Phal roots ?
The roots on my latest Phal are poking through the holes in the bottom
of the pot. Is this a hint that it needs re-potting ? Everything else is fine, new leaves, spikes etc. jc -- http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/jc_atm/ --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.779 / Virus Database: 526 - Release Date: 19/10/2004 |
John Carruthers wrote:
The roots on my latest Phal are poking through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Is this a hint that it needs re-potting ? Everything else is fine, new leaves, spikes etc. jc No, it is just a sign of a happy plant. If you haven't repotted in a while, you might want to do it now while the spikes are still small (assuming they are small). Best time to repot is probably spring or early summer after the flowers have dropped (or whenever the plant isn't in flower or spike, if you can find such a time), so if the mix looks like it will hold out that long, then wait. However, if there is any question about the quality of the potting mix, it is best to repot rather than to risk rotting the roots off. No roots is a much worse problem than a few poking out through the holes... If you grow in a greenhouse sometimes the roots become part of the bench... Then they break when you move the plant. But the plants don't seem to care too much. If you are growing inside, you usually end up moving the plant often enough that the roots don't get tangled up or attached to other objects. When you do repot, you might break some of those roots coming out the bottom. Don't freak out, it won't hurt the plant - they will grow new roots fast in response to fresh potting mix. Rob -- Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren 1) There is always room for one more orchid 2) There is always room for two more orchids 2a. See rule 1 3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase more orchids, obtain more credit LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list ) |
John Carruthers wrote:
The roots on my latest Phal are poking through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Is this a hint that it needs re-potting ? Everything else is fine, new leaves, spikes etc. jc No, it is just a sign of a happy plant. If you haven't repotted in a while, you might want to do it now while the spikes are still small (assuming they are small). Best time to repot is probably spring or early summer after the flowers have dropped (or whenever the plant isn't in flower or spike, if you can find such a time), so if the mix looks like it will hold out that long, then wait. However, if there is any question about the quality of the potting mix, it is best to repot rather than to risk rotting the roots off. No roots is a much worse problem than a few poking out through the holes... If you grow in a greenhouse sometimes the roots become part of the bench... Then they break when you move the plant. But the plants don't seem to care too much. If you are growing inside, you usually end up moving the plant often enough that the roots don't get tangled up or attached to other objects. When you do repot, you might break some of those roots coming out the bottom. Don't freak out, it won't hurt the plant - they will grow new roots fast in response to fresh potting mix. Rob -- Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren 1) There is always room for one more orchid 2) There is always room for two more orchids 2a. See rule 1 3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase more orchids, obtain more credit LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list ) |
On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 18:24:48 +0100, "John Carruthers"
wrote: The roots on my latest Phal are poking through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Is this a hint that it needs re-potting ? Everything else is fine, new leaves, spikes etc. Phal roots tend to wander, so for them to simply poke out holes at the bottom of the pot doesn't mean much. You need to repot only if the potting media is breaking down or the plant has outgrown the pot it's in. Do make sure that the roots don't block the pot from draining well. deg |
On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 18:24:48 +0100, "John Carruthers"
wrote: The roots on my latest Phal are poking through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Is this a hint that it needs re-potting ? Everything else is fine, new leaves, spikes etc. Phal roots tend to wander, so for them to simply poke out holes at the bottom of the pot doesn't mean much. You need to repot only if the potting media is breaking down or the plant has outgrown the pot it's in. Do make sure that the roots don't block the pot from draining well. deg |
Maybe, maybe not. Some phals seem more "rooty" than others.
