Hi,

I have had 2 Phalaenopsis with small purple flowers for almost 6 years.
They used to bloom about every 14 months for about 3 months, growing
new leaves in between.

Then one season, one did, and not the other. And then nothing. They
seem to be still alive, but doing nothing. Not growing leaves anymore,
let alone flowers.

There are still plenty of roots, but some have died.

I have tried more light, but it seemed to make it worse, so I put them
back on the shelf nearby the window.

What is the problem ? Have they run their course ?

Thanks for any help you might offer.

--Dom

Dom,

Have you ever repotted these plants?

Diana

On Fri, 14 Jul 2006 14:39:23 -0400, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Dom,

Have you ever repotted these plants?

Diana

I agree - it sounds like they need repotting or you started to water
more often and that caused them to want fresh mix. When was the last
time they were repotted?
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids

Susan Erickson wrote:
On Fri, 14 Jul 2006 14:39:23 -0400, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:

Dom,

Have you ever repotted these plants?

Diana

I agree - it sounds like they need repotting or you started to water
more often and that caused them to want fresh mix. When was the last
time they were repotted?
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids

Never. I once tried to "repot" one into a bigger pot, and it died right
away. But I think it was a more "sensitive" one, the one that produces
the big purple flowers. The small purple flowers seems to be less
capricious, so do the ones with white flowers.

But the exeperience left me with a sour taste for repotting, and I
adopted the "if it's not broken don't fix it" attitude. It was
working until now. So maybe I should repot them then.

What do I need ? Can I buy it online ?

Thanks a lot for all information.

--Dom

Dom,

Yowza! Six years is an awful long time for a Phal to live in the same
medium. If the medium is organic (i.e. bark or moss), it is way far gone.

Get thee to your potting table a.s.a.p. I'm guessing that the roots are in
trouble. What you use for medium will depend upon your tendency to water
(often or seldom) and your growing conditions. I use Aliflor for most of my
Phals, but I grow outdoors in a humid environment. Indoors, you may want
something that will hold more moisture.

Look at these sites for information and links. The link to orchid lady's
repotting page is not working for me right now, but it will come back up.

http://www.orchidexchange.com/advice.htm
http://www.firstrays.com
http://orchidlady.com
http://www.orchidlady.com/pages/repotting.html

If you need more information, don't hesitate to ask.

Diana

buzdelabuz wrote:
Susan Erickson wrote:

On Fri, 14 Jul 2006 14:39:23 -0400, "Diana Kulaga"
wrote:


Dom,

Have you ever repotted these plants?

Diana


I agree - it sounds like they need repotting or you started to water
more often and that caused them to want fresh mix. When was the last
time they were repotted?
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids


Never. I once tried to "repot" one into a bigger pot, and it died right
away. But I think it was a more "sensitive" one, the one that produces
the big purple flowers. The small purple flowers seems to be less
capricious, so do the ones with white flowers.

But the exeperience left me with a sour taste for repotting, and I
adopted the "if it's not broken don't fix it" attitude. It was
working until now. So maybe I should repot them then.

What do I need ? Can I buy it online ?

Thanks a lot for all information.

--Dom


Hi Dom,
Read the links that Diana provided. You will certainly find that about
all the roots below the surface layer have died (because you waited so
long). You will want to remove all the dead roots. With Phals, you can
usually snap off the "trunk" below the lowest live root and most of the
dead stuff will be gone. Rinse and pluck off all the old mix assuming it
is organic and rotted. This time don't go to a bigger pot. If there are
few live roots remaining, it is probably better to use a smaller pot.
Choose a pot that will fit the roots your plant has, not the roots you
wish it had.
Phals love repotting and will perk up and grow if they are not too near
death. Tell me about the one that died when you tried to put it in a
bigger pot. I'm wondering if you if you just moved the whole root ball
(with dead roots and rotted medium) into a larger post and filled in
around the edges? Don't do that.

Steve