Phal of some sort or other i thought i would kill - Orchid Board

irrka · #1 02-28-2008, 07:09 PM

i left this one with big buds for two weeks with no one to water it. Of course half the buds fell off. But two stayed an the tip looks like it's going to kick out a few more! i'm so psyched!! First time i ever got an orchid to bloom!!!

philoserenus · #2 02-28-2008, 07:23 PM

hmm i doubt the tips are gonna continue growing after the 'drought' haha. these guys need continuous sources of water for continued growth and development, so... i guess enjoy ^^

irrka · #3 02-28-2008, 07:39 PM

it's starting to show a crack of green in the brown tip, that's why i thought i'd send some more out

philoserenus · #4 02-28-2008, 08:08 PM

really? well the things about plants is that they have strong personalities too, so maybe u have found the "diamond in the rough", haha!! the one that never gives up ^^

irrka · #5 02-28-2008, 08:37 PM

i'm surprised i had ANY flowers when i got back!! i was worried it'd completely die

Dorothy · #6 02-29-2008, 09:12 AM

Despite the fact that many people feel orchids are 'sensitive' and 'delicate' plants, they are really quite hardy!

I have had hybrid phals go through environmental changes, sulk and come back strong!
With the case of spikes, I have had buds grow on them, bloom and wilt off .. been trautamized by location and watering changes, revive and bud again off the same spike - of course the flowers weren't as large as the original bloomers but .. so long as the spike was green - the end continued to produce buds ..
Many will say that at this time, to cut the spike and allow the energy to return to the plant .. but against the common grain .. I have left the spike alone until it turned brown, dried out and then cut it back ..
but that's my personal preference ..

irrka · #7 03-01-2008, 01:04 AM

I'm running with Dorothy on this one! I was planning on repotting it anyway (it's in moss, which i'm terrified of--but then it spiked) so i'm going to enjoy the flowers and then repot once it puts its energy into rootage

the ones now look ok (so i couldn't resist pushing the moss down and looking, big surprise, right?)

philoserenus · #8 03-01-2008, 01:59 AM

reasonable experimentation is always the best to learn =) have fun