Why Phalaenopsis Orchids Look Sickly and the Taboos of Using Wood Shavings

Many people who count Phalaenopsis orchids among their all-time favorites are drawn to their dancing flowers. The petals have an innate ethereal beauty, as light and graceful as a ballet dancer's skirt, which is why there is a folk saying: "One pot of Phalaenopsis is worth ten bouquets of roses." But although the flowers are uniquely beautiful, their care involves quite a few finer points, and everyone complains that Phalaenopsis is not as easy as they imagined.

In fact, although the care of different Phalaenopsis varieties is roughly similar, there are indeed differences among the various cultivars, just like the problem this flower enthusiast encountered. She said she was growing a pot of Xiangfei Phalaenopsis, using a potting mix of orchid stone and wood shavings, but it always seemed to lack vigor, looking a bit sickly and droopy.

Later, to solve this situation, she came up with an idea: she placed the orchid pot in a tray with water, thinking the water would slowly seep upward from the bottom of the pot until it reached the surface of the potting medium. She had been observing the surface of the pot for the past few days, and it now did look very moist. So far the Phalaenopsis has not shown any bad reaction, but she felt a bit conflicted inside, because many Phalaenopsis care methods say not to let the roots soak. If she did this, would the Phalaenopsis get root rot? She was not quite sure whether what she was doing was right. If it was wrong, what exactly should she do to help it grow better?

Regarding the above situation of the flower enthusiast, generally speaking, Phalaenopsis is much more sensitive to potting media than other types of orchids. If one is the slightest bit careless, the medium can easily rot, or may already have begun to rot. There is also a knack to mixing potting media. If the wrong medium is chosen, or the mix is wrong, then the Phalaenopsis is really in danger; it may fail to grow roots, or even develop root rot directly.

As for the mixed potting medium of orchid stone and wood shavings you used, it should be a problem with the mix that has made your Phalaenopsis listless. This is because wood shavings, if the quality is poor when purchased, can easily rot and deteriorate in a humid environment; once deteriorated, they will bring irreversible harm to the roots of the Phalaenopsis.

Overall, it is recommended that you seriously consider changing the potting medium. You can take your Xiangfei along to the flower market and ask the professional merchants who sell orchid potting media; they generally know their stuff very well.