My phal won't sit up

[dionysus]

my phalaenopsis won't sit upright. it is starting to get pretty big and i am affraid that it is going to fall over. i thought about tipping it upside down, but seeing as it is an epeiphyte, i wasn't sure if it was geotropic(leaves grow away from earth, roots toward). short of training it with wires, is htere anything i can do?

[jay]

Phals actually hang off of trees in the wild. They grow at an angle down as the roots just grab on to the sides of a tree. Do you have a picture of your beast? Would love to see it.

Jay

[tom499]

In the wild phals will usually grow the oppposite to geotropic, as the roots are what holds them to their perch.

From the crown rot business I would guess they have to grow with the crown facing downwards, at least slightly (if crown rot isn't something created by cultivation i dunno ).

For the leaning phals I've had, I put them into a larger pot, so the leaves leaning over can rest on the outer pot. They seemed very happy with this, and then when it can to repotting, i just tried to make the base of the plant more central in the pot.

[dionysus]

i'll see what i can do for a pic. hte pot idea sounds good. thanks.

[exasperatus2002]

I know that feeling. I put the two of them together when they were little to save shelf space. Now They need repotting. With the Phals drapping down the back of the plant stand I never realized how big they got. they have roots running every which way including out the bottom and back up again. I measured the longest leaf on each side. the Phal on the left has one leaf 11 1/2" & 7". The Phal on the right is 10" and 9".but has more shade then the other.

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[articuno75]

Those poor things look like they're going to fall right out of the pot! LOL.

[mayres]

You can repot them as you wish - just like they are or seperate them into into two pots with the leaves sticking upright. As noted by others, leaving them in the general configuration they are in now is probably more normal than how most of them are grown by folks - as noted - in trees in the wild. Could be a challenge to weight the pot(s) to keep them from falling over - good growing!

[dionysus]

that's about how big mine looks. in fact, my avatar is the same orchid. i didn't even think about it. just imagine its leaves times two!

[jerrymeola]

I do not think a Phal could look much better than this.

I is approaching its natural growth pattern with the roots at the top and the leaves and flowers down.

since you have two Phal in the same pot (they are two separate plants) the roots are intertwined and re-potting is a problem. It is not going to fall out of the pot. you will find if you do re-pot that the plant is anchored into the pot probably with some roots glued to the clay. If you are worried of tipping by weight you could put it on a wall with a pot clip (very natural growth pattern).

Re-potting to straighten the plant will never be totally satisfying since the leaves are extra long.

You might notice that the leaves are not totally covering each other as most Phals in pots. This is because they are growing down and in nature they half cover each other to have half of each leaf facing the light.

[exasperatus2002]

Hmmm if I seperate them and hang them then I'd have more shelf space for more orchids..... happy happy joy joy!! When am I getting my work bonus again?

[dionysus]

okay, i got some pics tonight. here is the best one. the second one has my fingers marking an inch.

[articuno75]

Wow, that one is absolutely huge! How old is that plant? And so many healthy leaves. Awesome.

[digitalgate]

if you think that is huge. Then you should see phalaenopsis gigantea. with leaf about
2 to 3 feet long

[articuno75]

Originally Posted by digitalgate

if you think that is huge. Then you should see phalaenopsis gigantea. with leaf about
2 to 3 feet long

Haven't seen one. What on earth would you do with it? I have no room, LOL.

[dionysus]

you could use it to mock any other orchid gardeners saying that you can grow somehting that big and they can't! but who would do that? that's just mean. i have a couple orchids that no longer fit in my greenhouse. i have them sitting on my dresser. they are a beallara, odontoglossum, and oncidium. but, my phals aren't that big yet.