The Phal abuse ends here.

[Angurek]

Kinda hoping this'll get turned into a sticky.

Anyway, lately, I've been seeing a lot of threads about phals from hardware/grocery stores that aren't doing well, and how so many people are having problems with them. So, I decided to start a FAQ thread exclusively for phals, given that they're one of the most popular and readily available plants among new hobbyists (if appropriate, this thread may be moved to the Phalaenopsis sub-forum, but I thought I'd post it here because this is one of the first places newbies come).

The idea here is to have experts not only help the newbies, but also debunk the myths and mysteries of this genus. So, if you're anyone (whether a newbie or a seasoned orchid expert) who's having problems with your Phalaenopsis, post them here. Likewise, if you're experienced with the genus, I encourage you to share your wisdom on this thread. Orchid growers are a family, after all, and it's only fair that we help each other out.

If you are a biginner and still need help after reading the first few pages of this thread then please start a new thread to ask your questions here Beginner Discussion

[sii]

I'll go first

I have 2 phals that I've had for a long time. (1 of these made me a keiki which also grows slowly) I see minimal growth in the leaves but no stem.

Up until I started learning about them, I didn't realize that orchids do well in an east window and quick drying medium is best. I nearly killed my original phal because when I moved to this house (11 years ago) I put it by my tub, which is a foot drop away from the window & I thought it was east. Anyways, this is what prompted me to search.

Presently, I have all 3 phals (plus my den, oncidium and cattleya) on my desk right up against a window that faces east (honest!!) As we get closer to summer I'll have to move them back, I think. They are potted in bark, coco and long sphagnum. I use the stick method to check when it needs watering (once a week)

I just unpotted my original phal & it had about 8 decent roots. But it only has 3 leaves, as do the other 2.

My quest has always been to get a stem. (my temporary solution is to buy blooming phals at Costco and not touch them - other than watering)

Tips would be great!

[silken]

How come your Costco sells orchids and ours doesn't??

When you say your quest is for a stem, do you mean a stem with flowers? If so, sometimes giving them a bit of a chill in the fall for a month will help induce them to bloom. By a chill, I mean maybe about 55 or 60 degrees as opposed to room temps. 3 leaves on a phal is not too bad. It can depend on the Phal and its breeding. Some get lots of leaves and readily grow keikis and others don't. When you are feeding them, you could try boosting their potassium (middle number) in the fall also. Potassium helps encourage flowering. I hope that helps.

[sii]

Originally Posted by silken

How come your Costco sells orchids and ours doesn't??

When you say your quest is for a stem, do you mean a stem with flowers? If so, sometimes giving them a bit of a chill in the fall for a month will help induce them to bloom. By a chill, I mean maybe about 55 or 60 degrees as opposed to room temps. 3 leaves on a phal is not too bad. It can depend on the Phal and its breeding. Some get lots of leaves and readily grow keikis and others don't. When you are feeding them, you could try boosting their potassium (middle number) in the fall also. Potassium helps encourage flowering. I hope that helps.

Hi Silken,
yes, I'm desperate for a stem FULL of flowers. As per the degree change, in the fall I leave the window open in this room to help cool it down. Maybe it's not enough.

The fertilizer I use is Schultz. I don't know if I've ever seen any other kind of orchid fertilizer other than this one. I'll have to check again.

[pedidiva]

You want to check that the nitrogen in the fertilizer you use hasno urea. Epiphytic Orchids do not have the the bacteria on their roots to process urea.

I bought my firsst phals from a lady in Colorado Springs, JUly 2010. Island orchids. They had already bloomed, so I got them for $4 each. She told me how to pot--bark based orchid mix & to water weekly with the Supegrow Seaweed extract. I did as she said, & the plants did beautifully. They are now sending out flower spikes. YAY.

I bought some other phals at Lowe's. They were packed in the spaghum moss so tightly. I repotted in the bark mix & a suitable size pot. They are doing well as well.

MY plants sit in a sunny Southeast exposure window. There is a tempm drop at night. Because of this site & working with the orchid guy at the local botanical gardens, I realized that the seaweed extract may not have enough of the nutrients, so I have been fertilizing with the apprpriate fertilizer. I also use Epsom Salts occassionally as the phals need the Magnesium in the salts.

It's been a nice journey.

[Discus]

Originally Posted by silken

When you are feeding them, you could try boosting their potassium (middle number) in the fall also. Potassium helps encourage flowering.

Fertilisers list N-P-K
K is actually potassium (look at a periodic table )
P is phosphorus AKA in horticultural circles as "potash", and is actually the part of your fertiliser conventionally considered to be a "bloom booster".

Some people think the bloom boosting effect comes less from the P, but more from reducing the relative proportion of N!

(N being Nitrogen, which encourages vegetative growth like leaves).

[silken]

Originally Posted by Discus

Fertilisers list N-P-K
K is actually potassium (look at a periodic table )
P is phosphorus AKA in horticultural circles as "potash", and is actually the part of your fertiliser conventionally considered to be a "bloom booster".

Some people think the bloom boosting effect comes less from the P, but more from reducing the relative proportion of N!

(N being Nitrogen, which encourages vegetative growth like leaves).

Correct, sorry, I know that and typed the wrong one.

[Discus]

I'm also partly wrong- evidently the day's caffeine has worn off...

Potash is of course rich in potassium (K). Link the two by thinking of Sean Connery speaking... Potash --- Potasshium!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

The genus Phalaenopsis is commonly known as "Moth Orchids". The scientific abbreviation for Phalaenopsis is Phal.

Countries of origin:

Cambodia
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Papua New Guinea
Taiwan
Thailand
The Philippines
southern China
Vietnam

Habitats:
- wet and humid subtropical and tropical Asian forests

Certain species will inhabit:
- seasonally wet subtropical deciduous forests
- seasonally wet subtropical semi-deciduous forests

Most species will inhabit:
- swamp forests
- wet tropical karst limestone hill forests
- wet tropical coastal forests

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Growth Habit:
- epiphytical
- lithophytic

Growth orientation:
- Phals grow horizontally or pendulously off their perches with their leaf tips pointing towards the ground.

* FALLACY: Phals grow upright. *

** TRUTH: Phals hang horizontally or pendulously. **

How Phals grow epiphytically:

- They hang horizontally or pendulously off of trees that are usually barren of moss or have thin patches of moss, either on the branches of trees or tree trunks.

- Sometimes they hang horizontally or pendulously off of trees that are covered in lichens, either on the branches or tree trunks.

How Phals grow lithophytically:

- They hang horizontally or pendulously off of wet cliff faces or outcroppings.

- Some specifically grow on wet limestone.

- Example: Phal maculata.

*** Amendment ***

With the recent induction of plants in the genus Doritis into the genus Phalaenopsis, there are now Phals that do grow upright. But these are currently reserved for Phals that used to be known as Doritis.

- So, for example:

Phal (Doritis) pulcherrima, grows upright and have leaves that are held out horizontally.

Photo evidence of Phal pulcherrima being an upright growing Phal, having leaves that are held out horizontally, and of the orchid growing in such a manner as a lithophyte:

http://a402.idata.over-blog.com/3/75...cherrima_2.jpg