Mini Phalaenopsis Orchid with reddish orange spike

[littletree602]

Hi, I received an orchid for my birthday in June and I'm very proud of myself that I haven't killed it (I'm ADD and I tend to forget to care for plants). I really want to keep this orchid alive as long as possible. It is a Mini Phalaenopsis Orchid from Just Add Ice Orchids. It was blooming a lot a couple weeks ago with twenty or more blooms and more opening up every day. This week one of the stems has turned a reddish orange. Is this something I need to worry about?

[rbarata]

May I sugest you to present yourself to us?

The advantages you'll get are:

- We'll know something more about you.

- You'll feel welcomed because we are all great guys and girls.

- After you say thank you several times, you'll be allowed to post pictures after 5 posts so you can show us your phal. It's easier for you than describe it by words and easier for us to understand the problem and give you help.

[catherinecarney]

Hello and welcome to the board!

There's a great thread stickied to the top of the beginners' forum called "the phal abuse ends here" that will give you a ton of good information. It looks long, but you don't need to read all of it--the first dozen or so pages should be enough.

Here are the basics for phals (and members with more experience will be able to tell you way more).

1: They want humidity but not moisture around their roots. I grow mine potted in a chunky bark mix so the water will drain rather than stay around the roots.

2: They never want to get bone dry. One thing that really helped me, overwaterer that I am, was to put a bamboo skewer into the bark--if it still felt damp when I pulled it out to check, then I'd wait at least another day before rechecking and only watered my phals when the skewer felt dry.

3: Phals need light, but not as much as cattleyas and some other orchids. Most references will say they shouldn't get direct sun--but mine haven't read the books and get morning light in an east window and grow like mad.

4: Phals like to be on the warmer ends of room temperatures--no lower than about 60 at night for them (though I pushed my luck with a few outside this fall and they coped with a couple of nights that were much colder), and day temps 10-15 degrees warmer if you can. Around here my winter night temps are around 60 and daytime will get up over 70 on a sunny day.

5: Take what we tell you here as a starting point--everyone has different growing conditions and what works for me may not work for you. Learn to "read" your plants--they will tell you if they're happy or not.

6: Spend time here on the board: get ideas and information, ask questions, and take solace in the fact that other people have the same obsession as you.

Hope this helps!

Catherine

[Meki]

I've got 4 phals that I relocated to the patio with my dens. They seem to be loving the environment, it mostly gets sun in the afternoon til sundown. I water them every two days I guess because of that they are producing new leaves and roots.