You'll be perfectly fine removing some moss so it's not so dense. Phals aren't too concerned about that.

I think the roots look to be in good health. You can remove some moss like terp said. I don't think that will bother it too much. Just be careful with your watering.

Jason

Here is my thoughts. When you have less sphagum moss in there that is lose it acts like a sponge and sucks up the water that you give it. I'd leave it packed in tight and only water it lightly when it needs it which should be about every two weeks. The only problem that I can forsee, is if you mix those plants in amongst a large collection and water them heavily every week. That would be the kiss of death.

I picked up a mini phal at IKEA, and the first thing I did when I got home was unpot it and pull out half the moss. That was 10/6. I was gentle when I did it, and the flowers only started dropping last week. Not too bad! I've seen too many phals rot to unsalvageable in tightly-packed pots before the flowers fall; I don't take chances any more.

And my rescue phal didn't start thriving until I got it out of what smelled like moldy moss. Granted, it didn't have blooms, but it made huge strides in growth and vigor once I pulled out some sphagnum so it could get more air.

I agree with Bob. The roots look good, the moss is fine. Just water when almost dry. Your watering habits are the most important factor at this point.

Wait until spring to repot.

Jane

Removing a little bit of moss here and there isn't repotting. That's not what was asked here.

This post was edited by terpguy on Mon, Dec 23, 13 at 20:59

I wouldn't remove any moss. I'd leave the plants as is.

That is 'my' answer to the question.

Jane

TheMisterPants stated: "I am concerned that the sphagnum moss was packed too tightly. I want to remove some of the moss, but I have heard that manipulating the root system while in bloom can cause the flowers to drop."

I've completely re-potted many phals while in bloom with no ill effects, go ahead and remove any moss that you feel helps it survive your conditions.

As far as whether you 'need' to remove any spagh, that isn't what you had asked??? (I dislike packed spagh and try to get rid of it before wintering my orchids indoors. I do OK with it outside, but my indoor area gets too cool at night [60-63F] for wet spagh for weeks on end.)

You asked if it would hurt the blooms to remove some, and I say no. But even if there may be an issue, I agree with your lesser of two evils.

Good luck,

Bob

I don't know. i rescued mine a few days ago, pollinated it and it grows fine without a pot. i mist several times a day light to moderate and the roots dry quick. I have a new bud on the stem. but i think these guys are so hyped up on whatever blooming fertilizer they get at the bloom house or green house mixed with whatever experiment the florist decided to use to water it or fertilizer none of us know how the plants are gonna do or even live till we get to the five month mark. My is good for 90 days or my money back kind of thing. no knowing what plant hormone spray or dip is pushing that. so i figure if it pod's it'll live and put those fertilizers so deep in the roots to work. eventually growth will come or not and those months or seasons of get big quick growth will actually be of some use to the plant. I got a couple that seem to have less of that issue, but, they too are rescues. just have to wait and see. all that yellow on roots that large is lack of light etc. but phals will air eat from dried out roots, they are epiphyites yet most do not grow them that way killing them in pots but have nothing but bad advice telling you how to grow, they are totally ignorant of or about giving you, i think people mean well. rescue phal photo. i can assume the yellow root indicates some fungal resistance measure and yellowing it is done in efforts for the new owner to spray as norm and let what dies stay dry enough to feed the thing via air as it ages. just me and maybe i am nuts, lol, but while mine might die, at most trying to grow the thing a different way is fun. just a little support. but that moss wrap, i have no idea what's on the moss, can't give advice, ya know. there is a whole lot of science before orchids hit the shelves or nursery floor rooms. you have to grow it how it is suitable for you, but do your research. i don't know but trial and error is alright. some orchids can clone, don't worry, it might have double out there already, lol.

if you get bad long roots but green healthy crown roots, i guess concentrate on letting the long roots that have pulp inside or whatever get air and light but mist, right along with the crown roots. if you pot it your gonna wind up with what you wind up with, same as if you don't. this was the weakest of the one's i have and i have had it the longest. it is pretty young seems like, so that yellow might green more, but, comon these have got to have some resistance or it'd already be wiped out. those roots dry up nice, just damp they look yellow. it seems like they look rough, but it's still living. the thing might die and in no way am i giving advice.

another thing i think they pot it prior to selling because of the fertilizer it had before it reached you, you cannot necessarily obtain, either, because it appears without adequate moisture it eats itself because of the depth in which the fertilizers they have reached in the pulp of the root, they use for age related quick growth and bloom. growth regulators. so moisture and essentially at the stage we get them, it can breathe itself and live in a pot fine barely damp. they require a lot of water at first, regular mistings out of a pot like 6 to 8 a day. I just wanna see if as it ages that goes down with strength of root, i am guessing it does. the thicker and more robust the better. if yours dies, it was so hyped up on plant drugs derived from sources we will assume natural, it went out feeling great anyway. these flowers are knocked up so perhaps they won't drop, lol. two to three pollena perhaps 4 in this one from a different plant some of it's own pollena in there too. looks like it might drop, but naaah, maybe not. i don't know. they are a plant that might last, might not, but a great source for study either way.

the other one. i pollinated all the flowers kind of trying to put the roots to work and get the leaves going, not that i know if it'll work, but maybe it'll get the fertilizer going in the roots and eaten up.

Mothorchid, I'm finding it difficult to follow what you are trying to say in your posts.

I think you said you pollenated your flowers hoping to make them last longer? If so that is not the case, when pollenated the flower will fade within a day or 2.

You also said, I think, something about pollenating to make the roots grow? I don't think that will work either because the plant will put it's energy into making seed pods instead of roots or leaves.

While Phals aren't my favorites and I don't even remotely consider myself an expert, I do have a few, some for 10 to 12 years . All of mine are in pots because thats what works for me and quite a few other people.

I see you are new to the forum so welcome to the conversation. There is lots of info here, you can do searches and the FAQs area can be helpful. I don't think people give bad advise, it's just that there are so many factors to consider no text book answer will apply to all.

First, welcome to the forum mothorchid, enjoying reading your input.
That said: I get the impression that mothorchid believes the roots hold nutrients for an extended period. It is my understanding that they do not/hold very little nutrients once dry. Also, misting 6-8 times a day could also cause some issues. Unless it is brutally hot, windy as Chicago or very, very dry I don't think misting that often is that helpful. For a phal, maybe 1 or 2 times a day in my experience.

Bob

As for removing some of that moss, what I do is take some out.... not all, just pull out the tight-packed stuff, loosen it--- so the roots can breathe....the growers pack extra in when sending to market so they don't dry out, whilst realizing the plant may be overwatered it will live awhile anyway before it dies of overwatering....and then the customer will buy another orchid! It took me awhile to realize this, and then I started pulling some moss out per. comments here on the Forum, and then my Phals started to LIVE-- not die....I thank the kind folks here on the Forum for what turned out to be very good advice... and now have a collection over 100 plants....I also lift the plant out of the pot and add some Styrofoam to the bottom, so it drains better, and that helps.....after all, these beauties live sitting on a tree branch with roots hanging onto the branch, without all the moss and perlite and bark and Styrofoam, which represents quite a big change in living-conditions for them, we are sure lucky that they survive for us at all! LOL, sally

Can you put some extra holes in the pot to help the moss dry out quicker? If you can I think I would just let it alone till spring, then repot in bark.