Community potting?

[OzarkQ]

I have about 6 or 7 phals and over the last few years have been cutting off the new plant splitting off the side of the big plant... now I have a bunch, but it's a lot of work with the kids and etc etc - I wanted to know if I can put several in one big pot?

Thanks!
Geoff

[kmarch]

Better yet, just stop dividing them. They'll just grow bigger that way and will produce more flowers. Um...are you certain you have Phals, as they don't typically divide this readily. Some plants go for years and years without starting new growths.

[OzarkQ]

I think it is - here's a picture of the current newbie. There's even grandchildren. The child didn't flower this year, but hopefully after finding this forum it will work this year. My goal is to do a better job and get back to prior glory...

Geoff

[fred]

Hi Geoff
can you please go into your UserCP at the top left of the page and Update your Profile with your Location as that will help us to understand your growing conditions and also with giving you the right advice.
thanks

[OzarkQ]

Thanks Fred - and I'm in Springfield, MO USA.

[kmarch]

Geoff, Yup they're Phals alright. They must like somethign you're doing if they're starting new growths at this rate. I'd recommend just not dividing them any more. I bet you'll end up with a nice big plant that puts out multiple spikes every year.

The "pup" is still probably just too small to flower. It probably will in due time.

Nice plants!

[OzarkQ]

Thank you! How about the other plants? Would it be ok to put them in a community situation?

[kmarch]

I don't know...I don't think I would pot mature flowering size plants together in a community-type pot. Comm potting works well with seedlings out of flask but inmy opinion doesn't seem to work well for mature plants.

[brookn]

Hi and welcome! I was raised in Springfield, now I live in Ava, Mo. Nice to see another member from the Ozarks here.

[solay]

Welcome and I love the Phal. Imagine growing them so easily as to not know what to do with them all. Wonderful!

[jerrymeola]

Phals accept planting together rather well. Other orchids may compete for nutrient and water but Phals take a community setting (as you call it) rather well.

Your care has been very good so this warning may not be necessary for you, but when several are put in a larger pot (and the key here is large pot) there are sections of the potting medium that does not have roots for the first year or two. It is easy to water too much and these areas might not dry enough. This causes a breeding ground for fungal-bacteria rot. Just be careful, you seem to have done well with your watering levels.

Putting several that you already removed will do OK, and I think you will like the results even better it you don't remove any more and let the plant get big. It is rare to see a Phal put out so many keikis (Hawaiian for baby) near the base. Usually they grow on the old flower stems. Only remove the ones where you do not like how their position looks. Just use an esthetic approach.

[OzarkQ]

Jerry - does that mean not to remove the old flower stems? I have been cutting the stems off after the blooms drop every year.

[jerrymeola]

No - still cut the old stems. I do not like how they look. I meant that, when removing basil keiki, you can leave them in the original pot if you both like where they are and how they look growing them. There is no need to remove keiki if you do not have a need for additional plants.

My wife has one growing off an old flower stem that she does not want to cut as she likes the roots growing from up high into the pot.

It is a matter of what pleases you. The plant will do well under many conditions, especially one that likes your home so much.

[Aleksa]

I have one phal with basal keiki also... The keiki is growing new leaf and 2 new spikes and a LOT of roots. Mother haven't grown a single leaf for the 2 years. Now, when baby is starting to flower, newest leaves on the mother are wrinkling and dying. I will not touch the keiki, I believe that it would grow better while attached to the mother and using her big root system and reserves stored in her leaves. I'll sacrifice mother so that baby can grow more!

[kid a]

Wow, I would love to have a phal that kept throwing off keikis! Those are beautiful blooms too!

[Hummer344]

I have never seen one of my phals do that. Not even a Keiki on a spike. Ozark must be doing something right.

[OzarkQ]

I had some early casualties early on - but this is a great forum and look forward to improving! Since moving to Missouri and having a southern facing bay window above the kitchen sink, there's been much more light to keep everyone happy! Seattle was too dark and gloomy except for 2 months of the year!!

[articuno75]

Curious. By chance are you giving a high nitrogen fertilizer? I know that high nitrogen fert can make Den keiki like crazy, so maybe this could by chance cause a Phal the same habit?

[OzarkQ]

I'm using Gubler Pro-Blend Orchid Food 19-8-16 fertilizer - weekly, weakly! But I'm not very strict with it. I usually don't use it often when the plant isn't in bloom.
Geoff

[articuno75]

Well that surely isn't the issue. You just have a super happy plant!