Moss Advice/Phals drying out too soon?

[peacefuldusk]

I have 4 Phals all that have struggled since I left them for almost a year in their original medium of all spag. All replanted now medium bark only, and terra cotta with side holes.

They are on a staircase that has a large high window and get a very full sun from about 8-1 everyday. I have been watering them by soaking for 20-30 min once a week but I am finding that the medium seems to be dying out much before then by at least 3 days accept for the very bottom of the pots where smaller bits have settled. We also live in SoCal and keep our house pretty cool around 68 and the air is really dry. I use furniture protectors two time bigger than needed for the pots and fill them with water each time I soak (also they have river rocks) it they are prob 3/4 deep and it dries out in 3 days.

My question is I had read about people placing spag over the bark, just setting it on top. Does anyone have an opinion of this as far as keeping more moisture in the phals.

I have felt like they have done much worse since I put them in the bark. They have all now really soft droopy leaves, one is growing a keiki, only one bloomed but the blooms get smaller as the go down and a couple at the end just dried out and died and never got above a few mm. I do not feel like any are well, in the few months since I replanted.

Any advice on the moss, I really feel like they are drying out too soon and I would rather not soak them every 4 days? I am going to move them higher up to the top of the landing I think, even when I am on the staircase I feel very warm during the day, I know they like light but I think the one wall of all windows is just too much.

Thanks

[BGGraham1]

Maybe they are getting a little too much light. I keep mine in my sunroom by a south facing window, but they are about a foot away, and shaded by some Oncs. Since I moved them back from the window, they are doing much better and I have spikes on 3 of them right now.

Can you post a pic of your set up? Maybe some of the more experienced growers can take a look and see what you have going on.

[peacefuldusk]

I will try to get a pic tomorrow when the sun is bright, it really does heat up alot.

[Smokerfamily]

Why dont you try potting them in coco peat and perlite. This is free draining but holds enough moisture for a longer period of time. Mine are doing really good in it and I have almost all my orchids in it.

[Reg22]

Sounds like they need more water and possibly less sun. Are they right next to the window? I grow mine in bark outside & inside in humid south Florida. I water them every 2-3 days, especially when it's really hot.

[Fishmom]

Another medium you might want to consider is CHC (coconut husk chips). They retain more moisture than bark and seem to last pretty well too, longer than many of the barks I've tried. Bark mixed with CHC and perlite makes a nice Phal mix in my conditions. Pots are another variable to think about; clay dries faster than plastic.

It does sound like you might need to cut back on the light and heat a bit. Direct sun until 1:00 p.m. sounds like too much. Can you post a pic of the plants? The leaf color will give an indication of the light conditions. Many phals get a dark reddish tint when exposed to high light; are your leaves really red?