Repotting Phalaenopsis?

[musicts]

I've had two Phalaenopsis for about a year now, and I'm thinking they soon need to be repotted. How do I go about this? How do I know when it's time to repot?

[WhiteRabbit]

If you have never repotted this one, definitely do. Probably is over-due for some fresh media. If you will be using bark mix, soak the bark for a few hours before hand. Fresh bark will initially not hold moisture too long, so you will need to increase your watering for a few weeks afterwards.

Cut away any dead/rotted roots. Your plant may fit back into the same pot, or may need a bigger pot. Choose a pot that you can fit the roots into fairly easily, but just so (bigger isn't better!) Set the plant into the pot, fill with your new potting media - you will need to gently shake and tap pot to work the media down, and into the roots - hold the plant in place with one hand while you do this.

I'm not the best at explaining things, sorry. Hopefully this helps, I'm sure others can explain a bit better. I do believe there are also videos on youtube if a visual example helps more.

[james mickelso]

Why do you think the phals need repotting? May we see pics of them? Close up of phals and potting mix? Unless the potting mix has deteriorated to the point of not being able to dry out in a reasonable amount of tme, Why would you want to repot? What type mix is it potted in at the moment? What type of pot and how big is it?

[camille1585]

It depends what sort of medium they are potted in. Sphagnum, as a rule of thumb, is best to be changed every year because it tends to sour and get acidic any longer than that. For bark mixes it depends. Most of the time I leave new plants in their original bark another 2-3 years, unless I feel its too degraded already. Signs of that are pots that take a very long time to dry out, or feel very heavy after watering. If you use clear pots, you start to see a lot more fine particles in the pot as the bark chips break down.

[james mickelso]

If they do need repotting, now is a good time as it is warm and humid in Canada. That will give them lots of time to acclimate to their new potting material and watering regime. Once repotted keep them warm (70-80f) and humid (50-80 %) and mist daily with good water low in disolved salts. A picture of the roots can help us help you determine which course will be the best to take.

[musicts]

Hey, they both definitely need to be repotted... the bark medium they are planted in is not drying out at all, even after a week between waterings the pots are still damp. So I cut off any bad looking roots... anything else?

[skipper]

It sounds like they need to be repotted. I like to repot my Phals every year after they are done blooming. They should be repotted from 30 to 120 days before the beginning of the next flower set, which starts in Oct and runs until the end of Nov. or early Dec. Also in the summer they are in active growth and will really tack off in the new mix. Hope this helps.

Dale

[james mickelso]

Ok. Get your potting supplies together. The mix should have some medium to fine pine bark, some sponge rock, and some charchol though they can be planted in pure pine bark. When you have the mix on hand, take about as much as you think you'll need for the repotting and put it in a pan and soak it for an hour. Half hour. It doesn't matter as long as it is soaked. Now take them out of the pots and carefully pick off the old potting media. If it doesn't readily fall off of the roots, don't force it. It won't hurt the roots to have some material left on them. Inspect the roots and if any are gray or black and spongy, cut them off with a razor blade or you can use scissors but dip them in bleach or alcohol. Johnny Walker or tequilla works very well. Oh....that's another thread. Sorry. Anyway, once you have cut off all the dead or rotted roots, dab some cinnamon on the cut ends. That acts as an astringent or bacteriacide. Now you can pot them right back into the same pots you took them out of. I wash the pots first with a mild bleach solution and rinse them thoroughly. Have your mix ready and put a little bit in the bottom of the pot. Place you phals in the pot and add mix around the roots until level with the bottom leaf. Tap the sides of the pot to settle the mix. Add as much as necessary to fill to the bottom leaf. Now water the newly potted phals thoroughtly and set them somewhere they can get bright light and warmth. If you can have a small fan blow a light breeze on them. Now don't touch them for 7-10 days. leave them alone. Sing to them if you like but not after 10pm as they like to take a nap about then (; And no hiphop. These are cultures plants. Good luck.

[musicts]

Sounds great! If the weather is good next weekend I'll have to do that. Thanks so much for all your help!

[james mickelso]

You are more than welcome.