Second Phalaenopsis

[ashleigh]

I just bought my second phalaenopsis yesterday. Could someone tell me if it looks healthy or not? I think it does, but I would like the opinion of someone with more experience.

[ksriramkumar]

They look healthy. Only concern I see is it is in sphagnum moss. sphagnum moss could be problematic for many growers. you could possibly repot them in loose bark mix after the blooms are over

[catttan]

Healthy plants and lovely blooms.I concur with Sriram re the sphagnum.

[ashleigh]

Is it a bad idea to repot while it is still in bloom?

[78Terp]

I would not re-pot unless I started to see root rot issues while it is in bloom.
Phals are more forgiving than catts in regards to re-potting.
It would not do the phal any harm to re-pot now. It might just shorten the length of time the flowers last.

[kspalding]

Both your Dalmation and keleidoscope look beautiful. The set up looks similar to the set up of some that we sell here. In our case the moss is used merely as decoration and only covers a thin sheet of the top. If that is the case with yours it will be fine just the way it is. However if you can pull the plant out of the pot and see the roots covered with moss, you may want to remove the moss so that it isn't suffocating the roots. Not sure where you are located but some regions actually do better with the moss but I know where I am it can be a hazard.

[ashleigh]

Both your Dalmation and keleidoscope look beautiful. The set up looks similar to the set up of some that we sell here. In our case the moss is used merely as decoration and only covers a thin sheet of the top. If that is the case with yours it will be fine just the way it is. However if you can pull the plant out of the pot and see the roots covered with moss, you may want to remove the moss so that it isn't suffocating the roots. Not sure where you are located but some regions actually do better with the moss but I know where I am it can be a hazard.

When I got the white and purple one home, I took some of the moss out because it was really tightly packed. Then I put some of it back in very loosely.

[Wade's Orchids]

Ok, I'm going to go against my comrades here. I think it will be fine in the moss. If it were in a plastic pot, the moss would end up being a sodden mess that would lead to rotted roots in a very short time. However, this is in a clay pot which changes things dramatically. The clay acts as a wick to draw excess moisture from the root mass and should cause it to dry in a few days. Water it when the moss is barely moist and it should do great. If it should stay wet longer than 4 days you may want to consider repotting after the blooms have died.

[kspalding]

I have never had problems repotting when I make arrangements. I think as long as you aren't changing to many factors it can be ok. For example, when I repot into arrangements I use the same soil it was planted in already, it stays in the same environment for a few days, and I don't change its watering schedule.

[Ron-NY]

When I grew Phals in my home, Sphag in clay pots was my medium of choice. As long as it is not packed too tightly, It is a good medium but would recommend repotting once a year, maximum two years.