New S/H re-pot!/Phal. Arianna

[tinabee]

This orchid is actually a freebie given to me at the orchid nursery I usually go to. Poor thing was literally choked in sphag. It had lost all of it's blooms...the last one was just shriveled up. I noticed along the nodes there were new shoots that were just barely beginning to peek out, but I wasn't going to wait for them to arrive. By then not a viable root would have been left due to sphag packed so tight. I'm surprised it lived as long as it did! The other reason why I cut the bloom spike down is because I want this orchid to concentrate on root development. I had to cut over a third of the roots off of this one due to rot.

The repotting process was the easiest I had ever experienced, and the least messy. SO much more simple than making a big mess with traditional bark mixes. I am looking forward to seeing how this phal. is going to do.

http://picture.vzw.com/mi/500035752_...border=2,0,0,0

[wickidgrrl]

the link isn't working, but i'm sure you did a great job, tinabee!! Now, hopefully our weather starts to warm up!!

[tinabee]

Ok..let's see if this works better....

[PhalNewbie89]

Looks good. I just repotted several plants into hydroton and love how easy it is. I normally make such a mess and this was great. They all seem okay so far as well :P

[maiseymoo]

Originally Posted by PhalNewbie89

Looks good. I just repotted several plants into hydroton and love how easy it is. I normally make such a mess and this was great. They all seem okay so far as well :P

Yeah I make such a mess with bark, I usually start in the morning and I am still clearing up at night I have just put three phals into s/h and so far it is good! Keep us updated on how you get on.

[PhalNewbie89]

Metoo, my bf is always giving me ugly looks. I also put my paph into hydroton/water culture. I will try to keep you updated on all of them. BTW Paph still doing nothing :P

[tinabee]

UPDATE:

It has been over a week since I did the repotting. So far, so good. I see new root development in the one rescue phal I got out of bark and placed in S/H. My feeling is if they were going to start sulking it would have already happened. I'll just keep taking care of them and see what comes about.

[tinabee]

UPDATE:

So far, all of my orchids I repotted into S/H are doing well. One is beginning to put out a bloom spike, the other is putting out a full-sized bloom spike that is growing rapidly. I also repotted some phals already in bloom into S/H. I know that was not the time to do it, but it was either that or lose the plants to overly-packed mushy sphag. I soaked the LECA for 48 hours in water treated with the appropriate amount of KLN. So far, those mature plants still look very good with firm leaves.

My best guess is, if these plants are still doing well a month from now, I can safely assume they will do just fine in S/H. My other orchids that are already in bark will stay in bark since they are mature plants.

[tinabee]

It's now putting out two new leaves, and seven new roots.

[tangers40]

nice growing! seems your freebie plant really likes s/h!

[sunshine]

Good growing. Working with s/h seems so much easier than bark. I just did my first phal in s/h and am waiting patiently. I have a lot of oncidium & odontoglossum crosses and a couple of milts that I have changed over and they are very happy and a couple have finally spiked. Do keep us updated

maiseymoo, I'm with you on the cleanup and somedays it feels like forever cleaning up the mess

[Joe Geoffroy]

I am slowly changing all my chids into s/h.......seems so much easier and cleaner,easier to see if any bugs or whatever.

Would like to hear more about others that have changed and is interested in s/h
thanks
joe

[tinabee]

I find that in my case the two-stage pots (inner net pot, outer solid pot w/water gauge) work much, much better for me than the solid pots that have two holes for drainage at the reservoir. I think the high humidity here in SW FL has something to do with that. Air management at higher humidity levels is critical. If I use the two-holed pots for any length of time, the plant slowly declines in health and I get root rot even with the new roots emerging from the base.

[PocoGigio]

Just finished my total changeover to s/h. I started last summer. I don't know where to begin to write about that experience! I did 350 orchids. I tried to follow Ray's advice to wait for new growth and generally I did them in the order of when new growth appeared. But, not always. I lost maybe a dozen but I think they were probably on their way out anyway. Believe him when he says Tolumnias don't take well to s/h! So now, the waiting begins to see what takes. Many I've gone back to and found great new roots. I believe they have all been set back some from the stress of hacking them up to get the old gunk out. I expect a good year to recover and thrive (both me and the chids!). The fun part was getting creative on the containers. All are in medium grade Hydroton. I am keeping a journal to note the successes and failures. The ones that have bloomed since s/h don't have as many flowers as in the past. I think my fertilizing will have to be adjusted now and also again when they have reestablished. The saga continues!
Paula
Please ask questions! I could write a book!

[Joe Geoffroy]

Has anyone tried repotting large old Phals in S/H ?

it has been over a month now with mine and they all seem to really take to this type of growing. I'm going to try other varieties and watch and hope.

tinabee.........I would think that the two pot method would hold in the humudity and consequentially more root rot? tinabee do you have many chids growig this way?

Thanks

joe

[tinabee]

No, with the two pots the inner pot is a net pot with good drainage. Not only that, but the inner pot doesn't fit snugly into the outer pot, there is a little wiggle room. I have four of my plants growing in these pots, and they are the strongest plants I have.

[PocoGigio]

Hey joe,
I have 3 large old phals that I put in s/h last summer. 2 of them have been in bloom since last fall! they won't quit. i think i should lop of the spikes, put em in a vase and let the plants recover over the summer. the 3rd one has a 2 foot spike not opened yet. I had to repot the one in spike to upgrade the pot and, wow, all kinds of new roots branching off the old! minimal root rot. So far, no new leaf growth tho (thats why i'm leaning to lopping of the spikes so the energy doesn't all go to the blooms). By the way, don't be afraid of trying s/h. Follow the 'rules' and you'll have success!
Paula

[NewBloom]

Pocogigio,

What type of pots did you use? Two single pot with the two holes or double pot method?

[PocoGigio]

Hi NewBloom,
For all 3 I used a regular 9 inch wide by 7 inch high somewhat decorative clay colored plastic pot with holes on the bottom. That sits in a matching detached tray that's 8 inches wide by 1 and 3/4 inches high. I keep the tray full at all times. Well, maybe I get lazy sometimes and it gets down to an inch! I use Hydroton. After I last posted I did cut the spike off the Everspring King (in bloom since about last September) and put it in a vase. The plant is now outside in shade for the summer. I'll lop off the Baldan's Kaleidescope spike next (been in bloom since last fall, too!) and put that out also.
In general, I use probably a dozen or more different s/h pot configurations, the only limit being imagination! For my large Cymbidiums I used decorative colored plastic/lexan waste baskets from Walmart that I burned 3 holes into.
Have fun!
Paula