Uprighting a Phalaenopsis

[Nancy]

I was wondering if it is possible to repot a Phalesnopsis that has had the bad habit of leaning over to a more upright position? It would take up less room that way and the way my plants are expanding one inch more space would be worth its weight in gold. Thanks.

[mayres]

Yep! No problem. Of course they naturally want to grow sideways because it is in their nature (growing in the wild on trees), especially as they get older. Just keep straighening it up as you like.

[exasperatus2002]

I know how you feel about them needing to be uprighted. Heres mine. The day I went to repot it & seperate the two, I got a double spike from the bigger one and its been in bloom for 2 months. then it sub spiked & the new buds are open. @ this rate I'll never get to repot it!

[Nancy]

I had two in a pot and I separated them and gave one away. The other I repotted as upright as I could but it has taken to laying down again. One positive thing though, it is now in spike! I can't wait to see if it looks different from the other one. Thanks for the replies. How often can I safely reright the plant without interrupting its growth?

[janet_a]

it's just their thing. some will grow upright, some will try to lay over. try turning your pots so the plant phototropes in the direction you want it to go, but even that may not work.

you'll just need to get a greenhouse to accomodate them.

[norris]

Hi Nancy, I had the same thing going with a Phal I repotted last week, I got mine in the new pot a little straighter, maybe from a 90 degree angle to 45 degree. The way the roots were directed, I couldn't get it much straighter. (My post was called 'Phal repotting questions' if you want to see my pics).

[BunnytheOrchid]

I haven't had much luck with this. Every time I've repotted one of my phals it seemed to slowly start leaning over, no matter how straight I put it. I suppose if you're lucky and skilled you can do it, but I think they're sneaky and will lean on their own anyway

[kmarch]

The picture that exasperatus posted looks very much like how you'd find them in the wild, basically on their side to practically upside down.

[Nancy]

It was surprizing how few roots one plant had compared to the plant that bloomed. The plant that bloomed stood upright in the pot with rather narrow leaves as compared to the other. It went into the second pot perfectly. I rerighted my plant yesterday. It has wider, more rounded leaves than the other plant. I'm really curious to see if the two are the same cross. Anyway, exasperatus, I think I'd weigh the value of the flowers against the health of both plants at some point. If it were me I'd replant those beautiful Phals as soon as possible.

[Ron]

Hi Nancy.
Uprighting Phalaenopsis;
I guess all of us who grow Phallies will face this each season.
As many have said it is there natural way of growing.
I currently have about 50 of flowering size and as it is nearly winter here in Auss ie land.
Not the time to do it.
Well they badly need to be in a bigger pot and if the flowered this spring they would be so unstable in the small pots and all were leaning over.
My friend who grows many more that I do, stood all his up last year and the results were outstanding.
First they responded to the repoting and many sent out flower spikes.
they all looked well presented with upright and nice shaped leaves.
This photo is of one I did a few months ago and showing a flower spike on its first season of flowering.

Cheerio
Ron

[Nancy]

Thanks, Ron. My plant is still standing upright and appears to be growing a new root. I read in another post that Phalaenopsis need to be potted once a year, so if this plant gets lazy again I won't have to wait a long time to right it again.