ORCHID CARE: Repotting Big green Phal- 4. 20th Nov 2011. All done, in the new pot.

[Incredibleisaac2]

You should make a video of you doing the sphag and bag.

[digiko4u]

I hope you get rid of your pest problem:) I dislike moss for a growing medium harbors too many unwanted effects. One main being pests are really attracted to it :(. But any way gorgeous plant beautiful leaves and roots its a strong plant it should pull through with flying colors <3

[sooneaty]

@digiko4u thanks! Will keep u all posted...

[Monchi990]

Hi Sooneaty, thanks for the wonderful video's...Some of my orchids do have trouble with spiderbugs...and now I have seen your tip with the Neem oil....Never heard of that...I will try to get it here in The Netherlands....I used "Promanal-R".. You have to 20 ml in 1 liter water and treat the orchid with it....So I have been using it for a week now...but have to repeat it twice I think...but I am also curious about the Neem oil.....Hopefully I can get it here...take care...

[sooneaty]

@Monchi990 Hi Monchi990

I read about Neem oil and the local orchid society here highly recommends it as a natural pesticide which does not harm plants or pets. It is used in India as a medicinal product and in toothpaste( very bitter tasting) and other products. Best of all I have read that it is harmless to animal and plant life. Some have used it on their pets with skin disorders.

[Angelofjusticia]

When there's not too many mealybugs you can hand pick or use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove them individualy. Oh! guess what? I went to a party where the tables were decorated with white phalaenopsis... And I got one, yes, like I need more!!! hahaha It has two flower spikes almost 3 feet tall. each one with 9 or ten flower buds. The name tag says "Large type white Prayoon" but it looks a lot like the "P. Amabilis." I couldn't just leave it there! haha

Have a good day! :)

[sooneaty]

@Angelofjusticia Your new white orchid sounds big and grand,  three foot tall spikes! White is a lovely peaceful colour like a radiant moon. Maybe a video when in bloom?

[Angelofjusticia]

I think the problem with this orchid is mealy bugs. Spider mites are brown, black or red. I had a serious problem with spider mites last year and they killed 2 of my big phals'! Back then I didn't have neem oil so I used a 3 in one product fungicide,miticide,insecticide­. I also use rubbing alcohol 75% every time I repot a new orchid. Now I got the neem oil and is very good, I bought the concentrated and I use it for all kind of plants. :)

[sooneaty]

@Angelofjusticia

Hi thanks, do you rub the alcohol on the leaves? or how do u use the alcohol on the plant? Would vodka work just as well/?( lol joking).

Well I dont know what those insects are called, I am going by pics i have seen. I believe lady bugs eat them and I saw one crawling on my window, but you need lots more. The fundicide you said I used on my Dendrobium and it worked after two applications. I could not get Neem oil concentrate and only the leaf shine, will see how it goes.

[Angelofjusticia]

@sooneaty: I started using only the cotton swab dipped in the rubbing alcohol 70% like I was painting the places where I saw the problem, and since the situation got so bad I started spraying the whole plant but unfortunately it was too late. After that I found out that the problem with spider mites is the lack of humidity and that's why now I use the humidity trays. Alcohol doesn't affect the plants and is not expensive.

[Angelofjusticia]

@sooneaty Well!! Vodka is more expensive though! LOL As I said, I also spray all my new plants after I clean them and cut all the dead roots before I repot them. Alcohol dries up fast so, there's no problem with that and It's working good for me. :) remember that it has to be rubbing alcohol, Ok? cheers! ;)

[Incredibleisaac2]

@sooneaty thanks! Can you make a video showing all of your plants by the windows? I`d like to see what you have growing on!

[Incredibleisaac2]

Thanks for the video! I really enjoyed this series!

[sooneaty]

@Incredibleisaac2

Thank you Isaac for your generosity and enthusiasm. In five years you will be an expert! And maybe a hot shot Horticulturist!!

[shahrezsyed]

dont you think it needs a tad bit larger pot?

[sooneaty]

@shahrezsyed

hmm maybe..... I have read that the pot should be small, and sometimes the orchid looks ridiculous in a small pot but the idea is that the roots dry out quicker ( my guess). Sometimes I wonder if Phals like the one I have should be suspended on a bamboo trellis like a Vanda. What do you think?

[shahrezsyed]

@sooneaty yes the pot should be small but not this small...And yes you can hang it like a vanda. That's just like mounting an orchid. Try to induce a keiki or something using keikigro, etc and maybe you can mount or hang that as this plant is used to being potted up by now...

[sooneaty]

@shahrezsyed

thanks am on the lookout for keikigrow... and will look into suspending the plant.In Nature the plant hangs off tree bark and so to make it stand up in a confined space and grow the spike upwards instead of curving down seems wrong.

Thinking of solutions that are natural and yet easy to maintain in a house window. Watering a Vanda has put me off buying one. Misting often and the mess that goes with it is difficult. Thinking thinking......