Found orchid for $1.

[Whitetippytoes]

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Greetings. I am new to the hobby and forum. Thank you for your time reading this. I was wondering if I may ask for your advice.

A lady was giving away plants for $1 each on craigslist. I am now a proud owner of my first orchid. However, due to my lack of experience in the planting hobby. I don’t know if I should repot this baby or not. The lady mention the orchid is blooming. What do you think? Plant looks like it desperately needs a repot. But I don’t want to ruin it’s bloom. I’m afraid to ruin the roots. Sorry for the photos, and terribly description.

the plant and roots seems to be protruding out of its pot! And the stem with the bloom is not placed upwards against the bamboo stick. there seems to be no support for the bloom without bending the plant.

Appreciate your input.

It seems to me the pot is stacked on top of a larger pot.

[emmajs243]

Ok let me start by saying, I am no expert yet!

To me, first off! All those roots are just amazing! They are air roots and they are suppose to be out of the pot! They can tend to become a tad unruly (as you see) and for that reason you may read some people cutting them away. I personally do NOT recommend cutting away air roots. They are very important and play a role in the orchids survival! Plus, lets say you did unpotted the orchid and found all the roots rotted that were in the pot, the orchid could survive just due to those healthy air roots!

Second thing, it looks like she is in two pots? This isn't that irregular for Phals. Often they come like this in grocery stores and sometimes this is done by growers to give the plant more stability! Go ahead and pull out the inner pot, If the inner pot is clear, a photo of the roots through the side of the clear pot may be helpful! One reason for always planting into a clear pot as a beginner is because you can pull the orchid out and get a bit of an idea of its root health! I am guessing she was put into the second pot because she is probably top heavy and would topple over otherwise! Just be careful to not let water sit in the bottom of the red pot! If/When you repot, if you use a larger clear pot, the red pot may not be big enough. You want enough room to still allow airflow between the clear and decor (no drainage hole) pot.

The next thing I would ask myself as a beginner is if I even have what I need to repot an orchid. You would need a size up (maybe two if it has been a long time since the orchid was repotted) pot and it is important that your pot has lots of ventilation holes and slits on the sides and bottom. Many have a "cone" in the bottom (basically instead of the bottom being flat there is a part in the center that protrudes up back into the middle of the pot to give extra air flow to the center of the pot) and those are great for Phals! Phals need air just as much as water! You also would need sterilized cutting tools, and clean media...the list can go on and on depending on who you ask.

Some say that If you are planting into the exact same type of media, it may not affect a Phal too much even with blooming. But this is a big MAYBE and since you are new to repotting, I guarantee it won't be a perfect process! We are all just human and it takes a couple times to get a routine down! So idk if I feel like this is a realistic maybe as a beginner. (That's just my opinion as a beginner! No actual experience to back this up)

The last thing I will say. It seems like the one constant thing brought up on this forum for reporting is that it is best to do when the orchid is actively growing new roots. Now, if you aren't changing your type of media maybe this isn't quite as huge of a deal but it is definitely what is advised to do. It is easier for the orchid to become established and it has a better chance at success. So many advise that unless there is a problem like rotting media, bugs, rotting roots/stem, that you wait to repot. If the orchid is producing flowers, normally she isn't producing very many new roots because her energy is going to the flowers.

I hope this somewhat helps you! If you don't have all the necessary Potting supplies I wouldn't freak out and rush to repot unless I know there is an immediate issue. I would order Potting supplies and take a very close look at the orchid overall. I would check the roots through the transparent pot within the red one, I would also really look as closely as possible at the side of the orchids stem (where the leaves meet) that is laying closest to the Potting media.

I often find stem rot on the underside of orchids laying over like that. So if her stem is fine, just take extra care to keep that stem/crown area very dry. Make sure when you water you avoid that area and make sure the stem isn't resting directly on top of Potting media but instead has good room for air circulation (now and when repotting)!

I would just really take note overall to everything I can see going on and monitor her while I am waiting for my supplies to arrive. If I notice problems in that time then maybe I will choose to repot when my supplies arrives.

