Cinnamon and what other thing(s)?

[englandfx]

Ok, I believe it is time to repot my phalaenopsis orchid.

I was sooo excited when i went to the store and finally saw that they had the 6 in. wooden baskets for sale! So i bought it.

hmmm oh yeah..
my question is when I cut off the old spike, they say to use cinnamon ... but like is there any other house hold ingredient I can use besides cinnamon?..

since cinnamon is sweet, would sugar work?

Cuz I don't have cinnamon, and i wanted to know if there are any other house hold things I can use...

[patticake]

I don't usually treat an old spike with anything. I DO use powdered cinnamon when I do other surgeries, however. Are you in a really humid area? (Forgive my geographic ignorance) I don't grow my Phals in wooden baskets here, because they would dry out really fast. As you know, Phals like to be kept a little moist. You can re-pot in your little basket if you use sphagnum moss or something that will retain the moisture a little. maybe line the basket with sphag and use a bark/sphag. mix. Just taking a shot here. I'm sure others will hop on in time.

[patlee]

You are looking for the great anti-bacterial properties of cinnamon--sugar won't do that I have heard that some people recommend Listerine or some sort of mouthwash. I have never tried this myself and can't tell you how to use it...Just dip the cut end, I guess

When I repot, I use both cinnamon and hydrogen peroxide, but I've not used H2O2 on a freshly cut spike--I stick with the powered cinnamon. You can get the store brand for a cheap price and it should be in your orchid supplies!! Happy potting

[kninum]

SUGAR would be BAD......bacteria live off of it...

as for things around the house...
if you clean the stem and the cutter you will probably be okay- don't cut it really short, just in case- the very top by the cut will wither anyways thou.

a dab of rubbing alcohol, or drop of wax ......could be used if your worried,.... but i'd just nip out to the shop and get cinnamon......it's handy for treating roots in a re-pot....

[lmartiny]

I have several Phals in baskets that are happy. I potted them in the basic bark mix. Recently someone suggested placing a coffee filter in the bottom to hold the bark in and that worked great. From from I have learned here, cinnimon seals the cut and is also a natural fungal and bacterial fighter.

[englandfx]

Darn, well i guess i will just cut the spike and apply nothing on it. Right now the weather is rather chilly and humid! ... I'm kinda afraid to repot it lol

oh and the bark i'm using is fir bark to repot my phal.
Is there really a significant difference of using other types of barks?
I saw in the store a bag that had bark (small size), with little white stuffs, and charcoal (small size).

I decided to get the fir bark bcuz i think the orchid will appreciate a more aeriated content...
Oh and i don't get how a phal can be happy when its roots are all covered up with peat moss and don't have air to breathe or get any light!

[YardMeat]

I never apply anything to my phals when cutting the spike back - just use clean cutters and you will be fine. Also the fir bark is fine. different people use different things. and the roots dont need light just the leaves.

[PhalPal]

I think you are way humid enought to have a phal in a basket with your bark mix. BTW - the white stuff is called perlite and used to help with aeration.