John Carruthers wrote:

The roots on my latest Phal are poking through the holes in the bottom
of the pot. Is this a hint that it needs re-potting ? Everything else
is fine, new leaves, spikes etc.
jc


No, it is just a sign of a happy plant. If you haven't repotted in
a while, you might want to do it now while the spikes are still small
(assuming they are small). Best time to repot is probably spring or
early summer after the flowers have dropped (or whenever the plant isn't
in flower or spike, if you can find such a time), so if the mix looks
like it will hold out that long, then wait. However, if there is any
question about the quality of the potting mix, it is best to repot
rather than to risk rotting the roots off. No roots is a much worse
problem than a few poking out through the holes...

If you grow in a greenhouse sometimes the roots become part of the
bench... Then they break when you move the plant. But the plants don't
seem to care too much. If you are growing inside, you usually end up
moving the plant often enough that the roots don't get tangled up or
attached to other objects. When you do repot, you might break some of
those roots coming out the bottom. Don't freak out, it won't hurt the
plant - they will grow new roots fast in response to fresh potting mix.

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
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