Do I need to repot this?

[Orchid_kid]

So I got a Phal for a gift that was purchased at a grocery store. It seems like it's in good shape but I am a lil bit worried about it. The first trauma it went through(other than being in a grocery store) was the clerk knocking it over at checkout breaking off half of one of the spikes; the remaining flower is in great condition and going strong. The thing that worries me is that about 1/3 of the roots are dry and brittle, it still has quite a bunch that are nice and healthy so I'm not too quick to possibly put it in to shock with a repotting.The other thing that has me concerned is that one of the leaves started to turn yellow and brown a few days after I got it.I'm pretty sure it's an older leaf because it's near the base of the plant, so it may just be aging but with the roots the way they are I'm still wondering.
It's in bark, which I prefer because I'm familiar with it, and would like to keep it in bark but I have no idea what a good quality bark would be to use when I do repot it.
Oh yeah, it's in a 16 Oz. container,about 4" high, 4" wide at the top and 3" wide at the bottom and plastic with plenty of drainage. I do want to get a different type of pot because I need to get a plate of rocks under it for humidity-I live in Las Vegas, NV and it's constantly dry here.
Although it's in bloom I did feed it once just because I figured the store didn't and I don't know how long it's been sitting there.I used Schultz 10-15-10 for food and just realized as I typed this it doesn't have the higher nitrogen I need for bark.UGH! However the day after I fed it one of the buds started to open.
I'll get pictures up once I find my camera.

So should I repot it soon or wait til it's done blooming? And can anyone recommend a better food and some good bark please?
Thanks!

[kninum]

good bark mix- i have had good luck with Shultz orchid mix (fir bark/charcoal and water holding rock) so far.
Being that you are in Vegas you may want to add a bit of sphag. moss or coir to the mix to retain a bit more moisture

having a leaf yellow and die is not uncommon when changing a plant to a new location ( i.e. bringing it home, you may even experience bud blast) some orchid can be sensitive to changes- but many do adapt quickly.

if the plant "stabilizes" i would try to wait until flowering is done before re-potting. Phals are less picky about what part of their cycle thy get repotted in, but still it is in it most "demanding" stage and has just recently gone thru a move (stress).

[patlee]

I, too, use the Schultz's Orchid Mix. A lot of the members here use it and their plants are happy I also use (when I remember the fertilizer) Schultz's orchid food. The NPK is 19-31-17.
IMHO, I would wait until after the blooms fade unless there is an emergency situation.(Your yellow leaf is probably normal old age.) Actually, you can repot a phal at any time and a lot of us will repot any time we bring a new plant home. I repotted a Z. hybrid last night because it needed to come out of the sphag it was in. I don't do well with sphag--And the last time I repotted a spiking plant SNAP
So I think it is better to wait for the blooms to finish their cycle...

[11Orchid126]

Fertilizing with a low nitrogen fertilizer while the plant is in bloom is okay as nitrogen tells the plant to grow leaves and not flowers. The only reason some people prefer to fertilize with a high nitrogen formula is because they want lots of leafy growth and they believe that bark robs the nitrogen from the plant. But if you grow at your windowsills, that's not likely to happen as plants grow a lot slower in windows.

[Orchid_kid]

Thank you for the info! I think I may need to water a bit more than I have been too. The bud that was opening is now drying out and all the flowers have died off. The only other thing that has come up is that one more leaf is yellowing and dieing off. It's at the base, right by a root that had already died. Ugh!
Since the flowers are going I'll probably repot soon and cut off all the bad roots. Maybe that will help. I seem to remember someone telling me once that plants will use all their energy to repair damage and that if you don't take off the parts that are dying the plant will essentially kill itself trying to fix itself. Quite the paradox.
We'll see what happens!

[Tarad]

I use Schultz mix too however, when you get the mix don't forget to soak it for 24-48 hours before using it to re-pot. I repot when my phals wnen they are in spike they dont seem to mind. Also as mentioned above put some sphagnum moss in the mix to help retain water. I add sponge rock too. I am experimenting with mixes right now and have added coir to a mix, and Mayres helped me with a little of his conncotion for orchids which is working well too! Bottome line Shcultz is the cheaper way to go, but if money is no object we can help you locate all the fixins to make your own ) Tara

[11Orchid126]

If your plant looks dry, rather than try to drown it, spray the exposed roots to keep them hydrated in between regular waterings.

[Orchid_kid]

Well, aftert thinking that the roots were in decent shape I learned otherwise once I repotted it.All those healthy roots were attached to the plant by rotten portions.I lost all but two roots and one of those is only 1" long; the other one doesn't look so good either. She's now dehydrated and I'm thinkning of bagging her up to keep in the moisture.The leaves have great color but are thin and limp and losing volume quickly. I thought about soaking her but with so few roots figured that would do more damage than good.the heart of the plant(can't remeber what it's actually called) is strong,no dehydration, no odd looking things and nothing falling off. I cut the spikes down to about an inch and everything I cut I coated with cinnamin. The good news is, since I've repotted her, she hasn't really gotten too much worse. After reading some of the stories on here about what some phals have gone through I'm still hopeful but, prepared to buy a new one if need be too.

[PhalPal]

I repot everything, everytime within a few days of getting a new orchid home, especially if it is potted in spraghum. If you are gentle a Phal won't miss a beat even if it is in spike or bloom.

[risa59]

I thought Phals didn't like to be repotted when in bloom. I repotted two Phals since I hated the sphag they were in and both plants wound up with limp flowers. I thought it was the repotting.

[PhalPal]

Books will always tell you to avoid repotting any orchid while in bloom. I haven't lost a bud or flower yet and i repot everything, regardless of where in the cycle they are. I find it very easy to remove old mix from phal roots so it's easy to not cause much trauma.

My take on this is that I would rather possibly lose a few flowers than the entire plant, and I have lost plently of phals to root rot by not repotting immediately. It's possible your orchid became limp because the mix you moved it to wasn't holding enough moisture to sustain the flowers, common with new bark.