I'm A New Member

[bobbib]

Hello everyone.....I am a new member. I have an orchid that I received as a gift last year....it is a Phalaneopsis. It grew 7 flowers last year, and they were beautiful. Question I have is.....what is the proper care for it over the winter. Do I cut the long stem off that the flowers were growing on? Do I not water it so much over the winter.....is the winter the orchid's rest period? As you can tell, I am very 'green' to all of this, but I want to take very good care of this orchid, so it will bloom again this year. Also, do I repot it at some point?

I hope to hear from someone regarding this, and I look forward to learning all about orchids.

Thank you. BB

[cb977]

and

Phals are not among the group of orchids that need a "winter rest"...but water should be slightly reduced during winter for most orchids.

If the inflorescence (stem) is turning brown, go ahead and cut it off...that's not going to bloom again.
There is not a set "rule" for how to handle these...some folks keep it as long as it is green as there is a possibility of it blooming again. Others, such as myself, prefer to cut them back when the blooms are gone to allow the plant to put it's energy into becoming a stronger plant...the second round of blooms usually aren't as spectacular as the first were, anyway

Do you have any other orchids?

If you need help with anything, let us know

[bobbib]

Hi Suzanne....thanks so much for responding. Yes, this is the only Orchid I have. I would absolutely love to have more, so I think I will move into that direction soon. When you say 'you cut them right back', do you mean, you cut the green leaves all off, too? This freaks me out, as I would think it would kill the plant altogether. See....I told you I am new to this...hahahah.What about repotting. The pot it is in, is quite small. Do they like to be 'snug'?

Thanks.

BB

[cb977]

No no...just cut the stem where the flowers used to be

It's probably due for a repotting too as you say you received it last year. You'll need to get some bark mix to get started on that.

We'll help you through it...and then we'll get you to get more orchids

[GreggC]

need help, he's probably got the bug already!

[Dorothy]

WELCOME BB
Glad you can join us here at the OB
Yes phals like many orchids like their roots snug so don't get a pot that is too big .. You will have a chance to examine the roots of your phal when you repot .. there maybe a need to trim off some of the black, mush roots that have fallen to rot .. maybe not .. but once you get an idea of the rootage .. you can go with possibly the same size pot or one an inch or 2 ( no more than 2 inches bigger). Again .. phals don't mind their roots tight. Also the bark or coconut mix medium is necessary for the air circulation around the the phal's roots and to give proper water drainage. Don't let the pot of the orchid sit in water ... but have it sit above a saucer of water to give the plant a bit of humidity ...hmm .. what else can I share with you about phals .. oh, they like bright light but not direct light so keep the direct sun off their leaves or they'll burn... hmm .. There is some basic info here at the OB's phal care sheet also - http://www.orchidboard.com/Phalaenop...ure-Care-Sheet