Repotting Phal

[chaseg89]

I know that orchids...or at least Phaleanopsis are not supposed to be repotted while they are flowering, but I have also heard they are some of the most hardy and in cases where the plant is at stake such as root rot it is sometimes possible to do. My Phal's roots are starting to get some mildew on them and I would rather replant than let it die. any suggestions?

[-k-]

You can repot if you decide to as it's always an option, however allowing the medium to dry out a bit more between waterings may be all it needs. What type of medium is the phal potted in, moss / bark...?

[chaseg89]

Its potted in moss right now...the moss is currently dry.

[-k-]

If your not too keen on repotting to avoid losing any blooms and the pot is stuffed to the brim with moss you can remove some to help provide additional circulation and will help improve drainage. Or repot it up, phals can generally handle it while in bloom though the chance always exists for losing a bloom(s).
If you can post a pic of the problem, this may help for a better diagnosis.

[syndywindy]

I agree with the other suggestions. I have repotted almost every orchid I bring home even those in bloom with no ill effects. You'll get lots of differing opinions on this tho. If you think the plant is in jeopardy, then I'd repot for the sake of the plant. But if it's roots are otherwise healthy, you could probably wait until the blooms die off and repot then.

[chaseg89]

I went ahead and repotted it the yesterday. Hopefully it does ok...we will see. On the bright side there is a plant show coming up in a couple weeks so I will have an excuse to go get another one or two if it doesnt make it.
Thanks for the advice everybody.

[Hummer344]

Most of the phals I buy now are in sphag and I re-pot them into a bark mix as soon as I have time(I just prefer a bark mix). About 90% of the time I loose no flowers.
I have learned that its not the sphag itself but the fact that it is packed so tightly that it cannot drain properly and you get root rot.

[Phalcycle]

It is not rue to not repot you're orchids while in bloom.
Yes, if theya re in danger, def. repot

[chaseg89]

So far it is looking decent, the flowers definitely dont look at their best, but only one has fallen off. There are a few minor yellow spots on some of the leaves that I am watching closely. Im just trying to maintain it from here on out and hopefully it will make it. I repotted it in bark which I already love way more than the "brick" of sphag that it was previously in.

[chaseg89]

So I just noticed on my Phal that there is a root poking up through the medium that hasnt been there previously. I didnt know if this was a good sign or if it didnt mean much, I will try to post a picture in a few minutes once the camera battery charges back up.

[chaseg89]

here are some pictures of the phal and the new root

[Phalcycle]

Looks very dehydrated. And ceramic pot? Use something with more porus, like terracotta unglazed or plastic pots.
Maybe sp. moss if bark doesnt work for you. It retains moisture better

[englandfx]

um... i don't see any new root..

[chaseg89]

the little root thats poking out in the second picture...i didnt necessarily mean new growth I worded it wrong, but everything was underneath the medium and now its growing out through the medium...is that good? and yes it is not the healthiest plant it has been through some traumatic times, but I am trying to nurse it back to health. And thanks for the pot suggestion I didnt know it had as big an effect as say the type of medium the plant is in.

[Irene]

What do the roots in the bark look like? If you are going to repot it, show us a pic of the roots.

[mehitabel]

I'm afraid I don't see a new root either. If that root popped out from under the medium, it just popped out, that's all.

I think I do see a couple of tiny nubbins much further up the stem that would like to be roots. If I'm right about that, a few strands of sphagnum moss tucked around the stem provide the humidity needed for the new roots to venture to grow.

I agree that your phal looks deydrated. When you repot a dehydrated phal, it freshens up wonderfully if you can give it, leaves and all, an afternoon or overnight soak in tepid water with 2 tbsp of sugar/quart of water. Put some superthrive in it, and you'll be amazed at how much better it looks the next morning.

I don't know if you should take it out to give it a soak -- it's up to you, and I know some people would recommend against disturbing it again. But if it were mine, that is what I would do. In fact, I just did that today to a new plant that doesn't seem to be "taking" and is showing stress.

Also your pot looks a little big to me-- what size pot is it? You want the pot to be just barely bigger than the root ball of good roots. If the roots are poor, you need to cut off the rotten portions, and use a pot that just fits the trimmed roots.

[chaseg89]

So should I water it more than I normally would? I guess I just got a little overexcited about the root thinking it might be a good sign. I do have a smaller pot I could put it in, but would hate to repot again so soon because I am sure the plant is already stressed enough.

mehitabel: would I just soak the whole plant in a large container overnight with the mixture you were describing?

Irene: I already trimmed all the old rotten roots off this is after the repot, the majority of the roots had to go though because I was not aware of how soaked the previous sphag was staying around the roots so it was in bad shape by the time I got to repotting it.

...If nobody can tell I am new to all this so this is all a learning experience and I appreciate your input.

[ceahorse]

ceramic orchid pots are not good?

[Brooke]

Ceramic orchids pots are fine.

Brooke