend to suggest beginners start with a mostly bark mix and then experiment over time with other options to come up with what you like best. Currently I am about 8 months into having all my phals into a blend of coir, perlite and a little charcoal. So far they all are seeming to love it. Up here in Oregon that translates to only watering every 2-3 weeks in the winter months as this really holds in the moisture. If/when you repot - keep the pot size down as small as you can and still get all the roots in the pot. Remove any current roots that are black, mushy, dehydrated to paper-like thin-ness, etc. Good roots should be sligthly gray or tan and be thick and firm. If you use bark, soak it for 24-48 hours before use. Good luck - Mike

[Buttercup]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will keep you posted! I am interested to see how this goes as it will be my first re-potting.