Plant, specifically Orchid people, please give me advice!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Hello plant people! I'm actually very good with plants but orchids have totally eluded me thus far. People have given them to me as a gift and I do my best to care for them once they've stopped blooming and then the leaves die too. I'm not sure what I do wrong as I do my best to follow instructions. 

So. That brings us to today. Work tossed an orchid in the trash. I know it's still alive and has the ability to rebloom with the correct care. Help me out. I'm going to take it home and see if I can get it to stay alive and hopefully eventually bloom. 

Inside or outside? (I assume inside is best it's in the high 30s in the morning but I do have a patio that has an overhang and lots of plants there)

If inside where? (warmth, lighting etc?)

How to water (maybe I've been doing it wrong)

I think since the bloom is long since gone the stems need to be cut yes? If so where/how. 

Any other insider tips. 

Her's a pic of the plant, tag says Phalaenopsis Orchid (not sure if that means anything important)

Edited February 6, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Odd Duck]

Is there any drainage hole in that pot?  If not, then you need to get it out of there ASAP.  As a general rule, most orchids like drainage.  It makes a lot of sense when you learn that they are mostly tropical plants that often grow in the crotch of tree branches where a little bit of water accumulates but doesn’t stay.  Or they cling to rocks beside waterfalls so they stay intermittently moist but always draining.  There are orchids that stay in very moist soil, there’s even one that grows in running, highly oxygenated water, but most like to somewhat, or nearly fully, dry out between waterings.  The thicker the leaves and roots, the better they are at storing water and the longer they can go between watering.

Phalanopsis (phals) tolerate more moisture than many orchids and don’t really appreciate a full dry out between watering, but they like to come fairly close to full dry out (soil still just slightly damp).  This is one of the reasons why they do better in the household than many other orchid species - they have a slightly wider tolerance range than many orchids.  Phals don’t really like water on their leaves, especially hard water.  But they very much like their roots to be fully immersed in a light fertilizer for a few minutes as their watering - but only intermittently.  Orchid growers like to say “water weekly weakly” which is a pretty good starting rule for phals, but they need drainage and don’t like to stay soggy.

They do like humidity and drier air will require more frequent watering.  Phals often get potted in a more water holding mix than other orchids since they do like to retain a bit of moisture.  They don’t require a more water holding mix, but less water retention in the mix means more frequent watering - in comparison to other orchids.  Unless they are potted with extremely high drainage, with very dry air, very high heat, etc, they won’t want watered as often as twice weekly, but if your house is warm and dry, they may need it.  If they have exceptional drainage, high temps, dry air, etc, (like some grown on boards) they may even need daily watering.

Very few orchids tolerate low temps, so indoors for nearly all of them until outdoor temps stay above 50 or higher (some above 60-65).  Phals I wouldn’t leave out until consistently 60-ish, even overnight.  They don’t like direct sun, so east or even bright north windows are best.  Phals don’t like super hot temps so would need lots of shade to be outdoors in warm climates.

Your phal has brown, dry flower stalks which need to be cut back as close to the base as possible without risking damaging the plant.  But phals can rebloom on the same flower stalk after the initial bloom if the flower stalk stays green.  You would need to cut it back to a couple nodes above the main, straightest part of the stalk.  There’s a couple node-like areas near the base, then a fairly long, straight stalk, then the actual flower nodes start where the flower stems arose from.  The idea is to cut back to 2 nodes above the smooth bit.  Then you can sometimes get another flower stalk emerge from one (or both if you’re really lucky) of the nodes.  You can sometimes do this multiple times before the plant is fully done flowering.  You can even sometimes cut the stalk back to above the lower nodes and occasionally will get a new stalk arising from a lower node.  Phals will usually be somewhat seasonal depending on light, temperature, humidity, watering, and fertilizer conditions, but are not as seasonal as many other orchids.

