Xref: news7 rec.gardens.orchids:40615

(jim) writes:
So the question is... would it have bloomed anyway or did the
repotting shock it into action??

Good question.

I have had four phals in a row that have died within two weeks of
coming in the door because they were in desperate need of repotting. I
just don't seem to handle orchids potted in halfway rotten media very
well.

I repotted the last four orchids I bought immediately (There was this
sale, see...) when I got them. By "repot" I mean picking the media
carefully off the roots, removing the rotten roots, and replanting in
a SH culture. They were blooming, and I figured that half of them
would drop dead immediately. No such luck. I now have a significant
number of orchids which have dropped a leaf or two (because of the 15%
rotten roots they all had, perhaps?), but they are still blooming, and
they need more light. _Now_. *grumble*

I don't think a careful repotting is all that bad for the orchid,
especially if it didn't like the old media very much.

Never satisfied, am I? Oh well.

Geir