Hello,
I have just purchased my first orchid, after doing tons of research.
Its a phalaenopsis that appeared to be in an unglazed terra cotta pot.
After buying it I noticed it was not actually in the T.C pot, but
instead in a plastic one (about 5" 10cm diameter)set inside the T.C
one. The plastic pot is clear and I can see many, many green roots,
wrapping and wrapping around inside. The pot has 6 small drainage holes
in the bottom, and the phal. is in regular soil. The flowering spike is
21" long, with 4 white flowers with pink lips From leaf tip to leaf tip
it is 17" wide. It also appears that there is another phal in the same
pot, which is larger (28" from tip to tip), but with no flowering
spike. It looks like the non-spiked one has had several spikes, but
they were cut off. Everything I read has told me to get these orchids
in the orchid bark/ medium I bought and in just the terra cotta pot,
and the separate the two different plants, but everything I have read
also says the wait until it is done blooming and the flowers are gone.
At this point I have to remind you that I am a first time grower and am
worried about over watering them while they are in the current setup.
What exactly should I do about this? Should I transplant them now?
Separate them? Wait until the one is done blooming? Transplant the one
that isn't blooming? How can I get the other one to grow a spike and
bloom?

I would just leave it. To the specific points:

1. That isn't soil. It is a peat mix. Surprizingly, peat mixes work
pretty darn well for phalaenopsis, largely because they are about half
air space. Regular garden dirt is not good...

2. I'm kind of surprized there are two plants in the pot...

3. Don't transplant now. Wait until the flowers have fallen off. If
the terracotta pot has no holes, remove the plastic pot from the
terracotta. Otherwise it will drain fine. Don't leave water in the saucer.

4. When you do repot, go ahead and separate them into two pots.

5. It is unlikely that the other plant will bloom again this year.
But, if you treat it right, it should initiate a new spike or two in the
late fall, and bloom again for you early next year.

6. If you are worried about over watering them, you are on the right
track. When in doubt, don't do it. Sounds like you are doing ok.

Rob

wrote:
Hello,
I have just purchased my first orchid, after doing tons of research.
Its a phalaenopsis that appeared to be in an unglazed terra cotta pot.
After buying it I noticed it was not actually in the T.C pot, but
instead in a plastic one (about 5" 10cm diameter)set inside the T.C
one. The plastic pot is clear and I can see many, many green roots,
wrapping and wrapping around inside. The pot has 6 small drainage holes
in the bottom, and the phal. is in regular soil. The flowering spike is
21" long, with 4 white flowers with pink lips From leaf tip to leaf tip
it is 17" wide. It also appears that there is another phal in the same
pot, which is larger (28" from tip to tip), but with no flowering
spike. It looks like the non-spiked one has had several spikes, but
they were cut off. Everything I read has told me to get these orchids
in the orchid bark/ medium I bought and in just the terra cotta pot,
and the separate the two different plants, but everything I have read
also says the wait until it is done blooming and the flowers are gone.
At this point I have to remind you that I am a first time grower and am
worried about over watering them while they are in the current setup.
What exactly should I do about this? Should I transplant them now?
Separate them? Wait until the one is done blooming? Transplant the one
that isn't blooming? How can I get the other one to grow a spike and
bloom?



--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
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 obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit

im doing ok because i bought it last night. it hasn't been in my care
long enough to kill it. I just ran to my living room and have convinced
myself that it is soil.... is there any sure way to tell that it isn't,
because ive convinced myself it is.... it even smells the same as my
african violet dirt....

Danielle wrote:
im doing ok because i bought it last night. it hasn't been in my care
long enough to kill it. I just ran to my living room and have convinced
myself that it is soil.... is there any sure way to tell that it isn't,
because ive convinced myself it is.... it even smells the same as my
african violet dirt....


Well, there is an orchid blooming in it, so whatever the medium it is
working ok... Does that help relieve your worry? There is a certain
element of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' to rely on.

Many, if not most, commercially available potting mixes (african violet
dirt, etc) are actually soilless mixes. It usually even says that on
the bag. Most of these are based on peat moss, although there are some
other options. Why? Lots of reasons, one of which is that topsoil is
notoriously variable in composition, nutrient availability, and
everything else. Peat moss, however, is peat moss, pretty much the
world around. Commercial vendors of potting mixes want a consistent
product.

