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 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

"Rob Halgren" wrote in message
...
2. I'm kind of surprized there are two plants in the pot...

Rob,

I have been seeing the 2 plants in one pot much more often recently, I think
it's a new commercial vendors/retailers scheme to attract the mass market
even more, to make buyers think "two plants for the price of one, what a
bargain." At some point I saw Dendrobiums potted in one pot with Phals --
which to me was a complete turn-off, since I can grow Phals, but don't have
enough light for Dends. The last time I visited my local plant nursery
nearby, they had lots of two Phals potted together, both in spike. I know
that this is not something that the old-time respectable orchid vendor would
do (since two plants together increases the risk of disease transfer from
plant to plant, and causes them to compete for resources), but the new hype
commercial mass market vendors are doing it.

Best,
Joanna

I have been seeing the 2 plants in one pot much more often recently, I think
it's a new commercial vendors/retailers scheme to attract the mass market
even more, to make buyers think "two plants for the price of one, what a
bargain." At some point I saw Dendrobiums potted in one pot with Phals --
which to me was a complete turn-off, since I can grow Phals, but don't have
enough light for Dends. The last time I visited my local plant nursery
nearby, they had lots of two Phals potted together, both in spike. I know
that this is not something that the old-time respectable orchid vendor would
do (since two plants together increases the risk of disease transfer from
plant to plant, and causes them to compete for resources), but the new hype
commercial mass market vendors are doing it.


Oh, I don't know if it actually offends me. As long as the plants are
compatible and properly labelled. Two phals in one pot sounds like a
great idea, if they are the same clone. They probably grow better that
way (for the same reason we grow seedlings in compots).

For the mass market, it sounds like a darn good marketing strategy.
Wish I had thought of it. People pay good premiums for planters with a
mix of annuals that they can just put on their doorstep. Don't see any
reason that a properly designed mix of orchids in one pot would be a bad
thing. Remember, most of these people are throwing the plants away
after the flowers fall. With a good mix of plants in various stages of
bloom, they actually get more for their money.

I don't think it is something that a boutique grower (orchid
specialist) could get away with. Different market.

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

Hi, Rob: You immediately hit on the biggest problems (compatibility &
accurate labels) with the multi-plant deals as a concept; the H.D. near me
can't even tell Dens from Oncids -- picture a shelf full of Onc. Gower
Ramsey sporting labels that read "Den. Earsakul," across the aisle from a
shelf of Den. Bom Jo 'Earsakul' all tagged Onc. Gower Ramsey ... Anyway, I
can't imagine that the idea of multiple plants in a pot could be patented,
so go for it G.

To me, the biggest problem with Danielle's purchase is that it was
intentionally packaged in a misleading way. Yes, most of us who post here
would have known to look for the plastic pot inside the clay, at a place
like that, but Danielle obviously didn't, and I doubt she's the only one
who's been surprised after getting home with such a purchase. Those clay
pots aren't intended to attract the throw-away customer, who will almost
certainly put the plant into something more decorative anyway. They are
purposely aimed at folks who've troubled themselves to learn at least a
little bit, because they're buying a _plant_, something they hope to enjoy
for years, not just flowers for temporary decoration.

Kenni

"Rob Halgren" wrote in message
...
Oh, I don't know if it actually offends me. As long as the plants are
compatible and properly labelled. Two phals in one pot sounds like a
great idea, if they are the same clone. They probably grow better that
way (for the same reason we grow seedlings in compots).

For the mass market, it sounds like a darn good marketing strategy.
Wish I had thought of it. People pay good premiums for planters with a
mix of annuals that they can just put on their doorstep. Don't see any
reason that a properly designed mix of orchids in one pot would be a bad
thing. Remember, most of these people are throwing the plants away
after the flowers fall. With a good mix of plants in various stages of
bloom, they actually get more for their money.

I don't think it is something that a boutique grower (orchid
specialist) could get away with. Different market.

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

I read the little tag on support stick after i bought it and it said
"what happens after the flowers fall off? Don't be afraid to throw it
out... we'll grow more" i was offended... it that normal oh, and
UPDATE: another bud popped open.... ooooh, so pretty, now i have 5
sweet lil' flowers....awww!!!!

I was buying it for years... but the label suggested to throw it out
because "we'll grow more" i almost cried... thats so sad!!!!!

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 17:56:26 -0500 in Kenni Judd wrote:
To me, the biggest problem with Danielle's purchase is that it was
intentionally packaged in a misleading way. Yes, most of us who post here
would have known to look for the plastic pot inside the clay, at a place
like that, but Danielle obviously didn't, and I doubt she's the only one
who's been surprised after getting home with such a purchase. Those clay
pots aren't intended to attract the throw-away customer, who will almost
certainly put the plant into something more decorative anyway. They are
purposely aimed at folks who've troubled themselves to learn at least a
little bit, because they're buying a _plant_, something they hope to enjoy
for years, not just flowers for temporary decoration.

My current favorite is Lowes selling vandas with nice instructions on
planting the thing in the ground.

--
Chris Dukes
Suspicion breeds confidence -- Brazil

I had been seeing orchids everywhere for about $20, so i think the two
plants in mine was a mistake, all the other ones only had one plant,
everywhere i went, and if all goes well, i get to watch a new flower
spike and see different flowers next fall, possibly different from the
ones i have now. Its still a phal though, but im quite happy with her
anyways.

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?

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.......