Beginner Needs Help With Unknown Orchid

[Bill U.]

Kearneyweard,

First off, welcome to the Board! This is one of the best places to come and get help from people around the world who grow orchids!

So far, I would agree with everything that you have done and with the advice that has been given to you. I will just add in a word of caution- I used to have ALL of my phals in sphagnum, however, even letting it dry out as much as I could feel and in properly-sized pots, I lost several of them due to root/stalk rot (I suspect that the problem was that the root ball and the center of the pot was not drying out as fast as the rest of the pot due to high density rootballs). This being said, I have switched over to a bark mixture to help avoid this issue.

I am not saying that sphagnum is not a viable potting medium and that you shouldn't do it, simply keep a very keen eye out on your phal because I find that sphagnum is a "harder" medium for beginners to use properly. But, of course, everything is dependent upon YOUR conditions.

Good luck and happy growing!

[james mickelso]

Moss is fine. I use bark and the half inch medium grade. That way I can water more often and get fertilizer to the roots because I am able to water more often. My humidity is around 40-60 percent where I live and the temps stay around 60-70 degrees. That bodes ill for my phals so I use bark to make sure I have adequate draingae/aeration. When I used moss I didn't have much luck with them. In Gorgia and Texas you have more variable temps and humidity so moss will work ok. But with moss you can't ferttilize as much. Fetilizer in the medium doesn't translate to fertilizer getting to the roots. Just a difference in cultural practices. I like the color of these flowers.

[kdennis14]

Hello Kearney,
I to am a newbie. I have the same phal. Same color, same small type flowers. I have found myself addicted now to Orchids. The one like yours is the first one I received from my son on Mothers Day. Since then I have purchased 4 more. All different colors. Good luck with yours.
Karen