Now if you want to put the phal in bark or something that looks a lot
less like dirt after it blooms, go for it. You have to grow in
something you are comfortable with.


--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
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 obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit

Thanks, that calmed me a bit.... my motto is "if it ain't broke don't
fix it unless it lacks duct tape"

Danielle: Although we can't be certain because we can't see the plant(s),
as you can, I would bet that Rob is correct -- the medium is not dirt, but
some sort of peat mix. Those work fine in low-humidity environments -- you
didn't say where you are???

The decision about repotting an orchid when it is trying to flower boils
down to this: repotting MAY cause the buds/blooms to drop. The more you
have to disturb the roots, the greater that risk. If the plant were a
treasured heirloom or an awarded clone, I'd probably lean towards risking
this year's flowers in favor of the long-term health of the plant. But
since it sounds like a "find" from a grocery or big box store [that's
usually where we see things potted like that], I say enjoy the flowers while
you can, and then see if it's worth re-potting this summer.
--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids
http://www.jborchids.com

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello,
I have just purchased my first orchid, after doing tons of research.
Its a phalaenopsis that appeared to be in an unglazed terra cotta pot.
After buying it I noticed it was not actually in the T.C pot, but
instead in a plastic one (about 5" 10cm diameter)set inside the T.C
one. The plastic pot is clear and I can see many, many green roots,
wrapping and wrapping around inside. The pot has 6 small drainage holes
in the bottom, and the phal. is in regular soil. The flowering spike is
21" long, with 4 white flowers with pink lips From leaf tip to leaf tip
it is 17" wide. It also appears that there is another phal in the same
pot, which is larger (28" from tip to tip), but with no flowering
spike. It looks like the non-spiked one has had several spikes, but
they were cut off. Everything I read has told me to get these orchids
in the orchid bark/ medium I bought and in just the terra cotta pot,
and the separate the two different plants, but everything I have read
also says the wait until it is done blooming and the flowers are gone.
At this point I have to remind you that I am a first time grower and am
worried about over watering them while they are in the current setup.
What exactly should I do about this? Should I transplant them now?
Separate them? Wait until the one is done blooming? Transplant the one
that isn't blooming? How can I get the other one to grow a spike and
bloom?

Danielle wrote:
Thanks, that calmed me a bit.... my motto is "if it ain't broke don't
fix it unless it lacks duct tape"

Duct tape is like gravity. It holds the universe together. But
evidently it isn't really good on ducts... Weird.

Rob


--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
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 obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit

Shes in my bedroom in a dark-ish corner that has three windows two feet
frpom the corner on each wall. any where else it is blindingly bright.
I wanted to make sure i could grow a "cheap" orchid before i go for an
expensive one, I really don't get much money.... So i figure, if i can
keep one plant that hasn't had the most perfect care alive , i can keep
"pampered" ones alive as well..... if i get a new flower spike next
fall.... ill go spend my lifesavings on these plants because they
really are the most beautiful and fascinating things i have ever
seen.......

Are we looking for the "redneck toolkit" here??? If it's supposed to move
and won't, it needs WD-40; if it's moving when it's not supposed to, haul
out the duct tape ... Kenni

"Rob Halgren" wrote in message
...
Danielle wrote:
Thanks, that calmed me a bit.... my motto is "if it ain't broke don't
fix it unless it lacks duct tape"

Duct tape is like gravity. It holds the universe together. But
evidently it isn't really good on ducts... Weird.

Rob


--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
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 obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit

that describes my toolbox just fine. And i have duct tape in 10
different colors. I make purses out of the stuff when im bored.

Its too late to save you !