Here’s a very useful link to an orchid site.  This link is the phal page, but from this link you can navigate to other orchid care pages if you’re interested.  There are national and international orchid societies, and often local orchid clubs you can join.  Some clubs will have monthly speakers and/or auctions, most will have sales, sometimes swaps, often shows, etc.  Larger metro areas are more likely to have more active clubs/societies.  I haven’t been active in a local club in decades, but learned a TON about orchids when I was an active member, most of which I’ve forgotten now.

https://www.orchidweb.com/phalaenopsis-orchid-care

Edited February 6, 2023 by Odd Duck
Typo

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Odd Duck thanks so much for that. Seems like I might have a little work to do but it looks to me like the plant wants to live. 

It's in a plastic pot that has a drain hole- that's in a non-draining ceramic pot. It seems that it's sitting about an inch above the bottom of the ceramic pot where there is some water. I'm assuming this would create some humidity for the plant but I do have other plant pots at home to move it into. 

The stems are definitely dead, feel super dry and not green at all so I'll cut as close to the base as I can. 

I have Miracle grow "all in one" green crystal powder I use for general watering, I know orchids take specific ferts- should I skip that and go get proper soil and orchid ferts? 

Here are a few pics: 

[Odd Duck]

You can also take a soft, damp cloth (use RO or distilled) and retry gently wiping off those leaves.  You might be able to get some of the mineral deposits off.  You could even soak the whole plant, leaves and all, then wipe clean, but they can hold water in the base of leaves which can promote rot, so you need to be able to turn it fully upside down long enough to drain the base of the leaves.

When you do repot, soak the roots well for 10 minutes, so they are softer and more flexible during repotting.  You’ll want to use an orchid mix, plus a bit of sphagnum moss mixed in for more water holding for a phal.  If you can find orchid mix with a bit of charcoal chunks, that’s even better.  The charcoal chunks hold water well but not too much, they also adsorb, hold, then re-release nutrients as needed.  It’s best if you soak the orchid mix before potting.

Inspect the roots carefully and cut away any that look brown or rotten with a sharp knife or scissors that have been disinfected.  The roots should be white or grey to light green with a brighter green tip.  They should look plump and round, not like a thin, brown string - those have died and lost the water grabbing/retaining outer covering.  Trim away anything brown and stringy.  Don’t try to pack the potting mix too tightly you risk breaking roots (which are rather brittle even after soaking).  Make a mound of potting mix in the pot and spread the roots over it.  Gently tuck the potting mix around the roots, then soak the whole pot and root ball.  Add more potting mix if necessary.  Plant fairly shallow and use supports or ties to hold it in place if needed.  It’s not unusual for some roots to grow over the top of the orchid media.  It can be a sign it’s staying too moist if lots of roots are growing outside the media.

[Odd Duck]

You have some good looking roots and some not so good looking.  I suspect the watering has been too sporadic, then too heavy.  Lots of phals can do well with that plastic/solid pot combo.  You pull the inner pot out, soak the roots well, let them drain well (I suspect this part was rushed), then put the inner pot back in the outer, decorative part.  There are better orchid pots, but there’s nothing wrong with doing it this way with phals as long as the inner pot drains long enough to be barely dripping or no longer dripping.

Orchids are a major obsession with some gardeners, so there are lots of options out there.  It can be trickier to find pretty orchid pots and they’re more expensive, which is why phals so often end up sold with this combo system.  These pots are old orchid pots - called “crack pots” - since they were initially made with plain terra cotta (pic 2) and designed so it wasn’t a big loss if you had to crack and break the pot to get the orchid out for repotting.  There are also orchid “baskets” (pic 3) made so they can be disassembled by removing the wires through the corners that also serve as a way of suspending them if preferred.  All are designed for excellent drainage and depending on the species of orchid and the mix used, would vary the amount of time between watering/soaking.

