Passionate Phal Grower!
I am not new to orchids by any means, but I'm sort of new to the board.
I've had a green thumb for years and fell in love with orchids when I was a little girl. I had a growing collection when I was younger, but after college I moved to Thailand and was forced to leave them all behind. On the plus side, I got to see orchids in their natural habitat by the thousands. On the negative side, I lost my babies.
Now that I'm back in the US and have been here for about a year, my collection has grown up again. I had five, but one sadly was lost due to nasty, nasty crown rot (it was a delivery flower and I hadn't expected it to live so long anyway). The remaining four are in booming shape. One just opened its last flower and the other three still have three to five buds each... we have been having odd weather here in Hollywood.
My collection are all Phals, which I tend to prefer just because I think they look good. Fortunately I have a garden shop nearby that's owned by Hawaiians who are EXPERTS in orchid care, so I have a really good source for all of my orchid care needs.
I'd like to share my biggest trick for growing orchids... I absolutely HATE with a passion the plastic pots that most people put Phals in. I love having a clear pot, but I just don't like plastic. I buy glass jars from Target and use a carbide drill bit to put drainage holes in the bottom. Glass is simple, classy, and easy to sterilize between plants--and it gives you a window to the roots! I fill the bottom with colored glass stones to take up space if the pot's too big. Looks really classy with a glass pot.
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