Repotting into Semi-Hydro.....
has been an interesting process. I've done lots of youtube watching on my favorite channels like MissOrchidGirl and Michael's Orchids and so I knew how the system should go but my patience is seriously lacking.
After a terrible molding scare, I repotted most of my orchids into S/H after boiling the medium for a 30-60 mins and soaking each plant in hydrogen peroxide 3% for an hour. This was the second repotting in a month because the first time I didn't properly sanitize my medium or the plants.
My collection is new this year though I only had 3 phals to start off with. They were the only ones to transition from a bark medium to the S/H. The new plants were all packed in sphagnum moss with exception to the oncidiums and dendrobium, which were packed in what looked like peat moss or soil mix.
The only exceptions to the second repotting are my Island (aka bathroom) located plants, which stay a little cooler by the window. They showed no signs of mold or decomp so I left them be and was generously rewarded:
We've got two new root tips coming in!
Hurray!
Huzzah!
Hoopah!
This is #2 Nameless Phal from my original collection of three, along with #1 Nameless, and the last nameless phal by the Bookshelf Window. They were somewhat neglected after I initially potted them in bark medium earlier in the year (I bought them for mother's day I believe) with tiny leave tips slowly growing when I remembered to water.
But after repotting in S/H and moving them to an area with a bit more light, both orchids seem to be doing better. The leaves are growing more steadily, if a little red from acclimating to the brighter light, and now I have little root tips starting to grow out!
Not only is #2 putting out new growth, I was checking the base for more signs of roots when what little nubbin catches my eye?
Could it be...
...a flower spike?
I am so very, very cautiously optimistic that it is the beginning of a flower spike!
Its meeting all the criteria, though its a bit early to really tell:
- Its under the 3rd leaf from the top
- Not shiny in color, more matte
- Pointed shape, rather than rounded
And most important of all, winter is finally settling into Southern California and the temperature in the evenings has dropped enough to encourage spiking for the phals.
I'm especially excited because I really didn't expect these guys to bloom this year at all. I bought them back in May and they were in full bloom but packed in bark which was great. I didn't think they would be ready to rebloom so soon, especially not after I changed the medium. But hey, that's a complex hybrid for you, blooming even in this type of adversity. I'll keep an eye on this orchid carefully to make sure the potential flower spike isn't going to effect the new roots or the establishment of this plant in its new S/H environment.
Another pleasant surprise.....
came from another orchid in my original collection, Nameless Phal from the Bookshelf Window. She went into spike about 2-3 days ago and I've been celebrating ever since. It was like a Christmas gift come early!
Isn't she lovely? This particular phal has been the most vigorous of the original three, and she put out so many new roots despite being the most neglected! I actually had her outside on my enclosed porch for most of the summer, well away from any direct sunlight in a southern exposure and obviously she was happy about it. But here in Los Angeles, it gets dusty and dirty so fast from the pollution so I pulled her back inside when I did the S/H repotting. None of her roots were compromised and she seems to be doing okay so far. No new roots or tips yet that I can see, but the flower spike is a promising sign, fingers crossed.
There is all the good news! Now its just a waiting game. Despite it being the end of December, the temperatures have been very mild going from 70s in the day to 50s in the night and that's not unusual here in California. I'm very lucky for the weather since, fool that I am, I decided to do this huge transition and buy all these new orchids in the winter when generally the cooler temperatures are detrimental to an orchid's growth. Like I said, lacking patience. So prayers are being sent, and I'm watching those roots like a hawk, otherwise I'm leaving them alone and undisturbed.