On Wed, 25 May 2005 18:34:28 -0500, wrote:

Vic, you can cut the "spike" back a little-I usually cut the dried part
off but I'd never cut the leaves back if that's what you meant. As for
repotting this is the perfect time. Use sterilized scissors (run over
an open flame) and use a pot just bigger that the mass of roots. You'll
see hollow looking or black mushy roots, cut these off. Repot using
sphagnum moss (you can find it at Lowes) don't let water stand in the
drip tray and water when it's this side of dry. Burr

Don't worry, I'd never touch the leaves. g I just meant cutting off
the "branch" that supported the flowers and taking the spike down an
inch or two (which is the procedure I used last time). I'm only
hesitant because I want to encourage growth and I hate the idea of the
plant wasting all its energy replicating its current height/size.

Currently the plant is in a growing medium -- the dark stuff that
looks like soil that I don't know the name of -- with some moss on the
top layer. Usually when I repot plants I use as much of the original
soil as possible and just "top up" with new stuff. Can I use the same
approach with an orchid? Since the phal seems pretty happy as is, I
don't want to disturb it too much.

From what I can see of the roots through the slots in the pot, they
look pretty healthy and green. Is finding black, mushy roots pretty
much a guarantee?

How much is "just bigger" than the root mass? Half-an-inch on either
side? An inch? I'd like to avoid having to repot this again in another
month or two, although if that's what the plant really needs, I guess
that's what I'll do.

How big will the roots get? They seem to be growing like the
proverbial weeds. g I'm sure they'll be banging up against the sides
of a slightly larger pot in the blink of an eye.

The only reason I'm asking all these questions is because I keep
reading about people on this group who get professional growers to
repot their plants, so I figure there must be something complicated
that I just haven't figured out.
--Vic