Hello!
The first is sphag, the second is bark chips, and the third is coconut husk - a huge chunk of it. The metal rod is likely a rhizome clamp used to keep the plant in the coconut from wobbling around too much. In terms of watering, sphag stays wet the longest, followed by coconut, followed by bark (I think I've got that right!) Not sure about retention of nutrients/salts though!

PS - beautiful photos from the show - I enjoyed them very much!
-Calvin

thanks for the info and the compliments!

For the cocunut.... how do I tell when it needs to be watered? I can't exactly stick my finger in it. thoughts?

Quote 'For the cocunut.... how do I tell when it needs to be watered? I can't exactly stick my finger in it. thoughts?'

Wet the plant in coco chunk and lift it, make a mental note of how heavy it is, weight will be a quick pointer as to whether it needs watering or not. Do not poke the coco chunk, the holes will not close back up easily and it will create a wobbly substrate that can damage any new roots that are coming out and trying to attach to it.

I have a few comments about the second picture. I recommend that you pull out the oxalis (tweezers would do it). Also, it may not really need repotting now, but if the first picture is any fair to judge, the second plant may be happier in sphagnum as well. Then you don't have to adjust your watering according to the different media.
The dendrobium looks wasted to me. It looks like it wants to climb out of the media, which it has been in for some time. Suggest you turn it out of the pot, look at things inside, and make a choice: repot in different media, or leave alone. Something about the way the media is shrinking away from the pot looks suspicious.

I agree with gardnergal. Don't try to remove the Den from the Coconut chunk or you will loose all the roots. If you can break some pieces off that's fine, but I've just stuck it, with the chunk in some bark. Just don't put it in a big pot. Keep it small and the roots will eventually grow into the bark.

Jane

Wow, so glad I posted here...

wait, just to confirm... for the dendrobium (pic #3) you think I should tear off as much of the coconut as possible without disturbing the roots and then stick what's left of the coco and plant into a slightly bigger container with bark?

and for the phal in pic #2, you think I should repot in sphag? and you told me to pull out the oxalis? (is that the clovers?)

i'll do whatever you guys suggest, just want to make sure I have it down right.

if you need more pics to judge, let me know.

TIA!

eh, for the heck of it, here are more pics:

here's the phal in the second pic above in bark:

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Dendro in the third pic in coconut:

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i have to admit... if you think i should repot, i'm a bit nervous... never did it and don't want to kill the orchids. i'm really getting attached to them. if you do think i should repot, please give me some instructions!

Pretty blooms counselor!

To repot the den in the chunk of coco, soak the pot. The plant is potted in plastic and the roots and chunk should be easily removed. You should now be able to remove the chunk by breaking hunks off of it. Don't worry if you can't get it all off but work on getting most of it off.

Since this type of den is a soak it and then let it get totally dry, mixing the two mediums together makes guesstimating the watering schedule tough.

Once you get the chunk removed, the plant can probably go back into the same pot. I would probably add a few p'nuts to the bottom of the pot to keep the potting material very shallow. Reuse the rhizome clip to stabilize it.

For your two phals, decide which potting media you prefer with your watering habits and go with it. Phals will grow great in either sphag or bark.

Brooke

Thanks Brooke for the info...

I kind of find the bark easier for watering... I can more easily determine when it feels like it's time for more water.

I'm sorry I have a few follow-up questions for repotting my dendrobium... yes the plant and coconut is in a plastic container. So, I'm going to take it out of the plastic container and tear off pieces of the coconut without disturbing the roots and then soak what is left of the coconut to get it to soften and then remove as much of it as possible? Then I should repot it with bark? What did you mean about letting it dry out? When?

i really don't want to kill it. i just bought it!

TIA!

You soak the plastic container NOW with everything intact. Then unpot it. The hunk of coco fiber will be water laden and you can easily pinch the stuff off in big chunks. The soaked live roots should easily come off the plastic pot surface.

The live roots on the den should green up. The dead roots will remain a tan-ish color and probably hollow - remove those.

Then repot it in as big a bark mix as you can find. Do not water the container again until everything is really dry. You need to give a den a drenching watering when you water but a total dry out before the next watering.

Since it is blooming now, watch over watering the coco chunk, give it as much light as you can. Phals are low light plants and this type den wants as much light as you can give it inside.

Brooke

awesome. your advice is greatly appreciated. I'll take a trip over to a garden store this weekend for some bark.

Thanks!

Debbie

If you decide to use bark as your medium, be sure to soak that for a few hours before you use it as fresh bark is very difficult to get wet the first time. If you only water it, it will look wet but the core will be bone dry.