Phal problems. - Orchid Board

snowflake311 · #1 04-25-2016, 12:32 AM

Phals I love them and hate them. I think they feel the same about me. Like many they were my first orchids. In fact the weird thing is I still have my second orchids ever that is a mini white Phal. I have had it since 2010. It has re-bloomed for me a few times but not enough. I almost killed it but brought it back.

For some reason I just always manage to rot them. WHY!!!! I keep many other orchids and they do great but the Phals I have had bad luck with. BUT other times I have had great Success. One time I got a friend orchid to rebloom in like 3 months of having it. Another time I got a dehydrated one for $2.00 and got it to bloom after 5 months. Then I have others that just ROT when I look at them. Or others that will not die despite my abuse.

I love them they were my first but I find everyone to be so different. The white with Purple spotted flowers are me FAV but I kill them all. I have put all my Phals in Semi Hydro now because they seems to like it so far. It can't hurt to try since I have been having such a hard time.

I have this one Phal I literally tried to kill it last summer. The darn pant would not give up. So I felt bad and I am nursing it back to health. This plant is looking great now.

WHY is it that I kill some and others will not die. Is it just me or do others find this to be true. I just bought another mini Phal because it had the beautiful patters on the leaves it is a Phal schilleriana hybrid. I just love it. BUT I am scared it will die since it is not in the best of healthy.

Sorry for the ranting. I would like to know if others have such issue with these Phal hybrids? The Onc. orchids I can always grown never had issues. I am feeling frustrated with Phals.

No-Pro-mwa · #2 04-25-2016, 11:28 AM

I can kind of relate to your problem. I have ones that do great and then others that every time they bloom they seem to go down hill after that. I killed my mannii that I had had sense 2005. Most of my mini's I have real good luck with. For me I really think in the winter my house gets a bit to cold for them at night. I just got a new heat mat and next winter I think I may try and put some of them on it.

campchi · #3 04-25-2016, 11:39 AM

Were they all potted in te same type of medium(the one that died)? Also, what's your feeding schedule and watering schedule?

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Leafmite · #4 04-25-2016, 12:18 PM

I know how you feel. Everyone says that Phals are so easy. I am not sure that they really are. I don't grow many Phals and I struggle with the violacea and bellina. The three justaddice orchids seem to be doing okay, though.
Good luck!

rbarata · #5 04-25-2016, 01:06 PM

Maybe you treat them all the same way just because thy are phals. If possible try to find which species gave the hybrids you have and adapt your care to them.
I'm sure there are some differences.

snowflake311 · #6 04-25-2016, 02:15 PM

I do treat them all the same. They were all potting in the same mix now they are all in S/H That might be a bad idea since my house is so cold in the winter.

Leafmite · #7 04-25-2016, 02:43 PM

Some do need more warmth, depending on what was used in the hybridizing. I kept the violacea and bellinas in a warmer table-top greenhouse while the justaddice orchids did great in the window.

dangerouseddy · #8 04-25-2016, 03:04 PM

phals don't like cold roots, the leaves can take lower temperatures than the roots afaik.

s/h makes it a bit more tricky since you have to keep the roots at a reasonable temperature especially if you have evaporative cooling you might need to put them on a heat mat.

bellinas and violaceas are a bit of a pain in that they need 65f at least during the night, you can get the leaves as wet as you like so long as its warm otherwise they seem to be rot magnets in the cold.

hybrids are pretty sturdy, wonder if they pollinated the pods of the original plants when it was cool? from what ive read that can make the resulting plants more tolerant of the lower temps.

estación seca · #9 04-26-2016, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowflake311

...since my house is so cold in the winter.

This translates to "death to Phals." What do you mean by cold in the winter?

Phals are almost all warm-growing orchids. They often survive lower temperatures if they're fairly dry - but they aren't happy about it. The lush-leaved species such as bellina and violacea do not tolerate cool temperatures.

I've noticed over the years that serial plant murderers fall into two classes: the neglectful and the force-feeders.

The neglectful don't water enough and their plants dry up. Some orchids are good plants for the neglectful.

Force-feeders can't walk by a plant without dousing it with water and fertilizer. Their household pets and children are generally twice ideal body weight, as well.

Phals do pretty well with neglectful owners. It takes them a long time to die if they aren't watered. If they are watered sporadically they can hang on for decades, but don't usually bloom.

Force-feeders kill their Phals quickly, particularly if their growing spaces are too cold.

notasaddove · #10 05-12-2016, 01:23 AM

I live in WI in an older home with windows that are triple my age and I found that my phals absolutely hated it since I keep the house at 60-64F during the winter.

I only started to have success when I placed them all on seedling heat mats. I started this heating trend in October of last year. No root casualties at all on my 40+ phals.