When do you need to repot a phal?

[koshki]

Hi all,

I've been working to recue an ailing phal which I nearly killed. I unpotted it this past summer, removed the dead roots, and had only one or two good ones left. I potted it in Mike's Miracule Medium, and it has been going gangbusters ever since!

Because it had so few roots, I put it in the smallest pot I had (4" dia.). Now, it's got all sorts of healthy looking roots, and I just noticed yet another new root beginning. The three older leaves are very firm, and the newest one is really nice, all glossy and pretty.

So my question is, at what point do you decide to graduate to a bigger pot? Do phals like to be a bit pot-bound? I've seen photos of healthy phal roots that are so thick, there is almost no room in the pot for medium. Should I wait that long?

[kid a]

I usually repot when every few years or when I notice the mix is approaching extremely broken downness haha. I usually also try to keep it in the same pot until I can no longer grow it in that pot, sometimes they need a little bit more room for new roots to grow. A good way to decide is to get a pot either an inch or half inch the next sized up and when I unpot it see which one it fits into best and then add the mix in haha. Hope that helps.

[lmartiny]

If you just repotted this summer I'd not do so again. From what I've learned here orchids like "tight shoes." Or to be snugly potted. You're probably good for a while still. I'm letting mine take over the pot. Then, maybe just drop the whole lot into a bigger one. But I grow outside. And it depends on how you want them to look. Mine look pretty "au naturel" or "rough."

[mehitabel]

Hi, Koshki. Phals don't mind being repotted, as long as the pot is the right size. The roots are very susceptible to harm from build-up of fertilizer salts in the medium, so phals actually show a growth spurt for app three months after getting fresh medium.

Read the cultural notes at Bedford Orchids. Howard Ginsburg at Bedford is a phal breeder with many many awards to his credit. He discusses repotting and why it is beneficial to phals. He recommends repotting often, more often than you think it needs it. However, note that repotting doesn't necessarily mean a bigger pot. It can mean fresh medium in the same size pot.

I don't believe that phals particularly like to be root-bound. I've never read that. When I was growing fragrant tropicals, I grew two genera that "liked to be root-bound to bloom"-- brunfelsia and another very common one, whose name escapes me this second.

I personally do not like to keep plants rootbound, because the roots get to where they actually repel water, so I broke the rule. And since they were growing strongly, they were repotted up several times in just one summer. The repots did not prevent the blooming, and they grew like fiends. I decided that the "like to be root-bound" rule is an old=wive's way of preventing over-watering. It's hard to over-water a rootbound plant, because the water just runs right out.

So, no, you don't have to keep it in it's pot til the roots are crammed in every which way.

That said, the difference between a a 4" and a 5" pot is pretty big. There are big and quick negative effects on a phal if it gets into a slightly too-big pot and there's a lot of medium in the bottom that stays wet. Also, this is not the best time of year for a bigger pot, because growth will slow down over the winter.

So I wouldn't be in a rush to repot up a size. Let it grow, since it's doing so well, and when the roots have grown to the point where you're pretty sure it will fill up a 5" pot, really fill it, then repot it. Early in spring is a great time for it because the weather is in your favor.

Congratulations on your good growing!

[koshki]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I guess I have a ways to go before it needs to be potted. It's a bit top heavy with those nice leaves. Perhaps I'll put it inside another pot to keep it more stable. And next time, maybe some rocks in the bottom to help balance? (I've got styrofoam peanuts in there now.)

Mehitable, I've seen exactly the same growth spurts you mentioned in my other phals, which I repotted (at your suggestion!) in the same medium, using their original sized pots. Thanks for the explanation! The medium shows no sign of breaking down. Boy am I glad I put them all in clear pots! It's so much fun to observe, and helps tell me when to water.

Now, if only I could get this patient to throw a spike!!

[orchidlover55]

koshki, you sound like me I just love watching those roots grow through the clear pots. I guess I like watching the roots grow as much as the plant on the upside of the pot. I was watering mine today and I found the largest green root on a phal I have ever seen!! It is really huge and that one root fills the whole pot LOL
While winter is on it's way I am going to take a season break from repotting and when the spring gets here I will be going at it busy as a bee

[shaz]

if it was looking root bound I would repot, the roots need space to breath - I always have small voids of air in my pots which I believe the roots like and when they grow they fill them, if they are root bound they can't do this

[mytwogirls]

I agree, I think the roots need room to breathe, but not a LOT of room, they like a snug fit, but not too tightly. My friend learned this the hard way with her phal....

[PhalPal]

The harm with a pot too big is the chance of rotting roots because there is more media to hold water. With a coir mix you will need to be careful, but if you use the skewer and water a bit less your phal can do well in a larger pot.
With that said......I wait until the roots are pretty crowded and actively growing. I have never had a phal sulk when repotted and I'm not real picky about waiting for the 'right season'. When they need it, I do it!!

[mytwogirls]

Yes I agree with PhalPal, I re-potted my phal in FULL BLOOM and had no problem with it. I transferred it from moss into bark and it did just fine. And the skewer method works like a charm!