Wow... heavy organic soil... - Orchid Board

Pilot · #1 08-11-2009, 11:13 PM

Hi All!

Wanted to share with you an experience I had today at my local grocer regarding some phals. Of course I bought one...they went for 5 bucks! But when I was looking for the one I wanted, I was also pulling them out of their pots to see the roots. I found the one I wanted-- it is white with a strawberry blush near the center with pink/raspberry strips near the lip-- very nice. But when I yanked it out of the pot I found it stuffed in drenched, heavy organic soil-- the kind you'd use for african violents or something that likes wet feet. I was shocked... of course loads of other people were buying too and looked at me like I was being rude, pulling them out of their pots. But if an orchid is grown properly I don't see that as a bad thing as if it moss, the moss would not fall out like the soil...and if it were bark you'd be able to see the status of the roots through the pot... anyway, it is clear the producer of these orchids just wanted to keep the roots moist (drenched in this case) and had no intentions of keeping the plant alive. Thankfully the one I wanted, though in heavy soil, had very good looking roots. I think if it spent another day or so the roots would have begun to suffer a lot.

So I unpotted it when I got it home, rinsed off the heavy soil and proceeded to spray it down with a physan mixture to stave off anything funky. It is not sitting in its outer clay pot drying out a bit before I put it back into some sort of proper medium. It shows not signs right now of active root growth so the s/h will be held off.

The name of it, BTW, is 'Pauline Rose.' Its really pleasant. I'll post pics soon. But I had to share my shocking experience!

orchidbingo · #2 08-11-2009, 11:24 PM

I'm glad you were there to rescue Pauline Rose!

bingo

Zoi2 · #3 08-12-2009, 12:41 AM

Wow, that's a new technique, using soil with phals. Pauline Rose is very lucky you came along!
Joann

natasha · #4 08-12-2009, 02:33 AM

last month i went to a nearby nursery, found nothing to buy. so i just walk around. then i saw catts planted in soil! i quickly ask the uncle there, "why you plant them in soil?" its actually his workers that made the mistake! i never found in literature that catt can be in soil!

snow · #5 08-12-2009, 02:48 AM

maybe we haven,t learned every thing about orchids yet. i would never have believed in waterculture. but i,m a believer now.

shadec · #6 08-12-2009, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by natasha

last month i went to a nearby nursery, found nothing to buy. so i just walk around. then i saw catts planted in soil! i quickly ask the uncle there, "why you plant them in soil?" its actually his workers that made the mistake! i never found in literature that catt can be in soil!

its not recommended, you were right to question the treatment of those poor catts!

natasha · #7 08-12-2009, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadec

its not recommended, you were right to question the treatment of those poor catts!

yeah, risky question

i could get killed if i ask a wrong guy! the uncle was quite angry when his workers planted the catts wrongly - they are in soil usually for roses! i am sure that they are to be scolded the next morning!

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #8 08-12-2009, 05:12 AM

Cetain Cattleyas and Laelias are lithophytes (growing on cliff faces) as well as epiphytes, but not terrestrials growing in any kind of soil.

This is certain. If there's one, I haven't seen one yet...

TylerK · #9 08-12-2009, 08:29 AM

Was the medium a mostly peat & perlite mix? If so it might be pro mix rather than actual garden soil. My mother got a phal potted this way about a year ago. I was shocked and horrified as well and did much the same thing as you... washed it off and repotted in moss. I was told later though that it was likely orchid pro mix, which many orchid nurseries use on their Phals so they don't have to watter them as often. Seems to me though like it would be more appropriate for terrestrial orchids.

Tyler

Pilot · #10 08-12-2009, 09:27 AM

I can't imagine why, except to keep the roots plenty moist, they would use regular potting soil-- and sure, there was perlite in it but most of it was this dense, dark soil that had no breathe-ability to it. The plant would have suffered root loss within days. If for nothing else, the natural breakdown of the organics by bacteria etc is enough to concern me when it comes to the fleshy parts of the roots. There is no way these plants were planted and sold with any intent to give them even the hint of survival.

Sorry still no pics... the newborn baby girl is soaking up most of the time I use to have!!! I'm surprised I had the 10 minutes to wash the plant down and spray it with physan!

As for the current state of the plant-- the leaves and roots really do look quite healthy. And the roots have been busy drying out, which in Colorado on a warm day is really fast!! I suspect I'll HAVE to put it into something like moss by the end of today. I figure so long as I keep the roots moist (not drenched in black soil) until I figure out what I really want to do with that plant is my best option.

the flowers are really really nice.