Geir,

Phals appear to do much better for me if maintained quite warm after
repotting - even if it's just on a heated mat to keep the root system warm.
Your setup has done just the opposite.

Your use of clay media and clay pot causes the liquid evaporation rate to go
way up, as the clay pot wicks the water and becomes a greater surface area
from which the water will evaporate, hence a significant amount of
evaporative cooling is occurring. That's a great setup for cool-growing
species in warmer environments, by the way.

--

Ray Barkalow First Rays Orchids
http://www.firstrays.com
Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info!


"Geir Harris Hedemark" wrote in message
...
As Ray said, phals will loose their roots when repotted into
hydrophonic media.

That makes the fourth phal that has died promptly on entering my
flat. After one or two weeks the roots just rot, even if I just leave
it alone in its pot.

My Dendrobium has started another something (either a new spike or a
keiki, time will tell), and my three epidendrum keikis are growing
like mad - the rhizome is growing about 1mm each day. I suspect the
250w HID fixture I got just recently to be responsible.

I expected the phal to respond like the dend. I had to repot that one
immediately, and put it into a clay pot with primeagra-like pellets as
a medium. It just continued flowering, seemingly without any ill
effects. It is a large plant, but it has been standing in that pot
since before christmas. I don't expect it to keel over and die any
time soon.

What is it with me and phals? Could it be the temperature? It is about
20C/68F in the room I have my plants.

Geir