Since phals tend to like moister substrate, they are more often put into the plastic/solid pot combo or into conventional pots but with drainage holes and a moderately quick draining substrate that still holds some moisture but is never soggy.  Many stand orchids on humidity trays full of pebbles so any water drips into the tray (and you don’t have to drain it as thoroughly after soaking) and the water gradually evaporates from the tray creating more humidity around the plant.

 

 

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 2/6/2023 at 4:36 PM, Odd Duck said:

You have some good looking roots and some not so good looking.  I suspect the watering has been too sporadic, then too heavy.  Lot

Yes, I agree here from what I can see. Once I got it home I looked closer, you are absolutely right about the roots and I agree the watering was probably rushed and very sporadic- such is the nature of office plants in my experience. The bottom part of the pot was still too wet for me to water the whole plant- I think- so what I did instead- since the top part was looking dry, was spray that area well so that it was damp and seems more even with the bottom. It may dry around the same time giving me time to find some things for the plant for a repot -if not in the same pot a better pot with better soil which right  now I do not have. 

On 2/6/2023 at 4:36 PM, Odd Duck said:

It can be trickier to find pretty orchid pots and they’re more expensive,

I don't mind this in fact I've seen more of the top pic that you have in my area, not so much the other 2 though there is plenty of traditional terracotta. Since the phals as you call them may do better in a moist soil I might stick with what it is in for now though I'm not convinced the flimsy pot its in will stand the repot so I might need to look for a pot. 

This will have to wait until I have time to help it out further. 

Once home I trimmed off the stems (you can see that in the above pic) with my gardener's snips and tried to wipe the leaves but sadly the hard water isn't budging much only looks a little better. I don't currently have distilled or RO water on hand so I may try with that again later. The leaves seem really healthy otherwise. This is where they're at now:

I will look for the soil and maybe a new pot this week and repot the little one. For now it sits in my bathroom which faces west but only gets a little tiny bit of direct light in the morning. It's mostly difused due to the patio cover outside but my tropicals have done well in here (used to have bamboo, now have another tropical plant in its place): 

Thanks very much for your help @Odd Duck you've given me a good place to start. 

Edited February 7, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Odd Duck]

As long as it doesn’t get too much light and scorch the leaves, or get too hot, you will likely be OK with diffuse light.  You can move it further from the window, or put other plants between it and the window.  Otherwise I think what you’ve done is solid.  It may be impossible to get the mineral spots off the leaves.

[JettsPapa]

My wife isn't a plant person, but she has several that thrive and bloom.  They sit on the windowsill above the kitchen sink, which is on the north side of the house, and she pretty much ignores them.  I think she occasionally waters them, but that's it.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 2/6/2023 at 11:42 PM, Odd Duck said:

As long as it doesn’t get too much light and scorch the leaves, or get too hot, you will likely be OK with diffuse light

The sun hits the window in the summer (not this time of year) for maybe 10 minutes, it's frosted glass so it's not blinding then from that point it's shaded light. I'll keep an eye on it when it's that time of year to see if it's offended by the source. I have limited lighted space in my house this is one of the better options. I only have one other which isn't the greatest unless low light (and mostly artificial) is ok. 

On 2/7/2023 at 6:26 AM, JettsPapa said:

My wife isn't a plant person, but she has several that thrive and bloom

Sounds like she's probably been gifted them! That's how I've gotten the ones I've had in the past. I'm not really sure what I did to kill them but probably watered them too much. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Odd Duck got some orchid soil and what I think might be a good pot for this orchid? What do you think? they had the more traditional style like what you posted but I think this one will be a little easier to contain the new soil. 

[Odd Duck]

That should work well.  Depending on your soil mix, humidity, etc, you’ll just have to play around with how often you soak.  Likely to be around every 5-6 days with that pot.  That looks like an attached saucer?  Make sure you put some extra drainage in the bottom and you’ll likely need to tip the pot to drain that little saucer area after each soak.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Odd Duck ok good. I got what the plant nursery had, not much of an option. It's EB Stone brand Orchid mix. Says it contains bark, lava rock, redwood compost and sand. 

