70 Most Recent Posts
| |
| 70 Most Recent Posts |
05-01-2008, 05:47 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| How to pot Phal gigantea? I got a Phal gigantea, leafspan is about 14 inches I'd say....I had envisioned putting it in a basket, like one of the net baskets, and putting moss around the roots...but now looking at it, I thought I could put it on a basket lined with coconut fiber, and then loosely place pieces of coco fiber around the roots. Does that sound like it would be sufficient? I want to hang it so I need it to be in a basket, and I thought that might be the easiest way of doing it.
__________________ JoBeth       |
|
05-02-2008, 06:18 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Hi JoBeth, Although I don't grow one, I found an article that talks alot about the plant. It is rather long, but he does tell how he grows them at the bottom of the article. Big Leaf Orchids - Phalaenopsis gigantea - 42k
__________________  |
|
05-02-2008, 08:00 AM
| |||
| |||
| JoBeth are you talking about the fine string type coir fiber or the solid mat kind found in the bottom of baskets that lets water run through it? If the solid type, I don't know if the roots could penetrate through the fiber. If the string type, it would be ideal and IMHO even better than sphag since sphag eventually breaks down. Personally I would avoid bark because the thought of having to repot a large gig in a pot scares me. Your gig should love being in a basket where the roots can be soaked but also let them dry off fairly fast. It also would prefer to grow over the edge of the basket to prevent water in the crown. The basket needs to be big enough so you never have to disturb the roots as they ramble and to accomodate the weight of the leaves as it grows. Per Eric Christensen's book, Monograph of Phals, gigs should be grown in catt light BUT have sufficient air movement to keep the leaves cool. My biggest gig I have on a tree fern mount and will be moving it to the cool end of the g/h in full sun when it gets warmer. My seedling gig still lives in a 2" pot - I am leaving that one to my grandkids in hopes they see it bloom :>) and I don't even have grandkids yet. I saw a gig last Sept. in L'ville get awarded and it was on a big cork mount and it was beautiful. The one I dream about was awarded last summer by a grower in TN that had 527 blooms on it and it took your breath away. Brooke |
|
05-02-2008, 11:00 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Brooke- I was thinking of the solid mat for the bottom of the basket, and then getting another solid mat, but ripping it into very thin airy piece to put around the roots. Right now the roots don't look that good, and are really not that big, even though the plant is huge. I thought maybe if I rip up some nice small airy pieces of the coco fiber, it would allow air to get to the roots, and hold a small amount of water, but not too much.
__________________ JoBeth Last edited by psyc1210 : 05-02-2008 at 11:50 AM. |
|
05-02-2008, 11:08 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Tobi- Thanks for that article. I know I've read part of that before, but didn't read all of it before... I see that Peter Lin usually keeps his in pots with bark, and another he keeps in teak basket with sphag.
__________________ JoBeth |
|
05-02-2008, 11:44 AM
| |||
| |||
| JoBeth I guess that would work. I made my own coir string by ripping up a portion of one of those liners so cutting it into fine strips would give you more moisture retention. The coir would certainly last longer than sphag. Are you going to use this net pot hung or as a regular container sitting on a shelf? If sitting, the solid coir would certainly keep the roots inside and more manageable. Sorry I ask more questions than I answer :>) Be sure to soak and rinse the coir a couple of times before using to eliminate any salts. And last question, where did you get your gig? Brooke |
|
05-02-2008, 11:53 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| I am planning on hanging it, and plan on hanging at an angle...wouldn't be too easy to angle it when sitting no the shelf, so I'll hang it. I got it from Nakaji Orchids, however the tag that came with it said it is from Norman's Orchids/orchids.com It is a cross of 'Pepi' X 'Jumbo'...and it's larger than I expected, but the roots were not good, they looked as if they had been dried out and shriveled. Hopefully it'll plump up and start looking better shortly.
__________________ JoBeth |
|
05-02-2008, 03:55 PM
| |||
| |||
| OK, I have the picture now. I wouldn't put the solid coir bottom in it. You want and need the roots to wander out the holes and grip the basket. This plant will get very big and VERY heavy. You will need to rest the stem of the plant, not on the edge of the pot, but farther back in the basket so the stem can grow and be supported. The only phals I have had in an angled basket were originally grown in the basket sitting on a shelf. I had intended to use them as mounting practice but they grew roots everywhere and I could not get them out of the baskets so I angle hung them. Here is a pic of one of them - may she rest in peace :>(  You can see how the crown of the plant had grown to the edge of the basket. She had two huge branched spikes. One day the spikes were hanging across the aisle and when I looked, the plant had swiveled to the opposite direction and the stem was broken in two. This is the reason I cautioned you to make sure the crown area of the plant is supported and not growing on the edge at this point in time. I wish I could help more but I have no experience with using the plastic mount or how to attach it. Back to your original question, the cut up strips of coir would probably be fine for the media, I would just eliminate the solid bottom. Brooke |
|
05-14-2008, 11:44 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Now I have potted it in a netted basket, with styrofoam peanuts in the bottom, and some coco fiber loosely around the roots. It seems to be doing okay, I have noticed some little green ends starting on the roots, so hopefully it'll continue. It dries out quickly, so it gets watered once per day.
__________________ JoBeth |
|
05-15-2008, 04:13 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Wow, your gigantea looks really happy! Mine is hanging in there, I burn a candle for it every day!! Al |
|
05-15-2008, 10:25 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Honestly, I think it will do great. I have ordered a sweet memory ' Bubbles' and Sogo fireball. You have given me a good idea. I have been mounting most of my Phal. upside down but will try a hanging basket. Please, keep us updated.
__________________ -Damien |
|
05-15-2008, 01:48 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Quote:
 AL |
|
06-30-2008, 11:32 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| My gigantea is starting a new leaf!!! Yay!! Here are a couple pictures, one of the new leaf starting, and one of my gigantea with my Schoenorchis fragrans hanging from it's basket.
__________________ JoBeth |
|
07-01-2008, 12:04 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Hee! Hee! Hee! the Schoenorchis fragrans looks like they like just hanging out. I only have one bloom left on the spike of my Schoenorchis fragrans. Any thing on yours yet? They seem to grow really slow. One leaf has been coming in on mine for at least a month now and it's still isn't done growing. Congrats. on the new leaf. Must of liked the re-potting job. Good growing.
__________________  Solay  |
|
07-01-2008, 04:29 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Hearty congragulations on the new leaf JoBeth! I noticed a nice green root tip peeking out of the moss on mine yesterday so I think it is finally acclimating to be mounted. I think it takes a bit longer for a plant to adjust to a mount. Al |
April 