You can also look at the media itself to see if it looks fresh or old. Check for mold, check that the bark is still large chunks of wood and hasn't disintegrated. Many advise that when you water, smell the pot for a bad smell because old or rotting media/roots will give a bad smell. Also others say to take your thumb and press down on the Potting media (careful of the roots), if you
Can push your thumb in and imprint the media (like you would with soil) then it is time to repot!

Try to take a look at the roots inside of that inner pot (hopefully it's clear) and take a look at the media to see is fresh it looks! Look for bugs, any white little dots, anything unusual and let us know! Then when the experts start to weigh in they have a little more to base their advise on! I am guessing she is just planted in bark?

[Whitetippytoes]

Hi emma’ thank you for getting back to me! I will begin investing in supplies. Just don’t quite have the funds for it at the moment. Might just allow it to sit and bloom for a while.

I pulled the pot out of the larger pot. Sadly it’s not a clear pot. Here are some photos

Not sure what bark to buy. Will have to do some more research on a mediums... I attached some photos of bark hopefully you can see. There some dead roots in the way

[emmajs243]

Anytime! I try to respond to those that I see haven't gotten any feedback yet!

And, that is disappointing that it isn't a clear pot! Does it have drainage holes or air holes at all in it? If not, I may consider trying to repot sooner then later.

So as a beginner, there are definitely some places where you can buy a quality orchid mix, if your tight on money, I recently ordered from Carter and Holmes and saw that they have very reasonabley priced bark mixes in comparison to some places and even sell a single size for like a $1-$2. Now I am not saying you have to go through them, but maybe check with some actual orchid nursuries and you might be surprised that you can order in a single pot size amount of bark for just a few dollars! I only mention Carter and Holmes because I know they are a top notch nursury and like I said, I just ordered from them so I was looking through all of their stuff!

I definitely would recommend trying to find a clear orchid pot to put her in so you can watch her roots. At least, as a beginner, it is a big comfort to me to have my orchids in clear pots and be able to see what's going on in there!

If you have a quality pair of sharp scissors, I personally would just use those at your point and just wash them really well and soak the entire cutting blade in 70% isopropyl alcohol for at least 10 minutes prior to repotting!

It is of course hard to judge bark over photos but the fact that there are so many dead roots at the surface would kinda be a concern to me. Since those roots should be getting plenty air and time to dry out between waterings, I normally see the roots on top in good condition and it's down deeper in the pot where you begin to find the rotted roots. No matter though, with all her air roots, she should definitely be ok! Just remember it is always easier for an orchid to recover from underwatering than it is overwatering! So when in doubt, don't water!

AOS offers great information to look through on orchid care. I would google Phalaenopsis novice culture sheet and AOS should be one of the first ones you see! There are also lots of great advice and info on different threads. I would scan the beginner and Potting discussions and look for any titles relevant to you and read what advice was given because I know there are some about your exact question!

Really, if your trying to do this on a tight budget, I would get the following:

- if you don't have quality scissors or feel more comfortable using pruners, Fiskars micro tip titanium pruners have worked beautifully for me for anything I need orchid wise! They cost less then $8 on Amazon with prime shipping. I have seen some even say you can use a cheap razor blade.
- 70% isopropyl alcohol, just enough to soak your cutting blade in. $1?
- an orchid pot, (size is going to be the hardest part on this one and I can't be a huge help on choosing the right size! What makes it a little harder is you don't know the orchids root quality, it may need a lot of dead roots cut away and you may not need a larger pot size at all or you may need a smaller one! You just never know! If you by chance own or know someone who owns a saudering iron, you can use any kind of clear container and use the saudering iron to poke holes in the container and make your own orchid pot out of solo cups, cut Gatorade bottles ect. There are some YouTube videos on how to do this. Otherwise pots are $1-$3 or a variety pack is $6-$7. Amazon or orchid nursuries/supply stores.
-Something to set the orchid on while trimming roots. I got some large plastic xmas platters from family dollar for $1 a piece. Super handy! You can even use a cookie sheet though! Just disinfect with the alcohol before and after!
-Potting mix! Like I said, definitely check around into this one! If you use straight bark you will need to water more often but if you are concerned you will be likely to overwater, this will help balance the scales to a point. Mixes with spagnum moss are going to hold much more water so are better for very dry areas or people that are more likely to underwater. I would tend towards a more bark based Potting mix. It's a lot more forgiving as a beginner in the sense that it does dry out quicker. Sphagnum moss is great and it can be a life saver for certain situations but it is definitely not forgiving as a beginner and can be a little challenging to figure out! (At least in my experience!)

