Best medium and setup??
I rescued this gorgeous little lady—a Miniature Phalaenopsis—from Sprouts Farmers Market for $3 this morning! 😱😱 I think she'll be happy in this location, but I highly doubt she'll be thrilled if she stays in her pot, and I think she's just in regular soil. I wish there were a way to put her in with Athena and train her to climb Athena's stalks 😂😂
@Alucen @DreamMachine @FunLentenrose37 @Idplantthat @IWantThatPlant @Malagueña @MariansOasis @princesspitstop @SillyPlantGirl @uhhh.haileyyy @debbiedo @Kittylover1612 @MamaLinne @Ms.Persnickety @planthoe40 @HolyLacealoe @Succulent_Soul #happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #planttherapy #orchidlovers #phalaenopsisorchid #thewateringhole
@Alucen @DreamMachine @FunLentenrose37 @Idplantthat @IWantThatPlant @Malagueña @MariansOasis @princesspitstop @SillyPlantGirl @uhhh.haileyyy @debbiedo @Kittylover1612 @MamaLinne @Ms.Persnickety @planthoe40 @HolyLacealoe @Succulent_Soul #happyplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantaddict #planttherapy #orchidlovers #phalaenopsisorchid #thewateringhole
2” pot with drainage
Last watered 6 days ago
23
Best Answer
@SpyderLily hi there, you already got loads of great advice. Greg rocks.
First off: Yes, those plugs aren't great for the orchids in our homes. They are used by nurseries in their very controlled environment because they retain a lot of water, but in hour homes the risk for rot is just huge if you aren't aware. Oftentimes they are even left in bigger orchids without you being aware: The plants are only uppotted into bark or moss, the plug is left and invisible and the unassuming buyer waters the plant like it's only in e.g. bark and in time the rotting center kills the whole plant: So since you said you love orchids: it never hurts to check after the first bloom at the latest.
In your case however, you are aware. I would just leave it, enjoy the bloom to the fullest, and repot after the bloom is done. You can just water accordingly, i.e., check the sponge/coco plug if it is close to dry or dry and water then. And because it is a plug I would advise against soaking. Soaking is great in less water retentive media (like bark or bark-heavy mixes) but less so with more retentive media like pure sphagnum or moss. It can be done in very dry hot environments but until you get a feel for what your plant needs it is better to do too little than too much.
As for the ice.. phew. It is a marketing gag basically. I would not go as far as saying the study is fake, like @DreamMachine did, but from what I know the only study they did was to prove that it was not directly *harmful* to the orchids. And their definition of harmful was only refering to visible damage and maybe short-term effects.
They never really proved however, at least not in a significant scientifically based way that it was actually a good idea. And it defies common sense - at least the way it is recommended. basically your own first point of confusion covers it already. What size is the correct one? Well, now espand that thought: They are alway advising x amount of ice cubes. dont refer to size, don't take into account climate, health and size of the plant etc. So of course that alone is nonsens. Most just add ice orchids are noto ver watered or get water into the crown. Which is why they do not die quickly. they do however are often slightly or even severly underwatered which leads to stunted or slower growth or even severe dehydration over time. Which is not quite as visible and is way more slow to show, which is why many people still use that method.
So. like the other said: just water normally, but be careful not to get water into the crown or in between the leaves, go by root color like @MamaLinne described and you should be fine.
I need to go for a minute, but I might be able to write a bit more in a few hours. If not, miss orchid girl's channe, like Nadia advised is a great start.
First off: Yes, those plugs aren't great for the orchids in our homes. They are used by nurseries in their very controlled environment because they retain a lot of water, but in hour homes the risk for rot is just huge if you aren't aware. Oftentimes they are even left in bigger orchids without you being aware: The plants are only uppotted into bark or moss, the plug is left and invisible and the unassuming buyer waters the plant like it's only in e.g. bark and in time the rotting center kills the whole plant: So since you said you love orchids: it never hurts to check after the first bloom at the latest.
In your case however, you are aware. I would just leave it, enjoy the bloom to the fullest, and repot after the bloom is done. You can just water accordingly, i.e., check the sponge/coco plug if it is close to dry or dry and water then. And because it is a plug I would advise against soaking. Soaking is great in less water retentive media (like bark or bark-heavy mixes) but less so with more retentive media like pure sphagnum or moss. It can be done in very dry hot environments but until you get a feel for what your plant needs it is better to do too little than too much.
As for the ice.. phew. It is a marketing gag basically. I would not go as far as saying the study is fake, like @DreamMachine did, but from what I know the only study they did was to prove that it was not directly *harmful* to the orchids. And their definition of harmful was only refering to visible damage and maybe short-term effects.
