Getting a phal to grow deeper roots
 

I have a no ID phal and it is currently potted in a bark mixture. I has very shallow roots and isn't as stable as it should be in the pot. Is this normal? How do I get it to grow roots that are deep and not shallow? Would a different pot help, like a taller narrower pot?

It is in a clear or opaque pot? I read some interesting research papers last year where experiments showed that Phal roots hate growing down into a dark pot, they'd rather stay at the surface or go up in the air. If you have a clear pot, the roots will colonize it just fine but it takes time for them to grow. I have some Phals that took over a year to finally be anchored in.
Also, how is your medium? If it stays soggy in the medium the roots may simply be avoiding it.

I've read articles that say the same thing that Camille reported. In addition I read a report by a commercial phalaenopsis grower in Brazil that said that phals grown in clear pots develop more roots than phals grown in dark pots.

If you think about it, the reasoning makes sense. Most orchids have their roots exposed to light in nature. Why not provide them that when we place them in a pot?

I have one Phal. that seems to have proven the point about the clear pots. Since I didn't have any clear pots at the time I had to pot my recovering Phal. in a dark pot. It got going a bit better but seemed slow with roots compared to most of mine that are in clear pots. So as soon as I could get a clear pot I moved it into one. In a few short months this thing is growing roots out the bottom holes in the pot! It also has two spikes, one from the mother, and one from the keiki it produced when it was on death's doorstep a year ago! Just waiting now for the buds to get larger.

I'll have to buy some clear pots then...

Thank you!

This was a helpful post for me, I actually have fed ex delivering several clear pots to me tomorrow but while reading these responses I wondered do you experienced growers use clear pots for all your orchids or just epiphytes?

Don't forget to also give the plant some support (stake) whilst it roots - they don't really root very well when wobbly!

I grow all the orchids in clear pots, it's a great way to keep an eye on root health!

I experimented for a long time with phalaenopsis before I found that clear pots worked so well with them. I don't use clear pots for any of my other orchids. I use clay pots or wooden baskets for my cattleyas because they need to dry quickly and they're top heavy. In lightwieght plastic pots they tend to tip over. I use wood baskets for vandas. Some of my smaller orchids I grow mounted.