[JettsPapa]

On 2/7/2023 at 8:26 AM, JettsPapa said:

My wife isn't a plant person, but she has several that thrive and bloom.  They sit on the windowsill above the kitchen sink, which is on the north side of the house, and she pretty much ignores them.  I think she occasionally waters them, but that's it.

I remembered to ask my wife about hers yesterday.  She said she waters them when she thinks about it.  She said maybe once a month, but who knows?

[Odd Duck]

On 2/13/2023 at 8:28 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Odd Duck ok good. I got what the plant nursery had, not much of an option. It's EB Stone brand Orchid mix. Says it contains bark, lava rock, redwood compost and sand. 

I’m not sure you’re going to like that in a perforated pot.  The sand is just going to filter out of the holes, and possibly the compost, too, depending on how fine it is.  The lava rock, I’m ambivalent about.  Bark chunks and charcoal chunks, possibly a bit of sphagnum moss, are typical components of orchid mix used in perforated pots.  Stuff that isn’t going to just leak out of the holes.

I’d probably go with a solid side pot with good drainage instead of perforated with that mix - which is fine for a phal, BTW.  If you can find small to medium chunk charcoal for potting - about the size of the bark chunks, it would be even better.  You’ll likely need to go to a specialty shop to find the type of mix that goes with a perforated pot.  Sorry, I should have been more specific and clarified.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Odd Duck no worries. I thought that might be an issue. I can just exchange stuff if I decide not to use the perforated pot- they had orchid bark but I don't remember seing any charcoal. Would plain bbq charcoal work or are there too many chemicals in that do you know? 

[Odd Duck]

On 2/15/2023 at 8:08 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Odd Duck no worries. I thought that might be an issue. I can just exchange stuff if I decide not to use the perforated pot- they had orchid bark but I don't remember seing any charcoal. Would plain bbq charcoal work or are there too many chemicals in that do you know? 

If you can find some with no chemicals it’s fine but only comes in giant chunks for BBQ.  Smashing it into smaller pieces is incredibly messy, but might be a fun way to get rid of some frustrations.  😆  You want chunks that are around 1/2”-3/4”.  For BBQ they’re usually 1.5”-3” or so.

My hubby, coincidentally, got me a pot with a variegated dracaena and 2 mini phals for Valentine’s.  No drain hole which he knew wasn’t good but he also knew I could repot them.  So I’m going to try a little orchid experiment after they’re done blooming - going to be weeks from now, at least.  I’m going to set up something similar to what @TioTeotried but with a more epiphytic type mix with pretty much bark and a little sphagnum only, maybe a bit of charcoal if I can find what I want.  The goal being that it drains exceedingly well.

I’m going to try for a constant trickle being available to the roots but they’ll have to “reach for it”.  I’m going to try running the water trickle down just the edge of the pot, not directly over the plant roots.  I’ll water the plant weekly with tank water - just scoop some out and let it run through and back into the tank or maybe dip the whole pot into the tank and soak it for a minute or so.  Then put it back into a raised spot where I’m going to have a tiny powerhead running into small tubing to run down the edge of the pot.  The plant can work it’s own roots over to where it needs them relative to the moisture, and I hope, eventually, that it becomes self-sustaining from just the trickle and won’t need soaking.

It may, or may not, work with phals.  I might need to seek out some other orchid species that are cliffside/waterfall dwellers.  I might have to try some sun pitchers this way, too, if the orchids work.  I’ve got some spare planted tank lights that I’ll rig to light these plants.  If I can manage to get my old keister in gear and make some progress on my Offish, the higher humidity in the room would certainly be helpful for the sun pitchers and for many orchids.  Pipe dreams of an active mind trapped in an old lady bod.  😝 😆 🤣 

[TioTeo]

@Odd Duck Thanks for the tag. Sorry to join the conversation so late, I haven’t been on in a long time. I moved and am now active in an orchid club and local aquarium group so I do not get online as often. 

