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J Fortuna · 04-08-2006, 04:11 AM posted to rec.gardens.orchids

,

Since noone else is responding yet, I shall try. However, I may not be the
right person to do so, since as a newbie I never repotted orchids myself,
but rather used to take them to a local nursery and pay them for repotting
services. Alas, I can't do that any more with 53 orchids. During the early
days I used to have my Phals repotted much more frequently than they needed
it, and they continued to thrive nonetheless -- Phals in general are fairly
tolerant of repotting, so your Phal is unlikely to be harmed by repotting
even when it is not necessary; on the other hand, if you do not repot it,
but it needs to be repotted, the plant may well get worse rapidly at some
point. Note: it is possible to kill an orchid rather effectively by
repotting it incorrectly -- that's how I killed an orchid for the first
time: I forgot to leave enough air flow to the roots, stuffed the pot with
moss without any styrofoam peanuts, clogged up the drain-holes, and the
orchid died of rot not long afterwards.

Generally, repotting every 2 years or so is a good idea, but it really
depends on the state that the medium (the stuff that is in the pot, which is
not soil) is in, and what kind of a medium it is (moss, bark, etc.). Some
mediums decompose faster than others and they decompose faster in some
conditions. If you cannot tell whether the stuff is fresh or not, if I were
you, I would seek out someone locally who can help you assess this: seek out
a local orchid society or a plant nursery with a knowledgeable staff person.
It really helps to have someone who knows what they are doing show you how
to repot, at least the first time. If this is not possible, use google.com
searching for example "how repot orchid" to find several guides, or seek out
an orchid book for beginners (for example: Orchid Growing for Wimps). The
hardest part for a newbie though is how to tell which roots are healthy and
which need to be removed, and for that it helps to be able to watch a more
experienced person doing it.

In answer to your question whether this is a bad time for orchids. It is
indeed the time of year when the fewest Phals are in flower or bud, since
most Phals are not summer blooming -- however there are exceptions to this
rule, and it is quite possible to have Phals in bloom all year round -- a
few examples of nice summer blooming Phals that I happen to have: phal
bellina, Dtps Kenneth Schubert, and Dtps Telitha's Gem. You might consider
getting a Paph though, since many Paphs are in bud this time of year, and if
you can grow a Phal successfully, you can probably grow a Paph just as
easily. I would advise you to look for an orchid grower near you, not just a
store that resells the orchids, since the orchid grower is more likely to
give you good advice based on which environment you have to offer and which
preferences you have and is likely to be knowledgeable to point you to
orchids that will do well for you. If you tell us where you are located,
someone here can probably give you contact info for a grower near you. Come
to think of it, an orchid grower could also probably give you good advice on
repotting your current plant (and possibly even demo a repotting for you if
he or she is not too busy and happens to have a Phal that needs repotting).

So that would be my advice, for what it's worth.

Joanna

wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a Phal. It's been blooming since late March. It still has
three flowers left but I'm guessing within a few weeks they will fade.
There are a couple of tiny flower buds but they are not growing. It
recently grew a new leaf and looks like another may be on the way.

There are two flower spikes.

How can I tell if the plant needs to be repotted? I really hate to do
anything to it if I don't have to. It had more than 20 blooms and was
so gorgeous it took my breath away.

The pot it's in is a 6" clear plastic. I feed it with orchid food
every time I water.

What should I do when the blooms fade? Should I cut the flower spikes
down, repot or leave well enough alone?

I wanted to get another orchid so that I'd have something in bloom all
year long but I haven't seen anything that looks healthy. Is this a
bad time of the year?

Thanks