ID Help
 

My mom got this little orchid for Mother's day. It didn't have a label or anything so I figured I'd ask here.

Also I noticed today that the blooms are softer than normal and almost drooping, but not to the point of dying. Any idea how to remedy that?

https://imgur.com/a/cdXdaNq

Phalaenopsis. Don't water until roots turn from green into a sort of silvery color. Probably packed in sphagnum moss in a clear pot so you can see the roots. Could be humidity is lower than what it's used to.

I figured it was a Phalaenopsis. The medium it's in is weird - almost like a spongey, cakey substance. It sucks the water right in so I have to be careful about watering. As soon as the blooms drop I'm repotting it into my preferred mix.

And the humidity makes sense. Where I am we just had a sudden drop in humidity yesterday. I'll try misting it and see if it gets any happier.

Thanks!

Yes, other than a Phal hybrid, that's about as close as you're going to get. Is the medium perhaps rockwool?

Possibly. I've never heard much about rockwool. I have another miniature orchid that came in a similar substance. I've since repotted that one in a bark/charcoal (I think they're charcoal bits at least)/vermiculite mixture and it's been very happy. So I will do the same to this one in time.

:hello And I wouldn't worry about the soft blooms. Looks like they're older ones and will drop off by themselves or you can just pinch/cut them off. Misting does nothing for Phals(IMO) but good watering practices will be appreciated. Also you can repot them at any time, blooming or not.

Yup, what DeaC says ^^ :biggrin:

Rockwool is used by a lot of commercial growers who are growing out orchid seedlings for same. I personally don't see it as a long term medium for most folks. Sounds like you've repotted before, and your bark/vermiculite/charcoal mix sounds good. You could always add a little sphag to the mix, but it isn't at all critical...just prolongs the moisture a bit longer.

Okay that is good to know! I always thought if you repotted while they were in bloom it could cause early bloom loss, so I have always waited until the blooms naturally dropped.