Hello, aboyd 25.
Regarding your Phalaenopsis...
I usually like to show people where a Phalaenopsis grows in the wild. I like to have people get a sense of what it is like for a Phalaenopsis to be in it's natural environment.
This is why I post links to other people's photos of Phals in the wild. I'm not trying to show people pretty pictures that don't belong to me.
From there on, if there are any questions, and they are answered a certain way, there is a point of reference. You can think about what makes sense and what doesn't.
While certain cultural techniques may at first glance appear far removed from how they would be growing in nature, with some experience and quite a bit of thought, you'll get it and start finding the connections.
With that said, here is a link to pics of some Phalaenopsis in the wild:
Phalaenopsis in situ - Flickr: Search
To give you an idea of what you're looking at. The pics are of Phalaenopsis growing horizontally or pendulously on wet tree trunks that have very little to no moss on them in a swamp forest in the tropics of Malaysia.
Here's a couple of tips:
1, The reason a Phal grows horizontally or pendulously is because the leaves are acting like a rain gutter directing water that lands on it during a monsoonal rainy day away from the crown. This is the natural way for it to avoid problems such as crown rot.
2. Phalaenopsis have green roots. These roots are green for a reason. They are able to perform photosynthesis. If you stick the roots of a Phalaenopsis in an opaque pot versus a clear plastic pot, you
will see the difference. The roots that have been put in an opaque pot and therefore, has not been exposed to the light will have a silvery white velamin covering, and translucent white root tips with a light yellow tinge. Roots exposed to light in a clear plastic pot will have a silvery white velamin covering, and green or reddish brown tips sometimes with an orange tinge.
Hybrid Mode
