The orchid expert of the family is not available at this moment and I have a brand new Phal that needs repotting. She just came in on the latest shipment (to the garden center) and isn't bad off. Right now her clear pot is bulging, she has moss for medium and there are a few roots escaping the top.
I have orchid bark (specifically for phals), orchid bark seedling size, charcoal and long fiber moss. Which of these can be used or combined for a medium? How should I prep it?
As for pots I have both plastic and terracotta pots the next size up. However none are specifically designed for orchids. Some of my plastic ones have lots and lots of holes on the bottom. Can any of these be used?
Repotting new Phalaenopsis
Here are the blooms
Here is the clear plastic pot inside.
Your Phal does not need repotting and looks very happy. The roots are super healthy. It is a rule of thumb to never repot a blooming orchid unless there is a specific orchid crisis going on. I would leave it until it finishes blooming and be careful to let it dry slightly in that moss. Orchids tend to rot when purchased in plastic pots with moss and especially in the hands of inexperienced growers. I'd move it to a bark mix in a terracotta pot and mist well during the transitions. You could add a tad of sphagnum but do not use a seedling grade mix. Another rule of thumb is the larger the roots the larger the bark or mix in general. As for the roots "escaping", those are the happiest. Few orchids like being confined to a pot at all. Phalaenopsis are air plants (epiphytes) and grow hanging out of trees. They catch rain water and debris from the trees they live in but do not feed off of the trees that host them. Mist the exposed roots on your plant daily, if that is practical, while keeping the moss just damp. Thanks for sharing the photo. I love seeing everyone's pictures and progress.
Laurel
This message was edited Aug 23, 2011 6:30 PM