Potting Phals

[nubiesan]

My phals are currently in plastic pots with drainage holes. They have grown A LOT over the past year and are pretty much out of the pots and look a little top heavy.

What kind of pot is best? They live outside on my lanai in southwest Florida under a screened enclosure. They bloomed in the spring.

Are the little wooden enclosures a good idea? Should they go into pots that will accommodate the roots?

Thanks for the help.

[The Peloric Orchid]

The best type of pot is the type of pot your phals grow best in. If you've kept them alive this long under your current conditions, I'd say keep doing what you're doing and just put them in a larger plastic pot. In the past, I've put blooming phals in clay pots, as in, I set the plant, plastic pot and all, in a clay pot.

I try not to let my phals go below 65 degrees. I'm not sure what exactly is the lowest temp phals will tolerate, but I'm worried that outdoors in Florida in the winter could be pushing it.

[estación seca]

Use whatever combination of pot and medium that allows the roots to have plenty of air, and stay moist. If you get a lot of summer rain very large chunks of medium work well. In the winter when it doesn't rain so much you would need to water regularly.

Many people in wet climates like to use pots that are wider and lower than standard plant pots so the medium is more exposed to air.

The roots don't all need to go into the medium. Phals usually make roots in the air when humidity is high.

In the wild Phals grow on tree branches with the crown pointing sideways and the leaves dangling. This lets the water drain from the crown. They have a strong tendency to lean when grown in pots. Many people just let them do this, and others set the plant upright when repotting.

You could use bark, lava landscaping rock (scoria) or clay LECA from a hydroponics shop.

I'm not sure what you mean by wooden enclosures.

[Ray]

If by “wooden enclosures”, you mean slat baskets, sure that would work, but that would require a significant change to your watering habits compared to plastic pots.

As Mr. Peloric said above, why change if you’re successful?

[nubiesan]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will leave them as is for now.

Here in SW Florida (Naples) winters are usually pretty mild; we might get a night or two in the 40's in January but for the most part we are in the 60's. It HAS been very humid (95%+) overnight, so the air roots are huge.

Thanks again