Preventing Root Rot mini phal?

[jmcastagna]

Thank you dear for your help. I will try this for sure! How long do I keep it without the plastic pot? Like a week? The plastic pot does have 3 good sized holes in the bottom. Also, as I said it was doing fine but I fertilized it last week so I watered it through before I put the fertilizer solution in which is what was recommended. I do feel comfortable at some point repotting it in some bark/moss mixture instead of what it's in now. Should I wait for the blooms to all finish course before repotting? Your a blessing and thank you for answering so quickly. Jennifer

[Dimples]

Originally Posted by jmcastagna

How long do I keep it without the plastic pot? Like a week?

You can keep the rootball naked/potless in the cache pot for as long as you need. Tightly packed moss typically holds together quite well so it doesn't really need a pot. If you find it is drying out too quickly, put it back in the plastic pot or water more frequently.

Originally Posted by jmcastagna

Also, as I said it was doing fine but I fertilized it last week so I watered it through before I put the fertilizer solution in which is what was recommended.

What fertilizer are you using and at what concentration (tsp/gallon, etc.)? The advice to water before you fertilize is based on older methods of applying a concentrated fertilizer solution infrequently (like only once a month). Strong fertilizer solution applied to dry roots can burn so watering beforehand prevents that. It also prevents the orchid from absorbing most of the nutrients.

Many people on the board use the "weakly weekly" method and apply a weaker (more dilute) solution once a week, or a very weak solution at every watering.

For example, I use Dyna Gro Foliage Pro (NPK 9-3-6) at a rate of 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon per gallon and water my phals with it once or twice a week depending on how often they need to be watered. I water them with plain water a couple of times a month to flush out any excess minerals building up on the bark.

I need to water often because I use bark that doesn't hold a lot of water and my indoor conditions are warm all year. In winter, most days it's 74-82F where my plants are in my house. Relative humidity is around 50% unless I open the windows and doors and then it drops as low as 10%.

Originally Posted by jmcastagna

Should I wait for the blooms to all finish course before repotting?

That's up to you. Many people on here wait until after they are done blooming. Other people don't wait. Phals usually don't notice and don't skip a beat if they are repotted in bloom so long as their roots aren't damaged in the process. I have repotted phals in bloom and in bud with no issues, but again, you need to do what you're comfortable with. There's nothing wrong with waiting so long as you can manage growing in moss until the plant is done blooming.

There are MANY right/correct ways to grow plants. You need to figure out the methods that work best for your growing conditions, and the methods that you are comfortable with.