--
Thanks Keith,England,UK.
"Danielle" wrote in message
oups.com...
Shes in my bedroom in a dark-ish corner that has three windows two feet
frpom the corner on each wall. any where else it is blindingly bright.
I wanted to make sure i could grow a "cheap" orchid before i go for an
expensive one, I really don't get much money.... So i figure, if i can
keep one plant that hasn't had the most perfect care alive , i can keep
"pampered" ones alive as well..... if i get a new flower spike next
fall.... ill go spend my lifesavings on these plants because they
really are the most beautiful and fascinating things i have ever
seen.......

too late to save me from orchids or ducttape? i suggest the answer of
"both"

come to think of it, i have another question (sorry guys) but when
should i start fertilizing her?

Are we looking for the "redneck toolkit" here??? If it's supposed to move
and won't, it needs WD-40; if it's moving when it's not supposed to, haul
out the duct tape ... Kenni

And if it's rusted, pour Coke on it.....

Diana

Danielle:

1. You still haven't said where you and the plant(s) are, and it _does_
make a difference. MY bedroom is in So. Fla., where I currently have the
windows open enjoying our brief spring, before the dog days of summer set
in. The temps are high 70s - low 80s day, low 70s - upper 60s at night, and
the humidity is up around 70-80% most of the time. YOUR bedroom could be
nearby, with similar conditions, or it could be in, say, Michigan or Maine,
where I suspect the heat would still be on, the humidity quite low, and the
light level considerably dimmer ... On that note, "darkish" does not sound
promising. Phals like _bright_ indirect light, and some even enjoy a little
bit of early morning sun -- esp. if you are in fact "up north" where the
sunlight is far less intense than here.

2. Your "figuring" would be sound if it had the right starting points G.
But when you start from false premises, you _can't_ end up with a good
result ...

A. We don't pamper our plants. It doesn't make good business sense. If
a plant is not going to be sturdy and perform well, I'd rather lose it while
it's in the compot, or the 2" pot, than 2-3 years later -- or worse yet,
have it returned by a dissatisfied customer if it actually blooms and sells.
My bench space is valuable, and my reputation even more so! I can't speak
for all growers, but I have to believe that those who stay in business for
any length of time operate on pretty much the same principle.

B. These days, box store prices are often considerably higher than the
prices that real growers charge, at least around here. I had a woman walk
up to my table at a recent show and point to a plant, she said (in an
accusatory tone) "I bought one of these at Home Depot last week for $24.95."
The same plant on my table was marked $20.00. When I pointed that out, I
got back "Oh, well, the 'bottoms' were bigger" -- which most probably means
the wholesaler put a small plant into a bigger pot so as to charge a higher
price [at the risk of the health of the plant -- overpotting just naturally
leads to watering problems, because a small plant in a big pot cannot dry
out fast enough]. I have seen numerous similar examples ...

C. Even if your plant(s) originated with a reputable grower, they almost
certainly went through some severe trials after leaving the nursery, before
you bought it/them. Loaded into a truck that goes from one pick-up to the
next, and then from one drop-off to the next; then into the grocery or big
box store itself, where care and conditions may vary from "OK" to
"abysmal" -- last winter, the Home Depot near me actually remembered to load
up its orchids onto a cart to be carried inside for the night during a
severe (for us -- near-freeze predicted) cold snap; unfortunately, no one
actually wheeled the cart in at closing time ... but the store still put the
plants out for sale afterward.

You needn't and shouldn't spend your life savings to have a nice orchid
collection. Go slow: Buy something in bloom every 2-3 months, preferably
at a local show or from a local nursery so you know you're getting healthy
plants. Once you're comfortable growing those, buy a few
"near-flowering-size" and enjoy the thrill of having the plants actually
bloom for the first time under _your_ care. Then you can move on to
seedlings, and then compots, and then flasks ... if you care to go that far
down the road of orchid addiction G. But don't let this one purchase turn
you off, if it doesn't work out.

Good growing, Kenni

"Danielle" wrote in message
oups.com...
Shes in my bedroom in a dark-ish corner that has three windows two feet
frpom the corner on each wall. any where else it is blindingly bright.
I wanted to make sure i could grow a "cheap" orchid before i go for an
expensive one, I really don't get much money.... So i figure, if i can
keep one plant that hasn't had the most perfect care alive , i can keep
"pampered" ones alive as well..... if i get a new flower spike next
fall.... ill go spend my lifesavings on these plants because they
really are the most beautiful and fascinating things i have ever
seen.......