Phal - just dropped last bud. Tips?

[beopposed]

Hello, I am very new to the orchid hobby, and I just bought my first phal a couple of months ago. I got it from a garden center, and it has been doing very well.

However, I do have some questions that I can't seem to find simple enough answers to, since I'm a newbie.

My orchid just dropped some buds that never opened. Is this normal?

It also seems that orchids need to be watered pretty frequently. I've found that the bark my orchid is in doesn't dry out quickly enough for me to water it as often as indicated. The leaves, however are very thick and healthy looking, no indication of dehydration. The pot it is in is about 4 or 5" in diameter. I've never gotten a look at the roots.

Since the orchid just lost all of its buds, should I cut it back? It's just a long stem now, no buds.

I also found some small, white bugs on the underside of the leaves. They look kind of like silverfish. What are those, and should I be worried? (EDIT - It seems that these bugs are mealybugs. What can I do to get rid of them? I ran the leaves under the faucet for a few seconds and it looks like they're all gone.)

Last question -- should I be fertilizing it? If so, how often should I do this?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Hi, welcome to the OB.

I'd like to start by saying, if you want simple answers, you're not going to get them most of the times. If you want answers you can understand, that can be done.

Those insects aren't silverfish. They're most likely springtails. They're harmless and eat algae, decaying matter, and detritus.

Hmmm....you haven't looked at the roots on your Phal yet, huh... Maybe you should...

Bud blast is what's happening to your plant. That's usually a result of stress.

[beopposed]

So if the root system is causing this bud blast, should I repot in a new medium?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I didn't say the root system is the 100% cause of it.

I said check your roots.

If the roots on your Phal are massively damaged, then yes, I'd say it is the cause of the bud blast.

If the roots on your Phal is intact and very healthy, the cause of the bud blast is another kind of stressor.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If the roots are badly damaged, you may have to down pot.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Mealies are easy to off, but they're persistent, so you must be diligent.

Isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab does the trick. Just swab away!

[beopposed]

The roots didn't look very healthy at all . A lot of them were black in areas, and most were yellow.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by beopposed

The roots didn't look very healthy at all . A lot of them were black in areas, and most were yellow.

I think that's your answer right there.

Could you post pics to determine how salvageable this plant is?

[beopposed]

Thank you so much, Philip. You truly are the King of Orchids and a gem to this community.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by beopposed

Thank you so much, Philip. You truly are the King of Orchids and a gem to this community.

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