Other then that, yes there is definitely more beneficial stuff to have handy out there like fertilizer, Kelp extract root hormone supplements, physan 20 type solutions for fungus/mold/diseases, but at the end of the day on a tight budget, I wouldn't say those are a must. More something you can save and work towards over time! Especially right now in the winter, fertilizing is substantially cut back anyways! You can use alcohol, water and a touch of dawn as a bug killer if you end up needing it and if you cut back flower spikes or if a leaf gets a cut/break apply powdered cinnamon to the area with a Q-tip! Some say to not apply cinnamon to cut roots, I have seen others say the opposite....I tend to aire on the side of caution and avoid getting cinnamon on the roots just because it does dry whatever it is applied to. There are lots of at home things that can be used with orchids!

Final thing, if you are a smoker, (no judgement, I personally am), I would advise you buy a little pack of disposable gloves. You can pay a $1-$2 and get like 4-5 pairs. Orchids are susceptible to the Tobaco Mosaic Virus and smokers carry it on their hands. I personally don't know how common it really Is but I feel like ESPECIALLY when repotting and making cuts to the roots, that would be the most likely time that it could be transmitted. Honestly, even if you aren't a smoker, disposable gloves are still great to use when repotting, just as a preventative measure. I personally just sucked it up and bought two huge boxes from Costco and never handle my orchids or their pots or anything like that without gloves on just because I do smoke and I also have sick orchids in my house.

Really I think that is all you NEED to do a basic repot! There is a thread on here with a reporting video as well as many other repotting videos on YouTube.

Fair warning, on YouTube, it seems like everyone sprays their orchids roots with hydrogen peroxide. On here, MANY people do not agree with using hydrogen peroxide. I too have kinda come to that same conclusion. When I first started back into orchids recently I was given four Phals for free all from the same place. The first one I used hydrogen peroxide on and her roots looked awful a few days later and had mold all over them (which is odd because youtube says it's a natural fungicide)....I actually lost the orchid. Now, was that due to the hydrogen peroxide? I can't say. All I can say is later many people started adamantly advising me against this so on the next two Phals I didn't use any hydrogen peroxide and both of them are still sick but their roots are still in good health and they seem to be improving!

It just made me, as a beginner, really regret using hydrogen peroxide in the first place and wish I had gotten more opinions then just the few YouTube videos I watched. So just keep that in mind! If your questioning on anything, definitely just ask on here!

Last tip: I find that if you give a more descriptive but precise title to your thread, you get a lot more replies! It took me a little while to start getting a lot of replies and then I figured this one out! So like for this thread I would do something like, "My first orchid: New Phal now in spike, Repot or not?" I promise more people will probably respond because you gave a very good description and the experienced members usually always ask for photos and you supplied lots of those from the start so I am surprised you haven't had more replies but wonder if that may be why!

---------- Post added at 08:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:43 PM ----------

Here! These all were just a fabulous source of information and were probably the most helpful sources for me with my first repot! Hopefully they will help you too! And Welcome to orchid growing! Definitely keep us updated!

Choosing Potting Media >> First Rays LLC

Beginner's Series 23 - Phalaenopsis Part 4

https://staugorchidsociety.org/PDF/AOS10-Repotting.pdf

http://www.aos.org/AOS/media/Content...-Repotting.pdf

[aliceinwl]

I think Emma has given you some great advice! No saying for sure if this is the case with your Phal, but I’ve repotted a few rescues with air roots like this and small leaves. It seems to be a sign that the roots in the substrate are dead or dying and the plant is trying to find a better environment for its roots before it uses up all its reserves.

