i can keep everything alive amd growing, except the phals.....

[Leafmite]

I can only grow phals in red lava rock. I always would then sit them in water once a week to let the roots soak up water. They were noID's bought for a dollar each after mother's day and I gave them away a couple of years ago, all good roots clinging to rock and their clay pots. I now just have a phal equestris, in lava rock and plastic basket pot. I like the phals with spikes of blooms but never manage to find one that is fragrant....

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Phal bellina and Phal violacea are pretty fragrant, they just don't have those big arching spikes.

I forgot if Phal tetraspis is fragrant or not.

[Leafmite]

Big, arching spikes. They are just gorgeous but I really want them to be fragrant. Some phal schills are fragrant but I haven't come across one that is and for sale. For single, fragrant blooms, I just buy a different type of orchid.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I just looked it up, and yes, it confirmed what I vaguely recalled about Phal tetraspis - it is fragrant. These may not have big arching spikes, but they are not single bloom Phals either. I've grown this species before, and when I purchased it, it had a short spike with multiple flowers (I'd say about 5 - 8 blooms).

[Leafmite]

Perhaps I will need to try it, then. How big does it get? I am running out of space. Some of those phals get rather wide. I have a little equestris...not fragrant but I love the flowers and smaller nature. Very fond of it.
By the way, I think of your snakes every time I find a snail. The betta fish finished off all the aquatic snails...poor thing. Too bad I can't feed her those little guys I find in some of my plants!

[inle]

ah thanks for all of the info. yep, most of my phals (I am assuming) were purchased from a store or nursery. I didn't buy most of them- most were gifts. I am always pretty careful to not get water in the leaves but sometimes I think the conditions they're in before they get to me are less-than-stellar......

whenever I buy one, I always check the roots for health before purchasing. people who give them to me? not so much.

I went ahead and repotted the spotted phal I got from my fiancé for Valentine's Day. The roots were a lot healthier than the other ones I've repotted. I added some bark in with the moss and moved it to a pot with slits.



it's a very pretty spotted one.

ya know, now that I think about it, the big yellow one that's doing well is a named hybrid......not a NOID.....maybe that's part of why it has done so much better than everything else I've had.

One of the managers at our local Lowe's is an orchid grower....and orders some pretty awesome orchids.......quite a few species and a huge variety....

in other news, one of my tolumnia is blooming!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Perhaps I will need to try it, then. How big does it get? I am running out of space. Some of those phals get rather wide. I have a little equestris...not fragrant but I love the flowers and smaller nature. Very fond of it.
By the way, I think of your snakes every time I find a snail. The betta fish finished off all the aquatic snails...poor thing. Too bad I can't feed her those little guys I find in some of my plants!

Phal tetraspis doesn't get very big. They're only about a couple inches wider than Phal equestris. So, they're medium sized plants.

[Leafmite]

Thanks! I think my equestris will get a friend, then.

Your blooms look great!
Our big box stores only have phals and they don't care for them well at all. It is difficult to find one with healthy roots when I need a quick gift. (Over the holiday, I ended up giving my Burr. Nelly Isler away in a desperate moment, then couldn't easily find one until I looked at Hausemann's budded orchids.) The named orchid might have come from a better greenhouse. Good luck with your phals. There are so many fun orchids out there!

[Rowangreen]

I don't think tetraspis is strongly fragrant: I didn't notice any on mine but I got it towards the end of flowering.

Venosa is quite strongly scented, but it's an aquired taste! I think it has a sort of smokey/hot dog scent, but I've heard it described as squashed centipeeds!

Probably the nicest I've got is Purple Martin, which is a violacea hybrid with a fabulous scent, and on the small side. I've guessing some of the related hybrids like Kenneth Schubert might have similar scents. I think they like it a bit damper than most so might be better for you if you tend to overwater a bit?

I also have a mannii which has a scent of clementine oranges. It's not very strong though, and only during the middle of the day. Mine's pretty standard phal size right now, but I think they can get quite big.

[Leafmite]

Maybe I will just enjoy the little equestris, then, until my nose finds a fragrant phal spike! Thanks!