Looking for "Old School" Phals

[iMark]

hi everyone...I've been reading this bb off and on a few years...I'm not a total novice to orchids...while at university, I became involved in a local orchid group..older folks with vast amounts of knowledge that they gladly shared... I was kind of their new generation and I learned so much...then after university I moved on to life and got away from it...now, 25 years later I'd like to get back into it.

Altho I like all orchids, I've always been really drawn to the phalaenopsis...so I've been looking around, and to my surprise most phals these days seem to multi and vibrant coloured flowers with a lot of Doritaenopsis hybrids..smaller flowers, smaller plants...that wasn't so much a thing when I got interested...it's nice to see them...

however..I'm looking for the big "old-fashioned', I guess, whites and pinks and red-coloured lips and pink/white stripes...I'm going to try the new colours, but some of these large flowered "old school" phals is what I'd like to find...is anyone still doing them, can anyone point me in a general direction for finding them.?

much thanks...

[Phantasm]

I'm not a big Phalaenopsis person, but there are still plenty of white, pink and striped "standards" out there. Try a place like Norman's for such things. There are many more, but I have a lovely Phal Cygnus with 5 1/2" flowers that I got from them.
If you look in orchidmall.com you will find a bunch of vendors.

[Ben Belton]

And when you find them, if you find any old school novelty Phals around, let me know.

[cneos]

check Krull-Smith and Carter & Holmes also

[mehitabel]

What you are calling "old school"-- the big whites, pinks and stripes are called "standards".

Every online vendor offers them, many of them really fine specimens, with awards. Most vendors also offer them by size and color -- 5" pink $X.

If you want standards that are expecially beautiful, I would recomment Odom's, where you get huge plants for the $, and Norman's orchids at Orchids.com. Orchids.com has the biggest variety of offerings of any vendor, and selects the plants carefully for beauty. They do tend to be a little pricey.

Hausermann's has an "in spike or bud" section that I have bought from several times this year, and the plants were huge, healthy and beautiful, for very reasonable prices. If I were just starting, I would go there first. The Queen Beer, Nobby's Amy, are gorgeous, but they also offer the "Standards" in spike or bloom.

This is a good time to buy, because plants being offered are big and healthy right now.

[iMark]

ahhh...yes..indeed.."standard" is the word I needed to be looking for..thank you all so much for the pointers in the correct direction. I so appreciate it..

When I quit growing orchids, everyone was going for the big round whites in hybridization..4,5,6"..I remember the "desert tones' were kind of the novelties, and they were new and scarce...now there is sooo much to choose from, so many colours, so many varieties, so many hybrids and clones..it's a bit like a candy store..you don't quite know where to start...LOL

so if anyone has a to-die-for favourite they'd like to recommend., I'm all ears....thanks mates....

oh I came across a white last night, Phalaenopsis Sogo Yukidian (Taisuco Kochdian x Yukimai)..really a brilliant orchid, I'll have to have one at some point..

[mehitabel]

You will get wonderful, helathy plants at any of the vendors mentioned above.

Visit their websites, and go with something that appeals to you. eg I love vibrant, shiny magentas and delicate multifloras, hence my choice of Queen Beer and Nobby's Amy at Hausermann's.

Sogo Yukidian is a very nice white. Odom's has a 6" size for $30. They are also offering Phal Cygnus, another big white, an awarded one, very special for $30. Odom's offers huge plants, in spike if in season. I believe their plants are the best value for the $$ because of their size. I love to buy from them because you get such big, honking (and often spiking) plants from them. Hausermann's offers excellent value in spiking plants one size smaller for $20.

Cygnus and Sogo Yukidian will probably not come in spike right now, though they might. But even if not, they will be big and healthy enough to start spikes in fall, or with tiny spike nubs started.

Good luck in your quest.

[cneos]

you will not be disappointed with any Dtps or Phal hybrids named Taisuco _____.

Taisuco is Taiwan Sugar Company.

A most exceptional 'standard' phal is Sogo Yukidian (Yukimai x Taisuco Kochdian) 'Ping Tung King' received a CCE (94 points) at the Taiwan Show in 2008. The award description reads: Seventy-eight beautifully shingled white flowers and eight buds on three dramatically cascading inflorescences on a single-fan; 110 cm from first flower to inflorescence apex; substance firm; texture matte.

Ping Tung King is quite a performer.

[cneos]

PS Sogo Yukidian was hybridized by Sogo; 'Ping Tung King' exhibited by TOGA.

[iMark]

yes, thank you, mehitabel...for those sources..I've found some really wonderful orchids browsing through those sites..

and cneos..thank you for the info on Sogo Yukidian (Yukimai x Taisuco Kochdian) 'Ping Tung King'...

seems like I remember before that phals were winter/spring bloomers...and the summer bloomers were the Doritas species..now we all sorts of Phals, in all sorts of shapes and colours blooming pretty much the year round...what I remember was Zuma Canyon Orchids , they were the ones doing the hybridization on the coloured phals, their desert series...

wow the more I look, the more I'm at a loss for where to start..lol

I think you're right tho, I'll get a few good sized plants to start out and then keep looking, researching and finding what direction I want to concentrate on.....

this is pretty cool, I really had no idea that the world of phals had changed so drastically in the last 25 years...

thanks again, to everyone for your help and advice and knowledge...I know where to turn with my questions from here on out...cheers..