root growth

**dwllama** · July 13th, 2014, 03:33 PM

Hi all,
I have a phal that was a keiki given to me when I moved. It spent last summer in a tiny pot with loads of vigorous roots sitting in an enclosed porch and seemed quite happy. Then at the end of summer I foolishly repotted it to a slightly bigger pot and then moves into a relatively dark location overwinter. I kept it going with careful low watering and supplemental light but by spring it was quite wrinkly and still no sign of root growth since potting. It has been out in my enclosed porch at my new house since the beginning of may. It looks a little better and I think the center of its 3 leaves may have started growing again finally. But still pretty depressed. Anything I can do besides keep watering and waiting? Maybe super thrive or something? I feed it(msu formula) at the same times as my other orchids. Sometimes they get soaked, sometimes just watered from the top and once in a while set in the sink and rinsed thru. If I can figure out how to add a pic thru my phone I will put a pic up for ya. Thanks
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**cakedaddy** · July 13th, 2014, 05:15 PM

I would focus on keeping it humid and a bid shaded until it grows more roots. As far as posting photos from a phone, the free Imgur app is really easy to use.
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**ksriramkumar** · July 14th, 2014, 12:04 AM

concur with CD. increasing humidity certainly helps

**Carolla** · July 14th, 2014, 12:43 AM

Hey, you need to change your location, you don't live in Spokane any more!

I already told you what I think, mostly wait and keep it from being badly stressed and water it when it dries out. If the leaves grow, the roots will follow.

**raybark** · July 14th, 2014, 06:40 AM

Using a product like KelpMax will certainly stimulate root- and plant growth (more reliably than K-L-N or SuperThrive), but warmth is really important.

Phalaenopsis are really hot-growing orchids, with many of them never seeing temperatures cooler than 75°F in their entire lives, and basking in 100°+ days in the deep shade. They are tolerant of cooler temperatures, but that really slows their metabolism.

I'll also add that if you changed the medium when you repotted, that forces the plant to grow new roots that function better in that new environment, and by moving it to a "lesser" location, you may have shut that process down.

**silverstoli** · July 14th, 2014, 10:45 AM

Ray,

I think you just hit the nail on the head for my Phals. I have them all inside and it rarely gets warmer than 75 in my house. The windows have solar shades, so not much heat comes through. I think I will have to build them a shady spot outside, plenty of heat out there!

They are doing ok, but the root growth is very slow. All of my orchids outside have put out lots of strong roots with the KelpMax, heat and humidity.

What is the best way to acclimate them to going outside in the heat? I could take them out at night and bring them in during the day for a while. I'm just worried the change will be too much if done this time of year. We are hitting the mid 90's with lots of humidity. Slight breezes most of the day and evenings.

They would be on the Northeast side of the house. Thank you for any insight.

**T4tlrman** · July 14th, 2014, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by raybark

Using a product like KelpMax will certainly stimulate root- and plant growth (more reliably than K-L-N or SuperThrive), but warmth is really important.

Phalaenopsis are really hot-growing orchids, with many of them never seeing temperatures cooler than 75°F in their entire lives, and basking in 100°+ days in the deep shade. They are tolerant of cooler temperatures, but that really slows their metabolism.

I'll also add that if you changed the medium when you repotted, that forces the plant to grow new roots that function better in that new environment, and by moving it to a "lesser" location, you may have shut that process down.

Ray, are you saying I could move my phals outdoors to the shade in 105 +/- temps and they'd be ok (or like it better than a constant 78 degrees)?

I'm willing to try it if the answer is yes because I'd be able to enjoy them much more than leaving them in the brightly lit bathroom they're in.

**Carolla** · July 14th, 2014, 06:27 PM

I would be interested in the answer to that too, though I'm afraid that the temp difference between my heavily AC house (73 - 77 degrees) and the 104 degrees it was today might be too abrupt. I'm concerned about keeping them watered too, I hardly dare go outside most of the day, it makes me ill.

**T4tlrman** · July 14th, 2014, 06:46 PM

C, I didn't think you ever got temps in that range! Are the evenings much cooler? Just curious - hang in there, T

**Carolla** · July 14th, 2014, 07:01 PM

We are in the mountain shadow in the eastern part of the state, its basically a semi-desert. With no water and little humidity, its hot during the day and cool at night in the summer and cold and dry in the winter and usually windy. The OP is my daughter, but she's in MI now, where she has milder temps (Lake MI) and a lot more humidity, I'm thinking her Phal will recover nicely over time. I'm really glad to get some good input though, I wasn't aware that Phals like heat so much.

I have a lot of shade, when we bought this property 20 years ago we planted trees all over! Humidity is a problem and keeping them watered can be problematic in the yard, the hoses are all busy with sprinklers to keep things a wee bit green here.

root growth

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