They never really proved however, at least not in a significant scientifically based way that it was actually a good idea. And it defies common sense - at least the way it is recommended. basically your own first point of confusion covers it already. What size is the correct one? Well, now espand that thought: They are alway advising x amount of ice cubes. dont refer to size, don't take into account climate, health and size of the plant etc. So of course that alone is nonsens. Most just add ice orchids are noto ver watered or get water into the crown. Which is why they do not die quickly. they do however are often slightly or even severly underwatered which leads to stunted or slower growth or even severe dehydration over time. Which is not quite as visible and is way more slow to show, which is why many people still use that method.
So. like the other said: just water normally, but be careful not to get water into the crown or in between the leaves, go by root color like @MamaLinne described and you should be fine.
I need to go for a minute, but I might be able to write a bit more in a few hours. If not, miss orchid girl's channe, like Nadia advised is a great start.
@SpyderLily love it!! The shell is super cute! I can’t keep orchids blooming so I’ll leave that to the experts!!
@IWantThatPlant I've never been able to get them to bloom again, either, so I usually avoid them entirely, even though they're my second favourite flower (after lilies, especially spider lilies, hence the username 😂). But $3 was a little hard to pass up LOL
this orchid looks so beautiful! it’s only $3.. i might have to go to the store because those are CHEAP!
okay so, back to your plant.. it’s basically like standard orchids! keep it in a bright, indirect light and keep water in it when it’s completely dry! with this kind of pot, they dry out faster.. so maybe you should get a bigger pot.. also, after you get the initial bloom cycle, being repotted can help to prevent root rot! hope this helps 🤞🏻
okay so, back to your plant.. it’s basically like standard orchids! keep it in a bright, indirect light and keep water in it when it’s completely dry! with this kind of pot, they dry out faster.. so maybe you should get a bigger pot.. also, after you get the initial bloom cycle, being repotted can help to prevent root rot! hope this helps 🤞🏻
@uhhh.haileyyy It's from JustAddIce Orchids, says to water weekly with one ice cube or 1.5 tbsp water. One ice cube seemed like a lot for such a small plant so I did my own little test to see just how much one of my ice cubes is. Sure enough, exactly 1.5 tbsp 🤷🏻♀️😂 But I've also read that you should NOT use ice on the miniatures, so idk what to think at this point 😩
@uhhh.haileyyy its sooo frustrating to have a perfect way of doing things but it’s not the PLANTS way to do things, you just need to listen to your plants. i know, plants can’t talk but every place is different.. too much light, too little of light, too much water, too little of water.. it’s takes time and effort and patience but it’s so worth it!
Hi! Okay, so lots of conflicting advice. I’ll tell you what I do with all of mine, and I’ll tag @dreammachine who’s an orchid rescuer. First of all- pleeease forget about the ice. These are tropical plants- they would never run into ice in their natural habitat! When I get one from the store, I let it finish its bloom cycle before making any big changes. Can you tell if the pot has drainage? If not, I would pull it out gently and detangle from all of the moss etc that is in there. Soak the roots really well for about an hour and trim off anything that seems mushy or black and dead. Repot in orchid bark, in a pot meant for orchids (the usually have lots of air holes in the sides). Then, about once a week or when the orchid bark feels dry, dunk the whole thing in water, the depth being just below the crown of the orchid. You don’t want to get water in the crown. Let it soak in that water for about an hour, then drain really well. Basically, you’re just trying to mimic a damp tree. I also put a few drops of orchid food in when I’m soaking. That’s my method- I’ve got two minis two rebloom as well as a larger phal! The shell pot is cute, but I definitely wouldn’t leave an orchid in it long term! And I’ll shout from the rooftops to *never* use ice on orchids. I think it’s the grocery store orchid kabal that started that rumor so we’d kill them and buy more! Here’s a couple of my setups. They’re in straight orchid bark. 1.5Tb of water would do nothing to wet them, so I do the soaking method. The more light mine get, the happier they are. They’re also in a room with a humidifier bc my climate is so dry.
@MamaLinne It is in a plastic pot inside the shell. There IS drainage. Nothing looked mushy or rotted, it actually looked rather healthy to me (not that I know anything about orchids 😂).
@SpyderLily okay that’s great! You’ll probably still want to repot it once it’s done with the bloom cycle. When those blooms drop, you’ll notice the stem starts drying up. Prune it back either all the way, or to the node that’s still in a “live” part of the stem, and it should rebloom for you! In the meantime, look at the roots through the plastic. If they look green, don’t water. If they look silver, it’s time to water. Dunk the whole plastic container in a bowl of water, just make sure the water doesn’t get up to the level of the leaves. Let it soak, then drain really well before putting it back in your pot. Those grocery store pots have moss in them, so retain moisture a little longer than the orchid bark. But I’ve had the most luck with reblooming and avoiding rot by repotting after that initial bloom. Good luck!
