Phal "Cranberry 2" - How big will it get?

[lais817]

Title says it all pretty much, I want to mount little Phal "Cranberry 2", but I'm not sure if it'll get too big or what. Anybody know? It'll be going on a piece of old aussie hardwood root, no resins or anything







(The bricks for benches is just temporary )

[orchidsamore]

I do not think there is anything 'too big' about any Phal for mounting.

I have mounted some with 4 foot flower spikes even when in bloom. The result is still beautiful

Regardless of the size of the spike the plant can hold it without breaking without the need for support. This is how Phals grow naturally.

Your plant looks to be a semi-miniature. The name is not complete. It does not have a registered name which should be between the Phal and the cultivar 'Cranberry 2'. It might be a new experimental hybrid from the grower that he may or may not register. Many Phals are never registered.

The only consideration I make when mounting is if the plant's roots are too large to look good on the mount. A 6-8 inch root ball does not look good. Your's should look good.

I would mount it facing toward you or directly down. This is how they grow naturally not upright.

When mounted naturally, what is the bottom of the leaf in the pot now faces the sun. It now can go in much higher light levels since there is no chlorophyll in this side of the leaf. I grow my mounted Phals next to my Vandas.

I have not sold a single Phal this summer at the markets unless it is mounted. That is now much better they look mounted.

Go for it you will not regret it.

Two bonuses there is no crown when mounted so no crown rot. No aerial roots since the roots naturally grow up and onto the wood.

[lais817]

Thanks Jerry, I was beginning to suspect it had an incomplete name, it comes from one of our local growers so you might be right as to the registration of it's name. And it is only a baby, this is its first spike.

Also, I'd heard about mounting them upside down, and that the "tops" of the leaves were really the bottom, I do think it's a bit strange though, not many plants I know of grow against gravity and available light. Thanks for the quick reply mate!