Phal cannot get enough moisture

[Traci]

I normally plant phals in plastic pots in a mix of bark, lava rock, perlite, hydroton,and spaghnum. Since I'm away on a rotation I had to repot a Phal that I purchased with no drainage and musty smelling bark and peat into better gro bark, charcoal and perlite in a terra cotta pot. This was all I could find at the nursery. The plant,even with soaking every few days, is drying too quickly and the leaves are getting limp. I had to repot it tonight when I got home in the mix with some added spaghnum that I was able to find. I hope this will help the plant retain moisture and that repotting at night won't cause rot. I soaked the plant on accident when it fell into the sink but dried the crevices as best I could.
Will the added spaghnum likely help or do you think I need to wrap the terra cotta pot in packing tape?

---------- Post Merged at 08:50 PM ----------



---------- Post Merged at 08:53 PM ----------

The humidity is controlled inside of the apartment and is likely nowhere near humid enough. I have a balcony outside that I can likely put the plant on in a corner shaded from most sun but not sure and won't be home to watch it all day to make sure the sun doesn't get to the corner The humidity on the balcony ranges from 89 to 100%. I'm also afraid changing the environment yet again after repotting it twice in a week and a half will totally shock the plant.

---------- Post Merged at 09:04 PM ----------

Forgot to add the other orchids around it are staying hydrated because they are still in the spagh that they came in and in inner plastic pots. I haven't watered them at all now going on two weeks on Sunday. They might be ready for more water then. I was too afraid to put the struggling orchid in spagh since it was in bark and peat to begin with.

[ksriramkumar]

Just give it little more time and sure it would produce new set of roots to suit media and climatic conditions @ your grow area.

[raybark]

Part of the issue might be that the fresh potting medium hasn't "opened up" enough yet to absorb water fully.

Place the potted plant in the sink, and run tepid water through the medium for several minutes, until it appears to be well saturated. Wait 30 minutes and repeat. I think you'll find that it will hold moisture longer after regular watering at that point.

[Traci]

Thank you Ray and Sriram,
I will give it more time to adjust. I added spaghnum to the mix because I was soaking the pot for 1 hour in the sink while I take a shower and get dressed. I will have to try the soak and 30 min wait and re soak. This morning the spaghnum seemed to really help as it was still moist.