[TioTeo]

@xXInkedPhoenixX Orchids are great! As the proud owner of [I don’t even want to count] many happy and healthy orchids, the best advice I can give is to listen to your plant and respond to what it is telling you. Many orchids are quite adaptable (phalaenopsis, what you have, being some of the most adaptable). As @Odd Duck said, Phals are nice because they don’t need lots of light and are therefore great indoors. I am fairly confident that your bathroom window is likely not a problem if it is frosted, but when you go to check it in the summer I would be looking more at how hot the window may be getting after the sun has been shining on it for a while. If the shifting of the sun is gradual enough your phal may even start gaining a purplish pigment if, and only if, it is getting too much sun. This would be a sign that maybe you should shift it out of that window until the direct sun is not too harsh on its leaves. But again, I would not expect it to ever be an issue. 
 

The best advice I can give to a novice orchid keeper is to “repot your orchid into new medium, as soon as you can (a few weeks) this gives you a chance to really look at the condition of the roots and prepare it to grow to its full potential.” 
 

Growing: Orchids are great for the foliage, but if you want to get new blooms, the only way you will ever do so is if you get it to grow new leaves. The flower spikes come from between sets of leaves, but they will never spike from the same spot twice. I.e. you need to grow new leaves to give it a new growth node (between leaves) to send off a new spike. This is the time yours is in. If the spike has died off, the plant is in its growth phase and is primed and ready to get a word nutrients and put those into producing new leaves. 
 

Fertilizer: most general purpose fertilizers are fine 15-15-15 [nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium], but as @odd duck said, “water weakly weekly.” Meaning less than half of what your fertilizer recommends, but exchanging the higher dose with more frequent fertilizing (say every, or every-other week). As epiphytes (most orchids grow on the surface of trees and get their water/nutrients from rain or dew running/condensing on their roots) orchids as a general rule don’t get a lot of nutrients at one time and don’t love the build up of nutrient salts (white crystal-like scale) on their roots for a long time. So it is good to water lightly with fertilizer and then water in between with regular water to dissolve and remove those salts. But know here there are many opinions. And some people will put a slow release fertilizer into their orchid potting medium, I am just giving my opinion on what has worked best for me. 
 

Watering: Similarly, with watering you will need to adjust based on your environment. If you have a lot of humidity, less frequent is fine, if you are in a drier climate more often may be required. But as a general rule a good soaking is great. We literally drop our inside (plastic) pots in a tall container of water, so it comes up just below the base of the stem (crown) and let it sit [for 15 min, or all afternoon if you forget about it…] so that the roots and bark absorb all the water they can. And then take it out and let all the excess water drain out of the pot so air can get in and provide some circulation. Then you repeat this when your bark has dried out on top.
 

[this is getting quite long and it is late, so I will reply back with more later…still to come…let’s talk about roots.]

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

On 2/17/2023 at 2:36 AM, TioTeo said:

check it in the summer I would be looking more at how hot the window may be getting after the sun has been shining on it for a while. If the shifting of the sun is gradual enough your phal may even start gaining a purplish pigment if, and only if, it is getting too much sun. This would be a sign that maybe you should shift it out of that window until the direct sun is not too harsh on

Nice! Thanks for that tip. Honestly I think even in summer it's going to be ok BUT you never know this will be an easy way for me to check. This is what it looks like in afternoon and is pretty typical lighting for most of the day (it is 1pm): 

(When I returned the pot I of course ran into an Asparagus Fern I had to have- used to keep them years ago and always loved them, the light in here was good for the Ferns I've kept in the past, and they always seemed to like bathrooms) (pardon my drinking glass, trying to get an orange seed and some white grapefruit seeds to put out a root)

 

On 2/17/2023 at 2:36 AM, TioTeo said:

repot your orchid into new medium, as soon as you can (a few weeks) this gives you a chance to really look at the condition of the roots and prepare it to grow to its full potential.” 