@MamaLinne Can you tell what kind of medium that is from the picture? It doesn't look like normal soil to me, the texture is different... not sure how to explain it 🤔🤔
@SpyderLily I can’t tell! Maybe some type of coco coir or tree fern fiber? It might work? I’ll let Nadia weigh in! @MariansOasis is also a resident orchid gal!
@MamaLinne It does appear to be about the same consistency as coco peat. But is that good for orchids??
@SpyderLily mine that I just got had something i guess like coco peat wrapped around the roots. I took all that off. I have mine in orchid bark and real spaghum moss. She seems to be doing fine. 🤷♀️
@SpyderLily @MamaLinne Thanks for the tag Deb ♥️ So that looks like either a coco coir or peat rooting plug. It doesn’t matter which kind it is, they are both risky to keep on, long term . It’s fine for rooting, and growing in nursery conditions but our homes aren’t ideal 🤷♀️ When you’re ready to repot, pick it off carefully. You might experience some root damage, and you might discover rot inside. You will need to trim any roots that are mushy and leave any roots that are healthy, plump, and firm. The roots on the inside of the plug will most likely be very pale or even yellow or light brown. If they are still plump and form, that is ok, they just haven’t been exposed to light and won’t have any green pigment, yet.
💯 agree, whole heartedly to not ever use ice. The “study” that the Just Add Ice orchid brand came out with as their “proof” for these claims is bogus, methinks.
Orchids are tropical epiphytes, so their substrate should be very light and airy and be able to retain humidity around their root area. I like a mixture of orchid bark and good quality sphagnum moss. Since bark does not retain moisture, orchids in pure bark will need to be watered more frequently (and definitely soaked thoroughly at watering time) than those that also include sphagnum moss. I soak my sphagnum first in water with 1/4 strength orchid fertilizer for ~15 min. Then you squeeze out as much water as you can from it. After that you will need to fluff the sphagnum moss up again so it’s not compacted at all, and has nice big airy pockets throughout. I layer orchid bark and sphag so that it’s like I have a “wick” of sphagnum going down through the pot. This keeps humidity around the roots without creating soppy wet conditions that breed root rot bacteria. You do not want to pack it in or compress it at all. Water when you see the roots are silvery-grey. When they are green, they are well hydrated. 👍 If you can’t see through your pot, the sphagnum moss that peeps up through the top layer of soil is a good moisture indicator. When it’s dry, then it’s time to water. I also have several phals that I keep in semi-water culture. I can elaborate if you’re interested.
Miss Orchid Girl on YT is a great resource. I’d highly recommend her beginner videos on getting new phals and repotting for the first time ☺️
Because it is late, and I’m sleepy, I’m also tagging @MusicalRedmint and @smushface who are excellent with orchids. If I missed anything, I’m sure they will be able to fill in any possible/probable gaps. 😄 And feel free to tag any of us for orchid help in the future. ♥️✨🌿
💯 agree, whole heartedly to not ever use ice. The “study” that the Just Add Ice orchid brand came out with as their “proof” for these claims is bogus, methinks.
Orchids are tropical epiphytes, so their substrate should be very light and airy and be able to retain humidity around their root area. I like a mixture of orchid bark and good quality sphagnum moss. Since bark does not retain moisture, orchids in pure bark will need to be watered more frequently (and definitely soaked thoroughly at watering time) than those that also include sphagnum moss. I soak my sphagnum first in water with 1/4 strength orchid fertilizer for ~15 min. Then you squeeze out as much water as you can from it. After that you will need to fluff the sphagnum moss up again so it’s not compacted at all, and has nice big airy pockets throughout. I layer orchid bark and sphag so that it’s like I have a “wick” of sphagnum going down through the pot. This keeps humidity around the roots without creating soppy wet conditions that breed root rot bacteria. You do not want to pack it in or compress it at all. Water when you see the roots are silvery-grey. When they are green, they are well hydrated. 👍 If you can’t see through your pot, the sphagnum moss that peeps up through the top layer of soil is a good moisture indicator. When it’s dry, then it’s time to water. I also have several phals that I keep in semi-water culture. I can elaborate if you’re interested.
Miss Orchid Girl on YT is a great resource. I’d highly recommend her beginner videos on getting new phals and repotting for the first time ☺️
Because it is late, and I’m sleepy, I’m also tagging @MusicalRedmint and @smushface who are excellent with orchids. If I missed anything, I’m sure they will be able to fill in any possible/probable gaps. 😄 And feel free to tag any of us for orchid help in the future. ♥️✨🌿
Those foamy cores really are terrible for orchids, agreed! I have only tried 2 orchids- killed the first one, and now I'm struggling with the 2nd. I discovered it had that core so I picked it off...only to find massive root rot. She was down to 1 root at one point, but now I can see 2 more poking out of the bark! The leaves were very soft and pliable after I started using a spray fertilizer, so I stopped using it. Hoping it comes back to full health soon.
