I think I chose a good one. The roots looked very healthy (although they were definitely not getting enough air, because the medium was very tight!) and there are five leaves on the plant. I put it in a nice pot and I will put it in my southern windowsill, where there is a balcony to protect from direct sunlight. The only bag of orchid medium I could find was bigger than my orchid, so naturally I now need more orchids 🤭 Please tell me what you think. I want to make sure the plant is nice and happy.
by Icebergnametaken
5 Comments
A very common mistake new grower made is over pot, you can use the same nursery pot or maybe half inch larger maxium. Overpot is likely cause root rot. Don’t touch the orchid until blooming end. Meantime, water it once a week by soaking the nursery pot for 10 minutes each time and drain is enough to keep it live until you repot. No fertilizer during blooming time.
Make sure you pre-soak barks for 2 days before repotting. New barks are very hard to absorb water, without proper presoak, it will make future watering really hard.
might i ask to see what type of ‘orchid medium’ you’re using? typically, you want a loose blend of bark, perlite, and/or sphagnum moss, and this looks rather packed in.
There are better options as others have said, but this is exactly what I did with my first orchid. Rookie mistake. It will be fine as long as you don’t overwater it / let it sit in wet soil. If it stays moist for 7-10 days before drying out, it can rot. It wants to dry out in between waterings. Stick your finger in the soil to feel for moisture. If it’s dry, water it. If it’s staying too wet, consider repotting it again, but it may cost you your blooms to save the plant.
I planted a phal in straight orchid mix in an oversized pot, and it bloomed a second time from the original spike. When it’s done flowering, consider potting it in a more suitable mixture. I use wood chips, bark, and sphagnum moss, and my orchids do fine.
Congrats on your 1st orchid! 🎊 No matter what, we welcome you to the darkside 😉
Since you’re newbie take the time to gain valuable knowledge in how to care for your Phalaenopsis orchid. Miss Orchid Girl is a good resource on YouTube. The American Orchid Society(aos.org) website has a lot of good information as well. Another good resource if there’s one nearby a local orchid society. There you can gain information as well as meet hobbyist with the same interest and help you along if needed. Good luck!