My 4 new phals - newbie, advice wanted

[maybemay]

Hello,

I'm new here. Was given 4 phal orchids from freecycle and looking for some advice on how to look after them properly and help them flower.

You can see the root system on the smallest one after I'd cut off 80% of the roots that were rotten. I've now repotted that and hope the tiny leaves grow a bit more! Can I expect that to flower soon?

There's one that's only got 2 leaves and when I first got it, the leaves were floppy and leather-like. Now they're plumper but still discoloured and curved. Are they okay?

Forgot to ask about the leaves on one of the orchids... the tip of the newest leaves on the healthiest plant have become darker and wrinkled over the past few weeks. Why is that?

The oldest leaf on the same plant is all dried at the section where it meets the stem. Is that alright?

There's another one I repotted and now you can see the green roots. It's also got a new leaf coming! But I was hoping around this time of year (October) I would see a flower spike, not a new leaf! Is this because Ive been feeding it with a growth fertiliser? Should I stop and give it a bloom fertiliser instead or just carry on and not expect it to flower until this time next year? Orchids take so long to grow! I'm not used to it!

Any advice welcome.

[Mikeg]

Personally They look real good to me, other than the one with the dried part at the base......... I don't know about that one. And you might get a bloom this year and you might not because the plant might be stressed from re planting. I hope this helped a little. Hopefully someone with better experience and more insight will pop in! Good luck!!!

[Paul Mc]

Due to the stress of the plant, you might try using DynaGro ProTekt. It helps to protect orchids from environmental stresses (underwatering, overwatering, damaged leaves and roots). I've used it many times successfully reviving a few of my phal's. If your plants appear to be struggling, sometimes it's good to reduce the amount of light they are getting so they can focus on repair as opposed to processing light. Hope this helps a little, a newbie here as well although I've had phal's for a long long time now.

In regards to blooming, they may - and then again they may not. It depends upon their stress level and environmental factors (temperature, light, humidity).

Best of luck to you!

[val_and_graham]

You have been given good advice. Its seems you inherited those phals in a less than ideal state and they have been under stress... so the bloom may not be back for a while. Its time for "back to basics", keeping them stress free (ie no more repotting), clean, well fed and watered, and in a good temperature - away from direct sunlight. Good luck

[CTB]

You can do lots of research and reading up on Phals, check out the search button at the top.... There is all kinds of information on blooming. Some only bloom once a year. Yours look good and will probably start blooming come Spring, don't know your season there.
Enjoy the forum and the wealth of information it holds.