Phal medium question

[rradovitch]

Hello. I am a new orchid owner and have some type of phal(noid I imagine.) It is currently blooming and potted in sphagnum moss. Is there a "more forgiving" mixture I can pot this in as i am afraid i will over water it. When I purchased it, it was dry so I watered it well and then waited for it to just about dry out (8days) and watered again. It really seems to hold the moisture for the 1st few days.

I'm not sure if I should wait or repot it. I also am not sure if I should go to an all bark medium(maybe a mix). Any suggestions will help.

Also, where do I get the mix? If you have to pm me the name of the place that is fine.

Thanks-
Ryan

[mehitabel]

Hi, Ryan. Different people grow phals successfully in a number of different media.

I personally love sphag as a medium for phals. When it's fresh and fluffy it holds both moisture and air in large quantities. However, I don't pack it tight into the pot, just fluff it around the roots.

The problem with it is that *if it's old* it holds too much water, and doesn't dry out properly. Old medium also is saturated with salts that are very harmful to phal roots. (Phal roots are very sensitive to salts). That's true of old bark as well, BTW.

So I would say you should repot. Phals put on a growth spurt for about three months after getting new medium, just because the new medium doesn't have the salt concentration. Check out the culture notes at Bedford Orchids for a discussion of this.

I repot every new phal as soon as I get it, whether in spike or not.

Also check out the culture notes at the Canadian Orchid Congress, and at Big Leaf Orchids, where advice for new phal growers is given.

A few minutes spent reading these notes will repay you handsomely in good growth and blooms on your new phal.

[Buds!]

I can only grow phals in semi-hydroponics (s/h)- LECA because I have a tendancy to over water.

Other OB members have been very successfully in using bark mix , coconut husk, sphag moss... their own mix.

It is a matter of trial and error to find out what 'works' for you.

[justatypn]

Phals are very forgiving, but can show stress either it be under or over watering. The most important thing is to match your watering habits to the potting material you use. If you are a heavy and frequent waterer as most are use a more porous, well drained mix. If your orchids dry out between watering use plastic pots rather than clay and use the fine mix, use a clay pot if your orchids are on a heavy watering regimen.