At @Odd Duck's suggestion I've done this as of yesterday. I ended up returning the perforated pot and decided to see what I was into by taking the Orchid out of its orginal pot. I cut away all the dead roots, but it appeared to have many, many more, healthy green, fat roots. (I always forget to take pics) The Orchid was entirely planted in moss. I kept 3/4 of it, added some of the new Orchid potting mix (which really is mostly dirt) hoping that it will add some nutrients and lightly packed it back into the original plastic insert and into the original pot. 

On 2/17/2023 at 2:36 AM, TioTeo said:

Fertilizer: most general purpose fertilizers are fine 15-15-15 [nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium], but as @odd duck said, “water weakly weekly.” Meaning less than half of what your fertilizer recommends, but

I've already been watering it with fish tank water (most of my plants, in and out, get at least some fish water every week. What I currently have on hand is Miracle Gro, not sure if it fits the criteria for what you mention if anyone can say- but I can say I've had good results with it in most plants. 

 

On 2/17/2023 at 2:36 AM, TioTeo said:

But as a general rule a good soaking is great. We literally drop our inside (plastic) pots in a tall container of water, so it comes up just below the base of the stem (crown) and let it sit [for 15 min, or all afternoon if you forget about it…] so that the roots and bark absorb all the water they can. And then take it out and let all the excess water drain out of the pot so air can get in and provide some circulation. Then you repeat this when your bark has dried out on top.
 

I think I'll be going with this method of watering, though I have no bark. Would dry moss be as good an indicator I'm not sure, of course it's going to dry out faster. I might have to stick my finger down into the pot to check deeper I'd assume. 

 

On 2/16/2023 at 9:21 PM, Odd Duck said:

chunks for BBQ.  

Yeah. I have plain charcoal I cook with but I can't trust there isn't other chemicals that might hurt the plant so I've passed for now. 

 

On 2/16/2023 at 9:21 PM, Odd Duck said:

So I’m going to try a little orchid experiment after they’re done blooming - going to be weeks from now, at least.  I’m going to set up something similar to what @TioTeotried but with a more epiphytic type mix with pretty much bark and a little sphagnum only, maybe a bit of charcoal if I can find what I want.  The goal being that it drains exceedingly well.

DO journal this if you can. 

Edited February 17, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[TioTeo]

On 2/17/2023 at 3:14 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

The Orchid was entirely planted in moss. I kept 3/4 of it, added some of the new Orchid potting mix (which really is mostly dirt) hoping that it will add some nutrients and lightly packed it back into the original plastic insert and into the original pot. 

@xXInkedPhoenixX Great! As a quick side note: in order to prevent any chance of an infection following a trim to the roots of an orchid you can do either or both of 2 things. 1) Spray off your roots (following a trim and before replanting) with some 3% (store/wound grade) hydrogen peroxide. This reacts with any microorganisms that could get into the cut root and break them down, eventually turning into neutral water. Some people think this is garchando on the orchid roots themselves, but it works for me and I have not noticed any issues with the roots following treatment. 2) Dab the cut end of the roots with cinnamon (the spice for cooking) as it is a natural anti fungal/antibacterial. DO NOT douse the entire root system as it will dry everything out, but plenty on the cut ends helps form a nice callus to prevent infection. 
 

Orchid Media: Most stores will plant their orchids entirely in moss. This makes sense because it helps keep them hydrated with the irregular/sparse watering they get at a store. However, (and this entirely depends on your climate) I would recommend switching to a more bark like medium in the future. The reason being, that moss actually dries much slower (holds onto more water than bark/coconut or pumice, typical in most orchid mixes) and is easier to break down into smaller debris which eventually can be toxins for plants (think of the ammonia in your aquarium water). This in my opinion is why most people eventually lose their store bought orchids, that they do not realize the roots are dying and they eventually dehydrate, because the dense moss 1) doesn’t breathe well (stays too boggy) and 2) breaks down too fast, eventually killing the roots. 
 

