J Del,
Another thing that common sense tells you (but not me out of some reason, at
least not the first time I repotted): make sure to repot while you are in a
comfortable position, use a good size table for example NOT the bathtub
bending down (even if you have very limited space and the bathtub may seem
like a good space for repotting because of the ease of cleanup - but that's
only for people like me who have insufficient common sense), and while it
will take you very little time to repot, the first time I repotted it was a
major undertaking since I needed to futz and decide whether roots were dead
or not quite yet and all the bending down for a prolonged time resulted in
major backpain later on. Clearly insufficient common sense was at fault, but
I wonder how frequent such a lack of common sense is, the first time one
repots.
Joanna

wrote in message
ps.com...

J Fortuna wrote:
J Del,

Ouch. So that's what I was missing in my early repotting efforts: common
sense? Well, if I was, I think chances are that other newbies might as
well.
Should that be picked up at Lowe's or Home Depot as well, and do they
stock
it next to the Phalaenopsis mix?

You either have it or you don't. Common sense says you don't transfer
a plant to a pot significantly bigger than the one it was in. It tells
you that if water stands in the pot, something is blocking the drain
hole. It also tells you to pick up a basic book about orchid care like
Ortho's.--available at Lowe's or Home Depot-- and follow its advice.
The basics of orchid care and repotting are no great challenge. After
all, orchids are grown commercially by the millions, tended by people
with no special expertise, to say the least.

I have Phals. growing on phal. mix,bark, diatomite and volcanic rock.
They thrive and bloom regardless of what they are in.

Anybody who can grow African Violets can grow Phals.

J. Del Col