I am backbut mz brain has turned to mush in the meantime, so I am no longer sure what I wanted to add 😅
I think most of it has been covered. You have gotten great advice on how to water, and how to repot. I myself would hold off with the repot if it is your first one, as long as there aren't any issues (visible rot in the medium or the plant or a foul smell emerging). The repot advice also was great already. I would add, however, that it would be good to kepp in mind that phal roots don't love too big of a shift in medium. Right now they are in a very dense and water retentive medium. So if you go for a bark mix or another more airy mix (basically almost every other mix but pure sphagnum), it will help *a lot* if you help the roots acclimate to those new airier conditions by watering more frequently at first and phasing that out over a little while. That way fewer roots will die off. It also doesn't hurt to check the pot after 2-3 weeks after a repot an trim away any newly dead roots, in case the transition didn't go over as smoothly as expected. It can happen, and you don't want the newly dead roots to spoil the fresh medium this early on.
Oh and as a last point, because you mentioned you had trouble reblooming them in the past: In quite a lot of cases people aren't aware that many phalaenopsis orchids need a slight drop in temperature to grow new spikes. Are you living in a very temperature controlled environment? If so, this might be a factor. in many cases a drop of about 10°F for about 2 weeks might already enough. Sometimes it is even enough to place them in a cooler room over night for a few weeks.
And if that isn't it: Many people hear the description of phals as "low light orchids" as a description of them being low light plants. That is generally a misconcenption. They should not be placed in direct light willy nilly (their leaves can burn quite easily), but they do love lots of light and sufficient light is a big factor in reblooming them (and often more light equals more flowers). It's just as light hungry as other orchids, like e.g. cattleyas.
Maybe one of those two things were the issue? from what I have seen on Greg those two seem to be the main culprits when trouble shooting blooming issues.
In any case: good luck with yours, enjoy your blooms. Thanks for the best answer and sorry for the two parter 😅 No longer only a novella but almost a whole novel. It tends to happen in the orchid bubble on Greg, I've noticed. I might be one of the worst, but not the only offender. whoops 😅
Enjoy your blooms
I think most of it has been covered. You have gotten great advice on how to water, and how to repot. I myself would hold off with the repot if it is your first one, as long as there aren't any issues (visible rot in the medium or the plant or a foul smell emerging). The repot advice also was great already. I would add, however, that it would be good to kepp in mind that phal roots don't love too big of a shift in medium. Right now they are in a very dense and water retentive medium. So if you go for a bark mix or another more airy mix (basically almost every other mix but pure sphagnum), it will help *a lot* if you help the roots acclimate to those new airier conditions by watering more frequently at first and phasing that out over a little while. That way fewer roots will die off. It also doesn't hurt to check the pot after 2-3 weeks after a repot an trim away any newly dead roots, in case the transition didn't go over as smoothly as expected. It can happen, and you don't want the newly dead roots to spoil the fresh medium this early on.
Oh and as a last point, because you mentioned you had trouble reblooming them in the past: In quite a lot of cases people aren't aware that many phalaenopsis orchids need a slight drop in temperature to grow new spikes. Are you living in a very temperature controlled environment? If so, this might be a factor. in many cases a drop of about 10°F for about 2 weeks might already enough. Sometimes it is even enough to place them in a cooler room over night for a few weeks.
And if that isn't it: Many people hear the description of phals as "low light orchids" as a description of them being low light plants. That is generally a misconcenption. They should not be placed in direct light willy nilly (their leaves can burn quite easily), but they do love lots of light and sufficient light is a big factor in reblooming them (and often more light equals more flowers). It's just as light hungry as other orchids, like e.g. cattleyas.
Maybe one of those two things were the issue? from what I have seen on Greg those two seem to be the main culprits when trouble shooting blooming issues.
In any case: good luck with yours, enjoy your blooms. Thanks for the best answer and sorry for the two parter 😅 No longer only a novella but almost a whole novel. It tends to happen in the orchid bubble on Greg, I've noticed. I might be one of the worst, but not the only offender. whoops 😅
Enjoy your blooms
@MusicalRedmint She is in a south facing window with bright indirect light. I honestly don't remember anything about other orchids I've had in the past, it's probably been fifteen years or more since I tried LOL
Who knows what the issue was back then, then. The temperature drop thing is always good to keep in mind, in case this one gives you trouble. And apart from that..... now you have Greg 😅 that alone should make a difference. I never would have thought, I would give carnivorous plants yet another go, but I got to know some of the great CP people on Greg, learned what the issues might have been in the past and now I will never live in a place without sundews and pings again, ever. Not looking back. I'm sure you're orchid troubles will turn out the same. Greg's orchid community is great.
@MamaLinne Clearly LMAO