Bought first phal, please help!

[PlainandSimple]

Hi all,
I just bought a new phal from Carter and Holmes. Never owning an orchid before, I perhaps bought it too hastily before understanding what to expect, but the orchid I received doesn't have much. Can anyone explain to me why my orchid doesn't seem to have any stems and whether or not my orchid is in good condition? Any help would be very much appreciated!

Thank you!

[OrchidLoverSA]

Ah, I remember my first orchid, also a phal... And I'm sure, like me, this won't be your last.

Anyway, the orchid looks great. It's making a new leaf, and the purple tint on the leaves indicate perhaps a tad too much light, but that's still fine for a phal.

I can see roots with active growing tips (green tips), which is always a good sign, but the medium looks very broken down. It could be sphagum moss, but it's hard to tell from the photo. My advice would be to repot it immediately. I've found that a mix of medium sized rock, polystirene chips and medium bark chunks works well. Then water only when the mix is semi-dry, so about every 2-3 days in hot weather. Here you have to kind of adjust according to what works for you and your climate. Also, put it in a pot that is just big enough to accomodate the roots. Bigger isn't always better.

Lastly, lot's of chain stores sell orhids at a lower price if the spike dies off before it's bought. I think that might be what happened in your case. It doesn't mean the orchid is unhealthy or anything, it just means it's spike got a bit old or it didn't like the store. Treat it right and it should send up a spike as soon as the nights gets colder (that's what mine do).

I hope this helped, good luck!

[silken]

Your orchid appears to be OK. It's hard to say for sure without knowing what the roots look like. The potting media looks rather fine for how Phals are usually grown. But Carter and Holmes is a reputable grower as far as I know so it would likely be in something suitable. It's hard to say from a photo how large the plant actually is and you didn't mention if it is a mini or not or what its name is. It may be too young of a plant yet to have bloom spikes, which is what I assume you mean by a stem.

I like to re-pot my Phals when I get them so that I can check their roots and get them into a mix that is quite open and airy so their roots can breathe. If your potting mix is quite fine as it seems to be from the pics, I would first find some suitable orchid mix such as fir bark and sphagnum moss or coconut chunks etc. and then re-pot it. In the wild these plants grow on trees in a rain forest with roots exposed to frequent rains and then breezes to dry them off quickly. So they don't like to be in a wet fine potting mix where there is no air to the roots and it stays wet for too long. When you re-pot, it can likely stay in the same pot although I like clear pots so I can see the roots and the roots get some sunlight. Don't over-pot it as it should be in a pot that will fit the roots but not a lot larger. Cut off any mushy or rotten roots. Live ones are firm and green when wet and a silvery colour when dry although they can get a brown stain from potting material which doesn't hurt them. Soak bark overnight before potting since new bark dries out quickly until it is a bit seasoned. I like to mix moss and bark so that it is very open but retains a bit of moisture too. Good luck.

[PlainandSimple]

Thanks so much for your responses! I will make sure to repot it asap!

Also, the phal is pretty small, it is in a 3 inch pot and it is called dtps martha dolge mendenhall.

Any other comments/suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

[silken]

Originally Posted by PlainandSimple

Thanks so much for your responses! I will make sure to repot it asap!

Also, the phal is pretty small, it is in a 3 inch pot and it is called dtps martha dolge mendenhall.

Any other comments/suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Your Phal is a hybrid with a number of species in its make-up but it will not be a miniature plant. So it may not bloom for a season or two. The hybrid name is Phal. (or Dtps.) Martha Dolge and the 'Mendenhall' that follows it is the cultivar name. That means one plant of this cross was named 'Mendenhall' and then it was likely cloned to produce more of them, quite possibly because it was a particularly nice specimen of that cross.

Over watering will do it more harm than under watering. Water well by flushing water thru the pot and then drain it well and don't water again until the pot right thru is nearly dry. I like to use a bamboo kebab skewer placed in the center of the pot and left there. I pull it out to see how wet it is before deciding if it needs to be watered.

[WhiteRabbit]

Lots of Phal info/help/discussion here: http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html

[PaxTea]

Ooh, I did a search on dtps martha dolge mendenhall. Should be a lovely one! I love the contrasting white and crimson.

[PlainandSimple]

Thanks for explain how it got its name! I don't have a bamboo skewer, but I heard pencil works as well!

I've taken a look and I'm already learning a lot!

Ya, its beautiful! Thats why I bought it =P.

I purchased the orchid online. Is this what I should expect every time I order an orchid online? Or is it by chance that the orchid I bought is "young"? (I say young as a assumption since someone said it might not bloom for a few seasons)

[kevin1217]

It is stated to be blooming size on their website, so if good care is given, it may bloom for you soon.

[PaxTea]

I've been poking around the Carter and Holmes website because that orchid you got looks so pretty, and under "supplies" they're selling peat mix. I think that's what's in your pot. It looks about the same as your pictures.

Peat Mix- Single Pot Size: Carter and Holmes Orchids