This doesn’t mean you should immediately repot your orchid again, but depending on your climate I would consider reporting within the year, and if you do not need to retain a moisture (so you are not watering your orchid all the time) I would consider putting in <20% moss and adding more bark/coconut husk, or switching to a medium to coarse orchid media. You may have to water more (depending on the humidity in your house) but the roots will be happier. Think, orchids would love to live best, bare rooted, on trees with daily light showers and mist condensing in their roots. We pot them to help retain more moisture in them, while also not driving ourselves crazy by having to water every day. Find what works best for you, but consider trying to cut back on moss for a phalaenopsis, save that for other orchids that LOVE water and/or are more terrestrial. 
 

I hope that helps, no need to repot right away, just food (and opinion) for thought. Find what works best for you and you will enjoy the hobby to its full potential. 

[TioTeo]

On 2/17/2023 at 3:14 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I've already been watering it with fish tank water (most of my plants, in and out, get at least some fish water every week.

@xXInkedPhoenixX just be somewhat cautious with fish water, especially after cutting back root and introducing open wounds to the roots. Fish water has a lot of microorganisms in it. Usually good for the food they provide, but can also introduce things that could cause harm to a “damaged” plant. 
 

It is kind of funny, because as @Odd Duck said, I did start a thread specifically on trying to grow orchids to utilize the nutrients from fish water. But with the experience with have now, 1) I would be cautious about fish water on freshly trimmed back roots. Not likely an issue, but why risk if if you can resume it in a couple of weeks once they have calluses off? And 2) If I was to repeat the experience now, I would focus on using more water heavy, terrestrial orchid types such as Paphiopedilums or phragmipediums. 
 

On that note: I did leave my mother with a pond type aquarium with a phalaenopsis orchid hanging above the tank, but with the directions to “water it from above and let the water run off into the tank rather than trying to get the orchid roots/“feet” wet by sitting in the water.” I know this orchid is still alive and doing well, but I don’t know the exact condition. I will have to ask her to send some pictures of the un-potted roots and give an update on that project soon. 

[Odd Duck]

On 2/17/2023 at 3:14 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

DO journal this if you can. 

I will.  My first step is going to be to find a small enough powerhead that won’t push a stupid amount of water but I can put a prefilter on it instead of one of those teeny, tiny pet fountain pumps that have no way to add a prefilter.  Then I need to find or make a tray that will essentially sit like an HOB but will drain right back into the tank.  Maybe I could fit some egg crate grid into an HOB high enough that the entire orchid pot would be sitting above the water?  That would drain just fine.  Hmmm.  Stuff it with a little sponge and it’s just more biofiltration.  It wouldn’t even need its own pump running since it would constantly trickle from the powerhead pumping into the pots.  I did just have a pump on a smallish HOB give out the other day. 🤔 

I’ll definitely have to be hanging up some of my old, second hand, not currently in use, planted tank lights that are laying around.  How do these accumulate, anyway?  😝  The lighting may be ugly, for a while but hopefully the orchids won’t be.  My 29 G is hopefully going to get more interesting in a month or 2.  😃 

 

On 2/17/2023 at 10:26 PM, TioTeo said:

Paphiopedilums or phragmipediums. 

Great idea!  I might have to hit one or two of our local orchid club meetings to grab a couple Paphs or Phrags if I can find some that aren’t too pricy.  I’d need some minis, not the giant slippered ones.  It would be too much to hope to find a Masdevallia for sale at a random meeting but that would be another species worth trying with this technique.  I tried Masdevallias once in a terrarium but I just couldn’t seem to hit the perfect moisture balance water level.  I’m hoping this technique will allow each orchid to push its roots to the area with the right moisture balance on its own eventually.

Lots of food for thought.