Phalaenopsis root question
 

Hi guys!
I got a gorgeous Phal. for Valentine's Day. It has two prodigiously blooming spikes, both quite tall. The roots of the plant are dangling outside the bottom and top of the clear plastic pot. Should I repot it or leave it alone? TIA

You could leave it .. a photo would help, though :nod:
Phals do like to be potted tightly and aerial roots are common .. their roots love and need air circulation and are not to be left soggy ...

My personal feeling is to repot all roots inside container. But I already know Ray will disagree that roots are not all the same. Some are adjusted for aerial and some for inside medium. I have not experienced a problem with repotting all roots inside pot, but don't go by what I say.

Does it matter that the flowers are in full bloom?

Leave it alone till all the flowers fall off (could be months) then repot.

I have repotted while my phals were still in bloom and not lost a flower .. there are some of us here that will repot as soon as they acquire an orchid .. What's best for the plant? Depends on the condition of the orchid ... some need a medium change right away along with a roots inspection and clean-up ...
Again, it's personal preference.
Other than the roots sticking out of the medium, can you observe the roots in the clear pot? How do they look? Are they green and/or white or are they black? Is the medium badly broken down? Does it have a funny odor about it?
You might have a great plant as it is and it may not need to be repotted at this time .. a photo would really help :nod: if possible.

Don't forget to look over the Phalaenopsis Care Sheet OB provides - http://www.orchidboard.com/Phalaenop...ure-Care-Sheet
You can also check the archives by typing in 'phalaenopsis' in the search option for past threads and check out our Phalaenopsis forum questions directed specifically for phals ( and there are member's photos there, too) :)
I hope this helps :D

Hi Delmarflower! Sounds like the Phal is perfect the way it is. A picture would be helpful. There is a culture sheet on the forum section, if you are unfamiliar with Phals. It is in a clear pot, so can you see healthy roots? I love clear pots, you can see alot. After you water it, you can tell if it needs watering again by if you see water beads still inside the pot. When you don't, it's time to water again. Congratulations on your new Valentine's Gift! And Welcome!!!! kiki

This is my first day so I'll try to get the photo thing mastered soon. Great information. I'll check out the recommended info. The roots look very healthy inside the clear pot. I was just concerned because they really are dangling from the bottom and over the top. But they look good!

Gail, Phals do that naturally. It's just groping for a good spot to anchor itself to.:D

I've repotted blooming plants before and have not lost flowers. If it is in moss, I usually repot it right away because I feel the moss stays too moist for too long.

Good luck