Repotting need some feed back.

[iandaniel]

I was doing some reading last night on Potting and potting media. One of the things I read was Sphag vs. Bark and pros and cons of both.
Well it got me thinking. I got Three phals as gift for Christmas and they where all in Spagh, So lifted them out and sure enough Rot and mold.
Today i went right away and got some Phal mix.
I cut what roots I new where dead, but I a not sure about the yellow roots they are still fleshy , but should I have taken them off too?
Here is some pics.

The first two pics are roots still attached to the plant

the last pic of the roots completely separate from the plant are the ones i took off or came off I should say.

[iandaniel]

I also drilled three big holes in all the pots for better air flow.
However the other two are still blooming with their second spike. So all I did was lift them out of their plastic pots drill the holes and put them in the clay pots. Here are some pics of those roots. Are they going to be ok till I repot them after they are done blooming?

They have some new growth or roots that keep trying to climb out of the pot. It seems they are trying to escape but I have been waiting form them to stop blooming but they shot another spike after I cut them down. I hate to cut them because they have 13 buds on each one and they are beautiful.

[mayres]

Yellow roots that are firm, plump and fleshy STAY. Anything that is paper thin, black, mush, dried, etc. comes off. When you have very few roots left you are going to be having problems trying to put that in bark - there will not be enough moisture in the bark to keep your leaves hydrated most likely. Here is where many people do what is called "sphag & bag". My personal preference is to put into coir/perlite/charcoal mix - retains moisture much longer than bark and provides moisture to the few remaining roots while other roots begin developing. If you go with bark I would be inclined to spritz/mist the root area regularly to make sure what few roots you have left do not dehydrate - watch the leaves for any sign of dessication as a sign that they are not getting enough water. Another option for media would be to mix some sphag or coir WITH the bark. My two cents worth............
mike

[iandaniel]

Here is photo of the one Phal I completely repoted,

and the other photos is of some dark stuff around the base of the plant I don't know what is.

I must also say the one I completely repotted was in my bathroom and was wet a lot more than the other two by the window.
Their roots did seem better but I am not sure about the white and yellow colors what that means.
thanks for your input.

[sggkittygal]

I also have a question on repotting - I've recently found three stems with flowers intact and they have no roots at all. Is it possible to pot these stems to grow roots?

[prisana]

Hi iandaniel, your 2 other phals will be fine so you can wait until after blooming..

[fred]

sggkittygal

hi and welcome to the forum

I hope that you enjoy your stay here with all of us orchidgeeks.

when you say stem are you just talking about the flower spike or the whole plant ?

It also would be a good idea if you go back into your Profile and update your Location.

As we are members from all over the world without your Location it is very hard to assist you with the right advise.

happy chatting

[sggkittygal]

Hi thanks Fred

I mean the flower spike.

[mayres]

sggkittygal - are you speaking of spikes you have removed from a plant or some non-phal type orchid blooms that are purchased as flowers and not plants?

[fred]

Quote=sggkittygal]and I recently received a bouquet with three orchid stems with flowers on them

I hope that helps Mike

[brookn]

Hi, the phal with the dark stuff has some dehydration to the leaves, so watch the watering with it. It may be staying too dry, or it is from root damage, they sometimes do not respond well at first to a bark mix after sphag. The dark stuff, I am not sure what it is, but it looks like the leaves need cleaning, try some lemon juice (1/4 tsp.)to tepid water (1 1/2 cup)and some soft cloth or cotton balls to wipe and dry. You may have to go over some parts of the leaf more than once because of the water stains on them. See if the darker area wipes off that way, if it doesn't post another pic.

[mayres]

Thanks Fred.
Don't know about anyone else, but I have read threads where people claim they have gotten keiki's to grow from a cut phal spike at one of the nodes, but I would not count on it. Other types of orchids - none that I know of.

[iandaniel]

So here is my last question.
What should healthy roots look like? Color, consistency?
And I am still struggling getting used to the watering schedule. either not too much or too little. Can some one give me a sure fire method to follow with watering tree bark.
I have paphs, Phals, epiden, Pyschopsis.

I mean I am doing ok they are all still alive, but i don't feel confident.
I have started orchid food while a fresh rinse once a month.

thanks for all your help in my adaptions to bark.

[mayres]

IMHO the "trick" with bark is twofold. Getting a good quality bark is half the battle. I have said this before, but all barks are not created equal. Good quality bark is steam treated in my area and the process of readying it for growing orchids makes it more porous and open to retain moisture. Some barks I have noted are nearly like rocks and strongly resist the water retention process that we need. Once you have a good quality bark the next thing you need to do is soak for 24-48 hours to get the bark pre-moistened for your plant. If the particular bark that you have doesn't retain much moisture you will need to soak the pot, roots, and media (all) for a month or two each time you water until you get good retention. I would strongly suggest you use a bamboo skewer in each of your pots until you get a sense of watering frequency - it will vary with time of year in temperate climates especially. What works out as weekly or more frequently in summer may be every 2-3 weeks in winter. Enjoy - mike

[iandaniel]

Thanks mike,
Now with these bamboo skewers, do I pull them out and feel for dampness or watch the bamboo leaves for wilting? If I pull them out what dampness is ok and what is too dry?

[brookn]

Bamboo skewers, I use chopsticks that come with my Chinese takeout. I use them, soak them in bleach, and put them into the pots. You can also use the skewers that are for kebabs same material as the chopstick. The end when inserted into the phals potting medium, and left there will be damp if it does not need water. I touch them to my cheek. I usually water when the skewer (for phals) feels cool up to my cheek and very slightly damp almost dry. You can also tell by the darkness of the tip of the bamboo, but I don't rely on that alone. Hope that helps some.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Originally Posted by mayres

If the particular bark that you have doesn't retain much moisture you will need to soak the pot, roots, and media (all) for a month or two each time you water until you get good retention.
Enjoy - mike

Mike, I hope you didn't really mean a 'a month or two'.