Total newbie -- many questions on Phal care (I think!)

[jmknapp21]

Hi all,

My wife has an orchid that someone gave her a couple years ago -- I think it's a Phal (probably from a box store). I can post a pic later when I get home. It was blooming when she got it, but hasn't done so since. We repotted it last year because it was busting out of the pot. There is a ton of new leaf growth but nothing else besides that. I have a couple questions:

1. How often should we be watering it? I have been watering it about once a week when I water the rest of our jungle (we have a LOT of house plants -- but only one orchid).

2. We live in Maine, and it is sitting near a south facing window. We keep our house pretty cool to save on heat costs (~60F), but this room gets significantly warmer because of all the sun it gets all day. Is this a good spot for it?

3. Perhaps most importantly, almost all the leaves are turning yellow. It isn't as if they're rotting, they just started looking a bit anemic from their usual green, and now they're yellowing. When all the new leaf growth started, they all looked green and happy but have gone downhill since. Causes? Too much water? Too cold? Not enough water?

4. Total newbie dumb question -- is it normal to have roots poking out into the air? What should we do with them? Do we just let their freak flag fly, or should we tuck them back in to the soil? I don't want to break them or their spirits!

Any help would be greatly appreciated. All our other house plants are REALLY happy, and we want our orchid to be happy too.

Thanks,
Jessie

[T.L.E.King]

Hi Jesse,
I heard those root things collect moisture from the air, but I don't know how true this is.

Good luck, I'm new at this too. This is a good site to learn from, I have learned alot and haven't been on this site that long.

Just Me

[Nistlerbulbo]

Hey Jessie!
Once a week is usual good for watering, and since the phal. orchids are epiphytes or air plants their roots are used to absorb water from the air and as well rain water so their roots will naturaly come out of the pot. And just a question, you said something about soil in the pot, are you using potting soil?

[jmknapp21]

I'm pretty sure we used an orchid mix, but I can't totally be sure as it was a while ago and on a day of many re-pottings.

Should we use something different? I didn't know they were air plants!

[Merlyn]

Okay, let's start like this. Does the sun come in the window ? If yes, put your hand on the leaves and if they are warm to the touch it's getting too much sun which will yellow the leaves and even burn them if really strong. It's NOT an air plant,
Wikipedia

An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant (such as a tree) non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object (such as a building or a telegraph wire), derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it.

Those are air roots and should be watered right along with the rest of the plant. I take mine into the kitchen sink and use the sprayer on the whole plant, then tip it so water runs out of the top leaf (crown). Watering depends on how dry it gets and what media you're using. I use sphagnum moss and it stays wetter longer so I don't have to water as much.

[jmknapp21]

OK -- thanks for the clarification. So, it has some roots under the substrate and some in the air.

I'll check the leaf heat -- thanks! Do you spray the plant in addition to adding water to the substrate, or do you just spray, and whatever makes it to the substrate, makes it there.

Sorry for all the dumb questions -- I am normally very good with plants, so it is really frustrating me that this one isn't very happy.

Thanks!
Jessie

[Merlyn]

NONE of your questions are dumb !!! I asked the same ones when I was a novice ! Yes, I spray the media in the sink until it runs out the bottom thoroughly every time I water as well as spraying the leaves and air roots. Orchids aren't that hard, just different from house plant culture. It's always hardest when starting !

[bballr4567]

Are you using any fertizilar? Sometimes when its too heavy on the nitrogen, it will inhibit the flower spike (inflorescences) and make tons of leaves.

Also, for a phal to bloom, it needs a few weeks of cool temps to think its going through fall. If you dont do that, the majority here think it wont trigger a spike to form.

As for the air roots, its completely normal on some phals. Some like to through out more than others. Just in the genes.

[WhiteRabbit]

Glad you found us!

I have bamboo skewers (for kabobs) in most of my orchid pots to help determine when to water. I gently insert the skewer into the media - about midway from center to rim of pot for plastic pots, as close to center as possible for clay pots) - to check moisture, remove the skewer, touch it to your upper lip or cheek - if it feels moist, or even cool to your skin, there is moisture in the pot. Skewer is then replaced back into the same spot it was in til next time.

For Phals I allow the media to become just dry, or very nearly so before watering

[JaneEyre]

Welcome!
Don't feel bad asking questions! We all do, no matter how experienced we are. I still consider myself a beginner but thanks to this forum I picked up lots of great useful info.

Originally Posted by jmknapp21

I'm pretty sure we used an orchid mix, but I can't totally be sure as it was a while ago and on a day of many re-pottings.

Should we use something different? I didn't know they were air plants!

You should really check what medium your Phal in. It is important that it's not dirt. Dirt keeps moisture too much and eventually kill the orchid.

Some of us, myself including, have a hard time growing in moss and prefer to use bark mix. But you will have to find for yourself what medium works best. It all depends on your house climate.

My advice as a beginner is don't fuss to much with the orchid. I did more damage to a plant potting and repotting and experimenting with it than if I had left it alone. But, then, I learned a lot what worked and what didn't.

Good luck. Keep us posted on your progress.