Using a light, pH & moisture meter/stick: What is the optimum for Phalaenopsis(moth)?

[RikkiSowtz]

I've just bought my first Phal, my first Orchid in fact:

So after doing a bit of research, it seems Phals need a little bit more regular watering than most orchids, as they don't have bulbous root bulbs that store water,

I'm still deathly afraid of overwatering though; even though it's been 'rescued' from a supermarket where it's probably had no light for a few weeks (it's in perfect condition though, flowering and has a slight red/brown tinge in the crown of the leaves),

Although it DOES have a patch of greeny-grey rot on one root: Is this root rot? it's only a baby's nail size patch.

Is this from over watering, or over fertilising?

I don't want to smother it with kindness,

Would you recommend I water it with seaweed-based Seasol? Or just avoid watering for a week or so?

How should I set up my pot? It came in a smallish plastic tub: At first I thought "That pot is tiny! I must re-pot it ASAP"

But have now realised that they grow in crooks of trees, and don't need heaps of root space(?) (unless you think they thrive better with more?)

I've got the plastic pot sitting in a prettier blue glased ceramic pot with a drainage hole in the base:

Should I:

Fill a small jar in the base with water and pebbles, and sit the plastic pot on top? Ensuring that the roots/base do not come into contact with the water, just have it there to keep the area humid? Does that sort of thing work as a microclimate? Or is it a waste of time?

Any noob tips would be appreciated,

You may save a life

Thanks!

[RikkiSowtz]

Also, we're on rainwater/delivered water, I'm not sure if this makes a difference to the pH.

I remember when I was a kid, about 8yo, we had a spikey leaf orchid with green & yellow flowers;

Being a kid, I poured brown vinager into it (why? IDK, I was an idiot kid and wanted to see what would happen),

The centre of the flowers turned a red-brown colour; still perfectly healthy though, was weird;

If I ever wanted to change the colour of my Orchid, could I water it using food dye? Assuming that's how they do those gross blue orchids in florists...

[WhiteRabbit]

I use bamboo skewers in my orchid pots to help determine when to water. Use the board search function to search "skewer". You can also Google "skewer method orchids". Phals should get very nearly dry to completely dry (tho shouldn't be allowed to be completely dry long - always water if media/skewer is bone dry)

What is the humidity like? I don't do anything to artificially raise humidity. Outside of winter, daytime humidity where I am can be fairly low, but does go up a fair amount at night ...