Phaius Tankervillae replanting?

by Dena

Hi!

I recently bought 2 little phaius t's and one phaius orchtoberfest online...they seem to be doing good, each has new little growths...however, alot of their roots are brownish. I am used to orchid roots being green and fat. Not sure if they are receiving inadequate care or if they need to be repotted - if so, is this the right time to repot them when the new growths coming out?
Thanks!

Dena


Hi Dena,

the start of a growth period is usually a good time to repot orchids. Since they are showing signs of new growth I would transplant them into a bigger pot. The pots they are in look quite small. An azalea or bulb container does a good job for Phaius. Deep pots are not so useful because they tend to keep the roots too wet at the bottom.
Since nun orchids are terrestrial orchids (growing in the soil) a coarse peat based orchid potting mix should so the trick.

Read more about repotting orchids here.
After that your Phaius orchids should not need potting on for another two to three years. Keep them moist but not wet and start feeding them regularly a few weeks after transplanting them.

Send us some pictures when they are in bloom!

Best Regards
Anja