I’d repot as soon as possible if your priority is saving the plant. Don’t cut any roots unless you’re sure they are dead to the tip: if they have any firm sections they’re still alive. If it has no or very few live roots, soak the root zone of the Phal (to make the roots more flexible) and put any air roots you can manipulate without breaking into the pot.

These roots may or may not survive long term because they are adapted to the air, but they will help your plant take up moisture until it can grow new roots. If going into an airy media like bark, air roots I’ve buried have survived well.

If you get a clear pot, position one root against the side: when it’s silver water, when it’s green don’t. You want the plant to nearly dry out between waterings.

You’re best off leaving the spike as is. They need to be trained to grow up the bamboo when young and trying to move it may cause it to break. As long as you don’t cut any live roots when you repot, the Phal should keep its flowers.

Good luck!

---------- Post added at 07:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:30 AM ----------

I just want to add that once potted properly, these hybrid Phals are super easy keepers. I have them on windowsills that don’t get any direct sun, water them once a week, and they grow and bloom like crazy. If I have to miss a week of watering when I go on vacation, they weather it just fine.

[Whitetippytoes]

Emma and Alice, thank you so much for
All the information. I will keep you ladies posted. Just received word today we are heading to Home Depot. There are some
Orchid potting mix I can buy there.

Upon further inspection. I notice the Phal is planted in moss!! Would it be ok if I use orchid moss alone and only to repot this in?


Better gro premium grade orchid moss



Here is a link to the moss advertised on Home Depot I was thinking of buying alone.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Better-G...0455/202184438



I read here miracle gro is not recommended my other choice is better-gro.

I know I said this before. Im a complete newbie at the planting hobby... I’m nervous about stunning the fellow once I repot. Will submit pictures once I repot it. I may not find a clear pot today. Was thinking of repoting it in the larger red vase the lady included. Please don’t crucify me for this!!! :’( I will try my best to find a clear pot today . I’ll also use bleach and water solution to sterilize. Appreciate all the advice!!!!! Not sure if I will immediately repot because of my worries of stunning the blooming process . Will update you guys when I decide to do so!

Thank you again!

[emmajs243]

Anytime! And when it comes to pots. You definitely don't have to use a clear one. What is most important. Is having lots of air holes and drainage holes so that's the one drawback to the red vase! Especially since i think alice may be correct about the roots in the pot being rotted and it only being able to survive on the air roots at first. You definitely want these guys to get as much air circulation as possible to start! Really all Phal roots need as much air as possible or else they will rot like it looks might have already happened!

What helped me as a newbie is learning how they naturally grow, it helped me make sense of how to care for them! In nature, Phals grow on tree limbs, mossy rocks, or the bark on the side of a tree with all their roots just dangling down or clinging to the tree! I swear it seems wired but is so true! So the only water their roots get is when it rains, and that is only long enough for the rain to hit the roots and immediately drip back off! They never fully sit In water to be watered. This is why as growers we use these pots with all the slits and large chunks of bark to plant them in because we are trying to resemble their natural growing conditions!

So, if I were you, In a pinch, I have before used just like a cheap plastic pot before and then used scissors/knife to cut tiny slits in the sides and bottom and although it may not be the prettiest, the plant is healthier, happier and has a much better rate of success. And you can always put the make shift orchid pot back into the red vase as long as it doesn't sit too snuggly and you keep water out of the red vase!

I did finally invest in a saudering iron for like $10 at Home Depot and that is a great money saver because I can just grab like a Gatorade bottle and cut off the top and poke holes in it BUT you could do slits instead with a knife and a Gatorade bottle!

For the most part, I have seen more people having success with better-gro then miracle gro. I have seen a few find bugs when they open the mix but mostly they have decent results, just when opening really ANY Potting mix, take a minute to comb through it checking for any mold or bugs just to be sure!

