Royal Blue Hybrid Phal

[RosieC]

Brotherly Monkey is right... the sellers of these blue orchids do not expect their buyers to keep them until the next flowering.

This is the same in most of the NoID phal market. And unfortunately in most cases they are right. My friends believe you can't keep and can't rebloom Phals. You buy them for the flowers then throw them away when they are done. That is the market the sellers are aiming at.

(I'm glad to say I've helped a couple of people at work to keep theirs, one of them has kept one three years now and it has rebloomed twice. He's thrilled because his wife was convinced he was killing it by following my advice )

[pedidiva]

Brotherly Monkey~~

I have hadsome phals rebloom from the same or another spike thrown off by the old spike. I still think it's a good idea to repot. YMMV with phals reblooming from old spikes. Not all of mine have down it--maybe a couple.

OH, the white phals are an elegant looking flower. My white phal, at least I hope it's white ) had already bloomed out when I bought it. Just there with a naked spike. I repotted, cut off dead roots, & am waiting--patiently--for next year's growth.

[JessicaR]

dear paphmadman: thanks for you advise on where to cut my Phal. I will wait till the flowers fall off (right?) and then I will cut using a sterilized razor above the highest node below the first flower, If I do that though, it will leave me with a spike of atlest 16 inches. That's pretty tall. But if you say that new branches will come out from the other lower node. Great!. . Sorry you think the blue is hidious. I thought it was drop dead gorgous and had no idea it was artificial. Goes to show you how little I know. Thanks again. Jessica R

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

Cut just above the highest node on the spike that didn't have a flower. This will leave you with the maximum number of nodes that might branch and flower again. You might want to wait for a few weeks after the last flowers fade though. As fishmommy said, sometimes you do get more flowers at the end of the spike. As long as they are growing new leaves there is never any need to give a mature plant a 'rest'.

Just be aware that the hideous blue color is from an artificial dye that is injected in the spike. Eventually the dye will fade from the plant and you will have a natural but generic plain white Phal with no name.

[JessicaR]

Originally Posted by jrhennek

If this is the same phal that I have seen, it is not a trure blue flower. It was developed over in Europe where they added a dye to the plants. Wheen this plant reblooms it will be a white flower.

Dear Jrhennek: Thanks for your input. I will look foward ro a new white orchid. But I really did like the blue.JessicaR