I will admit I have not done much research so forgive me if this sounds stupid.

I go to Lowes dead plant area really looking for pots and I find a lot of Orchids in pretty pots for 1.00. I always kill orchids anyway so if they were dead it was not a problem I really purchased them for the pots for my succulents. Well they have decided to grow the last year.

Two I purchased in bloom at the grocery store so I know what they look like so it might help with instructions if you know what I have.





Now my questions. I have roots shooting out of all the pots. What should I do? Get bigger pots and shove them under? Let them continue to grow out of the pot? Or should I try to mount them on a log?

Thank you for the help.

You have nice NOID Phal. plants. I would both re-pot and mount. Re-potting will enable your plant to have more support. Mounting onto an interesting piece of wood has a completely different esthetic appeal and allows for a more natural growth pattern. Also, though many will tell you to cut off the (bloom) stem after flowering, I would suggest you leave it/them intact. When a section of this "spent" stem yellows or turns brown, simply snip it off just below this dead part (you may have to do this more than once). Finally you will end up with a viable stem that just may produce blooms again the next flowering cycle.

Don't worry about the roots. That's what they do. If they are green/whitish with a green tip, like yours, you're doing well

Thank you Ted, Ken. I do not know why they are living. I have killed every one I have purchased for years. I buy them in bloom for the holidays instead of Poinsettas and then they would die. Last year and thing year they seem to not want to die.

I squirt them with half strength African Violet fert. once a week they seem to like it.

Keep it out of direct sun light and water it heavily once a week to wast salt deposits out of the pot. Also keep water from collecting and sitting in the crown. Only cut old flower spikes off after they turn brown.

Jim

Cinta, you are obviously doing lots of things right if they are looking so good and making new roots. Many orchids including Phals do like their roots to be out there waving around. It seems so wrong to a traditional gardener, it took me a long time to get used to seeing the roots uncovered like that but it's healthy for the plants. The roots need to breathe and dry out a bit between waterings.

Just remember orchids are epiphytes designed to absorb a lot of nutrients through their leaves as well as the roots. That's why they're loving the spray of diluted fert you're giving them.

My phals seem to like clay orchid pots - they have extra air holes, or cedar baskets to grow in. But I have a lot warmer, more humid weather than you do unless you have a greenhouse. They like moderate temperatures, and bloom in response to temperature changes, so if you take them indoors in winter, keep them on the cool side but not below about 50F, and make sure you let them outside or open the windows when it warms up in spring to stimulate blooming.

I adjust my watering pace as season changes. A little more frequent during hot summer days, more interval during the cooler months to winter. During summer too I make sure a window is open if it is not too hot outside or I let the ceiling fan run all day long to help cool down & dry out the Phals as well as other orchids. I prefer to dunk water my Phals up to root zone, never to the crown for a few minutes then allow it to approach near dryness but not too dry before next watering. Especially when they are laden with buds and are blooming, got to keep them well hydrated, otherwise, it may blast the buds. They are low light orchids, so I draw the curtain, so it won't get sunburnt in the afternoons.
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Drying out of your media depends on what type you used too. I prefer mixed bark and coco chips. Some prefer to use sphag moss..but I try to steer away from sphag moss..it holds too much water. Whichever type you have, just make sure it allows the Phal roots to breathe.

All good advice, Maria. If one could water enough, Phal. could do perfectly well with no media at all. I use the basic media for my (few) Phal. that I do for my Cattleya Alliance orchids (1/3 medium Douglas fir bark, 1/3 medium horticultural charcoal, 1/3 medium coconut chunks), but might mix in 1/4 (by vol.) long-fibered sphagnum moss or coarse perlite. I often don't bother though. Other than that, they get the same growing conditions as all my other orchids, which by the way, breaks every rule there is in growing Phalaenopsis orchids.

Many of my Phal. are mounted, others are in mesh baskets or mesh pots, and most of these are hanging under my oak trees from April through October. Only my "baby" plants are in the orchid greenhouse or in my house. How do I water those outside? With a hose!. I couldn't care less if the crown of the plants gets watered, and they always do. My plants grow and bloom and appear to be happy and healthy. Those in the greenhouse also are watered with a hose and get misted, again getting the entire plant wet. I think my great air movement perhaps saves the day. The plants dry before nightfall, but when we get later afternoon showers or thunder storms, well, the Phal. and all the other orchids outside stay wet through the night. I guess my premise is that where the orchids grow in the wild, the crown of the plants get wet every time it rains, and in the tropics and sub-tropics, it rains a lot.

Yup the mounted ones survive well & good, air movement is the key Sometimes people get too engrossed with the aspect of watering..forgetting the air movement..after all most of the orchids are epiphytes..they love the air! But if grown indoors, watering that takes time to dry and that crown that gets too wet, will invite rotting. If I have a good space to mount them I would go that way, but sadly space limitations..so potted they go.

Did you get your plumeria?

Ah not yet..USPS have their own calendar and geography, I never believe their shipping estimates ..maybe tomorrow.

Oh, I only shipped it out on the 5th, which meant it probably left the Starkville, MS post office on the 6th, so yes, traveling over 2000 miles takes a bit longer. No problem, plumeria can go for months without light or water, so a few days won't faze it.

Speak of the d! Just heard the doorbell..and there's the package! Hooray! Have not opened it yet...thanks again Ken!

How about that. I guess we are psychic!

Have just unpacked it and I love it

Sorry about this last few lines on your thread Cinta..if you are frustrated with orchids at times....my nemesis is Plumeria..and Ken is giving me a better headstart now!

No Trave I do not mind. I told you I want to be you when I grow up.

I tried Plumeria. I had two for 5 years. I did everything that was suggested. Soil, fert, more sun less sun. I even kept it in the Sunroom one winter and kept it growing.

I got NOTHING, ZILCH, ZERO FLOWERS. It grew to 5' and the summer of year 4 I put glads in the pots so I would have a flower in the pot and used it as support for the glad flowers.


Year 6 they did not give me a flower and I left them outside in their pots and let old man winter have his way with them. I have a bad back and I finally called uncle and brought in all my other tropical plants that reward me with what they are suppose to do.

and that is my plumeria story.

Plumies..a real love-hate plant ..but still want to have one grow

tarev said: Plumies..a real love-hate plant ..but still want to have one grow

I wanted to it too. I gave it 6 years. Your weather is much better than what I have so you should be successful. I remember the fragrance when I was in Hawaii and wanted that smell again. I have to settle for with my Lilacs in the Spring and my Oriental Lilies in the summer. That plant does not like me. Dragging those trees that were taller than me every summer was not worth the trouble. I had 8 Brugmansia that was enough trees to deal with but they flowered.

Luckily orchids thrive better for me..plumies keeps me on a tight learning curve

Okay this is what I decided to do today. I am going to mount the ones that the roots are waving in the wind. I will add some bromeliads I will add to the driftwood. It will be a tall tree size.