I do enjoy soaking the roots and the bark for a while to start! It helps keep dust down with the bark and then you don't need to worry about watering for a while. also, it is more likely you will notice something off while taking the time to soak it/rinse it.

like Alice said, soaking the roots helps make them a little more pliable and all the roots that turn green are alive! Which that may not be the bet advice for your situation. Because the orchid is planted in a colored pot, the roots in the pot may not be green but still be alive! The roots turn green because they are able to photosynthesis when the have sunlight so because of what they are currently planted in, they may be more yellow and that's totally ok. It's just lack of sunlight. Primarily, if they are fat and you slightly pinch them and they are firm, then they are alive!

I hope you the best of luck today!!! Once she is settled into her new environment I am sure she will be so much happier and healthier! In the long run, it will definitely pay off!

[Whitetippytoes]

Originally Posted by emmajs243

... you can always put the make shift orchid pot back into the red vase as long as it doesn't sit too snuggly and you keep water out of the red vase!


I do enjoy soaking the roots and the bark for a while to start! It helps keep dust down with the bark and then you don't need to worry about watering for a while. also, it is more likely you will notice something off while taking the time to soak it/rinse it.

like Alice said, soaking the roots helps make them a little more pliable and all the roots that turn green are alive! Which that may not be the bet advice for your situation. Because the orchid is planted in a colored pot, the roots in the pot may not be green but still be alive! The roots turn green because they are able to photosynthesis when the have sunlight so because of what they are currently planted in, they may be more yellow and that's totally ok. It's just lack of sunlight. Primarily, if they are fat and you slightly pinch them and they are firm, then they are alive!

I hope you the best of luck today!!! Once she is settled into her new environment I am sure she will be so much happier and healthier! In the long run, it will definitely pay off!

Emma. Thank you kindly for helping me through this. I will definitely look into a clear pot and put the plant into it first! and so forth in the red vase. I notice some air roots were bent and broken so I may try to soak them and then stuff broken air roots into the clear pot.

Instead of reporting in bark, I will try to buy moss instead

Here is a link.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mosser-L...-110/202745057


Here is another plant that looks as tho it is dying and yellowing. It’s in moss. Would you suggest to repot this as well? Not sure what kind of plant this is. It seems obvious the roots are tooo exposed. I’m afraid it is dying as well, could you please give me your thoughts on this plant?




Ladies, thank you for everything,,, everything!!!

[Dollythehun]

You can kill that?

Seriously, look at rePotme Orchid Supplies and Kelley's Korner Orchid Supplies for supplies and ideas about what's available. In a punch you can just go to Lowe's for the Better Gro line. I grew for many years with their basic supplies.

[Mountaineer370]

Whitetippytoes, welcome to the board! I'm not sure why you say in your most recent post above that you have decided to repot into moss instead of bark, but it's a personal choice, really. Many here on the board use sphagnum moss, many don't. I have all of my Phals in medium-size bark chunks, and that is what I've had the best luck with so far. I'm still not sure what yours is potted in now. I can't tell from the pictures.

Adequate ventilation and drainage are very important in choosing a pot. That is why many people put them in pots that have lots of drainage holes at the bottom, and, oftentimes, slits on the sides, as well, like this (just an example to show what kind of pot I am talking about):

https://www.amazon.com/Slotted-Clear...ted+orchid+pot

Look around, as prices vary a lot, and don't forget to figure in shipping costs.

For larger, heavier plants, many of us will put these plastic pots with the holes into a larger cache pot, usually ceramic or clay, to minimize the tipping hazards.

As to your particular Phal, it has an abundance of aerial roots! I would not try to force those down into a pot. They have grown and adapted to the air. I personally like the look of aerial roots. If your home has low humidity, as mine does, you may want to help keep those aerial roots plump and healthy by occasionally spritzing them with a spray bottle. I do that every time I water, but also sometimes in between waterings. I have found that aerial roots will tend to get thin and dry in my house if I don't.

I would leave that spike be and not try to stake it now. It's got some nice buds and you will have flowers soon. Forcing it to bend to a different angle now could be detrimental.