My new phal and a question.

[Brownthumb10]

My other phal that I have posted here about, didn't make it. It was getting worse by the day so I took it out of its pot to see what was going on...major root rot. There was only one root that wasn't rotted and it was small. I knew I wouldn't be able to save the plant, so I cut my losses and got a new one. Here it is...
And a questions, I know someone who has been very successful with her phals by watering with ice. Thoughts on this? My gut says it doesn't seem like a good idea, but her plants are alive, growing and reblooming every year...mine is dead.

[Brownthumb10]

Another picture

[Brownthumb10]

And another

[Brownthumb10]

Last one

[judith_arquette]

Beautiful! Good luck with it. I highly recommend reading through the sticky The Phal Abuse Ends Here. It's loaded with TONS of knowledge and info that's helped me tremendously. I've gone from turning my Phals into "rescues" to maintaining good health and am being rewarded with new growth on plants that seemed doomed and I thought for sure would end up dead.

[lexusnexus]

Pretty phal.

[Optimist]

The watering with ice conversation has to do with the amount of water it takes to dampen the spag moss it is in. The gut instinct of putting ice cubes in tropical plants is appropriate. Most people who kill phals do so because they over water. The ice cubes are only enough to dampen that little square of moss.

If you repot or do anything else the water needs change.

[LovePhals]

You may have just had a weak plant. Some die no matter what you do. If you water your phal when dry and let it dry out pretty much completely then water again. Water in the morning and don't let water sit against the plant crown/ main stem. Nice new phal- I have one that looks the same that I have had several years.

[Kerry78]

Lovely Phal ive got one just like that one too
however mine has been abit problematic since I got it home (brown bud and fallen flowers) it also killed of another 2 buds this week although ive now read where the problem could be so!

goodluck with yours

[Leafmite]

In nature, phals tend to grow bare-root, clinging onto the branches of trees in a humid environment. We put phals in pots to keep the air around the roots humid.
I grow all my phals is LECA now (just switched over from red lava rock as I like the way the LECA looks). Seedling phals without much of a root system get a topping of NZ sphagnum moss to encourage root growth. I use basket pots so I can see the roots and still allow nice air flow to the roots. I put the basket pots inside a clear plastic container and when I water, I fill this container up, let it soak, then dump the water out. If you aren't having success with either bark or sphagnum moss, this is a nice alternative.