First, consider who you bought it from. In general, I've found that if I get a phal from a reputable vendor, it generally does not need immediate repotting. If it comes from Home Depot and vendors of that ilk, it is often overdue for potting. Second, look at the media. Spaghnam breaks down faster than bark. If it's dark, it's broken down. Also, give the media a good inspection--recently I bought a phal that was potted in spaghnam with bark on top. A test to see whether the media is broken down: sniff the media. If it smells bad, that's a clue that the media had broken down and the plant needs repotting. Also, look at how the water flows out of the pot when you flush the media--if it gushes out, chances are thtat the media is okay, but if it dribbles out, the media is probably so broken down that it is clogging the drain holes. Also, you might try sticking a toothpick or wood shish-kabob skewer in one of the drain holes--when you pull it out, look at what's sticking to the skewer--a lot of fine, silty stuff is not a good sign. If the plant is in spike or in bloom and you repot it, you will probably lose the bloom or spike. One thing that I've done is with 50% success is to take an in-spike plant out of broken-down media and, instead of a real repotting, I throw out the bottom broken-down media and replace it with fresh bark and then set the plant on top of the fresh bark. Then, when the plant finishes blooming, I do a full-up repotting and replace all of the media. Whenever I've repotted a plant that has roots coming out of the bottom, I always destroy the pot in favor of saving a healthy root. BTW, a phal can look pretty healthy on top but have dying roots. In article , John Carruthers wrote: The roots on my latest Phal are poking through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Is this a hint that it needs re-potting ? Everything else is fine, new leaves, spikes etc. jc |
Maybe, maybe not. Some phals seem more "rooty" than others.
First, consider who you bought it from. In general, I've found that if I get a phal from a reputable vendor, it generally does not need immediate repotting. If it comes from Home Depot and vendors of that ilk, it is often overdue for potting. Second, look at the media. Spaghnam breaks down faster than bark. If it's dark, it's broken down. Also, give the media a good inspection--recently I bought a phal that was potted in spaghnam with bark on top. A test to see whether the media is broken down: sniff the media. If it smells bad, that's a clue that the media had broken down and the plant needs repotting. Also, look at how the water flows out of the pot when you flush the media--if it gushes out, chances are thtat the media is okay, but if it dribbles out, the media is probably so broken down that it is clogging the drain holes. Also, you might try sticking a toothpick or wood shish-kabob skewer in one of the drain holes--when you pull it out, look at what's sticking to the skewer--a lot of fine, silty stuff is not a good sign. If the plant is in spike or in bloom and you repot it, you will probably lose the bloom or spike. One thing that I've done is with 50% success is to take an in-spike plant out of broken-down media and, instead of a real repotting, I throw out the bottom broken-down media and replace it with fresh bark and then set the plant on top of the fresh bark. Then, when the plant finishes blooming, I do a full-up repotting and replace all of the media. Whenever I've repotted a plant that has roots coming out of the bottom, I always destroy the pot in favor of saving a healthy root. BTW, a phal can look pretty healthy on top but have dying roots. In article , John Carruthers wrote: The roots on my latest Phal are poking through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Is this a hint that it needs re-potting ? Everything else is fine, new leaves, spikes etc. jc |
Maybe, maybe not. Some phals seem more "rooty" than others.
First, consider who you bought it from. In general, I've found that if I get a phal from a reputable vendor, it generally does not need immediate repotting. If it comes from Home Depot and vendors of that ilk, it is often overdue for potting. Second, look at the media. Spaghnam breaks down faster than bark. If it's dark, it's broken down. Also, give the media a good inspection--recently I bought a phal that was potted in spaghnam with bark on top. A test to see whether the media is broken down: sniff the media. If it smells bad, that's a clue that the media had broken down and the plant needs repotting. Also, look at how the water flows out of the pot when you flush the media--if it gushes out, chances are thtat the media is okay, but if it dribbles out, the media is probably so broken down that it is clogging the drain holes. Also, you might try sticking a toothpick or wood shish-kabob skewer in one of the drain holes--when you pull it out, look at what's sticking to the skewer--a lot of fine, silty stuff is not a good sign. If the plant is in spike or in bloom and you repot it, you will probably lose the bloom or spike. One thing that I've done is with 50% success is to take an in-spike plant out of broken-down media and, instead of a real repotting, I throw out the bottom broken-down media and replace it with fresh bark and then set the plant on top of the fresh bark. Then, when the plant finishes blooming, I do a full-up repotting and replace all of the media. Whenever I've repotted a plant that has roots coming out of the bottom, I always destroy the pot in favor of saving a healthy root. BTW, a phal can look pretty healthy on top but have dying roots. In article , John Carruthers wrote: The roots on my latest Phal are poking through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Is this a hint that it needs re-potting ? Everything else is fine, new leaves, spikes etc. jc |
dd wrote: Maybe, maybe not. Some phals seem more "rooty" than others. Thanks everyone, I'll leave well alone then,sorry for the tardy reply, server problems. jc |
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