Repoting a phal

[rbarata]

Hello, my friends

Tomorrow I will repot my phal for the first time (first time the phal is repoted and also my first phal repoting).
Should I water it after the job is done?
Any other advises? Best time of the day? etc etc

Thanks

[turock]

I'm probably a little strange but repotting is my favorite part of the care process! It gives me a chance to really see how the plant and its roots have grown and changed over the year. So, congratulations, and I hope you find it to be a rewarding process!

Now on to your questions. I prefer to work with pre-soaked medium rather than dry, but this isn't necessary. In either case, I water after the plant is potted up to flush out crumbs and debris, and to help everything settle in the pot.

I do all this in the morning or early afternoon so that the plant has a chance to dry before sundown. I am not sure what your seasons are like, but I repot in spring so that the plants have warm, humid days ahead to promote growth. Again, not necessary, but helpful.

Afterwards, I cut out fertilizer for a couple of weeks and then start back with a high nitrogen or balanced fertilizer to promote growth. I give the plant adequate sun and don't really shade it more than normal. Again, anything to get growth to start quickly.

Maybe this will give you a good start?


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[wintergirl]

Everyone has different ways of doing things and soon you will find the one that fits you and your orchids. I like to pot with dry mix and then wait for at least a day before I water to let the roots heal from the trauma. If you are potting with bark, keep in mind that new bark will take a little time to get where it absorbs the water easily. (So they maybe a little drier at first.)

[rbarata]

Thank you for the replies.
In the meanwhile, today I've done it.
Before, and because I didn't knew what I was going to find out, I've watered it to make roots more flexible. Inside the black pot, I knew there was another one so there was a possibility to have tangled roots. By other hand, today we had a temps around the 100º F so excess water was not an issue.

I've found that most of the roots were not green but were firm and not mushy so I guess it's because they couldn't get any light due to the original pot.

The mix I used was a mixture for epiphytes (with small pine bark, perlite, and coconut husk) and broken pine bark (that I bought by mistake, think it was also epiphytes mix).

Here's some pictures:


Before the work:





The smaller pot inside the black one:





The root system:




And the final work:

[bil]

I just think those small pots do the orchids no favours.

[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by bil

I just think those small pots do the orchids no favours.

Funny I thought he over-potted

[bil]

Originally Posted by wintergirl

Funny I thought he over-potted

Well, I look on a shallow 35 cm diam pot as about right. I'm getting quite strong growth of roots, and much under that the roots just climb out of the pot.

[rbarata]

Funny I thought he over-potted

Me too!

Anyway, at least now I can see the roots. BTW, what do you think about the root condition? Do they look good? I almost didn't cut any dead root.

[estación seca]

There were just a few dead roots in the original photos. I think in Abrantes the problem is heat and low humidity, so a larger container may be a good idea. Plus you can see the roots.

[turock]

I do see one or two obviously dead, mushy roots, and some of the roots that were previously growing outside of the medium look dry and possibly dead. But, most of the roots look nice and healthy! And, your plant has a good amount of them, too.

I agree with you that the pale color of most of those roots is probably due to lack of light deep within the black pot.

I've potted smaller phals in bigger pots before and they have done fine. But, you have to be observant and make sure the medium doesn't stay too moist. One trick that works well for me is to punch extra holes in the side of the pot. This lets lots of air get in and cuts down on the chance of root rot.

You're off to a great start! Good luck with your plant!

---------- Post added at 09:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

I think in Abrantes the problem is heat and low humidity, so a larger container may be a good idea.

In that case, my suggestion of punching holes in the pot might not be a good one!