Getting a new orchid armed with good information!
 

I am still a beginner but now have the confidence to try a new orchid. I must say although there are lots of phal fans out there, I do not like them at all. Every phal I have ever had I have killed in a horrible way. Not true with oncidiums and cats. I totally swore off phals, but today came home with a huge phal with 2 spikes, willing to start over with phals. First, I inspected the roots! Great, green, totally healthy! The medium was a fine-ish bark chip rather than Spag (I hate that stuff!). So the medium will need to be changed. I got out my razor knife and cut some holes in the clear pot without damaging the roots for more air flow. I will get a new pot and change the medium when the roots are white. I also noticed some moisture still in the pot-- no need to water for a few days, no rush.

So in the old days I would have watered it to death, kept lurking over it, and eventually killed it with kindness!

I did not buy a rescue. I bought a newly stocked plant, in the first few days of being in a store. Totally healthy and ready to keep growing for many years.

Thanks, Orchid Boards!

I am confident!

My name is Optimist! (Cue "Superman" music!)

Yes!

Too much love will kill. lol

I'm glad you got your hands back on phals, but starting with a good one this time around.

Glad you're giving it a shot with a very nice Phal!

I cringe when I think of some things I tried before I got better with the orchids! But, at least I knew orchids that I was growing were epiphytes. A friend of mine and I gave his dad a Rynchostilis retusa and told him that it needed grow the way he saw it, with roots in the air (much like vandas typically look). Much to my horror the next time I saw him, he'd cut all the aerial roots off and stuffed it into a regular pot with potting soil! He just refused to believe a plant could grow on trees that way! LOL

My secret for phals is if it is in a clear pot look at the roots. If they are green, they are damp and do not need water. If they are silver/grey they are dry and ready for a drink. I haven't killed one yet with this method. Good luck!

That is just what I was going to say! Also, with the clear pot you can see if the medium is drying out.

Took me a few years before I kept any Phals alive! Had success growing some other types ... I tried to swear off Phals, but it became the principle of it ;)

I killed a few in the beginning, but now I have no problem with them. My neighbours keep giving me theirs when they can't get them back in to bloom

I am also using RO water on all of them, and non urea fert.

My phals get regular water out of the well (pretty hard) most of the time, though I also use water from the fish/turtle tanks (pre-fertilized, lol). Since the water is pretty hard (aka liquid rock) I dilute it 50/50 with rainwate when I have it. So far things seem to be growing (and spiking!)....I do find I have far better success with phals if they're mounted--my house temps are in the 60's, RH hovers around 40-50% in the winter, and I grow in south facing windows with supplemental light. The phals are in dappled shade behind the taller plants and seem to love it.

Bottom line--don't be afraid to experiment and find what works for you. Good luck and happy growing!

Catherine

Living in New mexico I think your major challenge is going to be one of humidity. Phals like both lots of heat and lots of humidity. You seem very eager to change its potting but the best way to treat any new plant is to just water it and observe how it reacts to a new environment. New Mexico probably gets intense sunshine, so you will have to be careful to avoid sunburning the plant. If it adjusts to its new home you may consider sphagnum because you will need a potting medium which won't quickly dry out in an environment with very low humidity.

I wouldn't say that phals like lots of heat--they definitely don't like it as cool as my maxillaria, but they're doing well with winter temps in the 60's here, which I think is more intermediate. When they're outdoors for the summer the day temps go into the 90's (with humidity to match--gotta love Ohio) and the night temps drop into the 60's.

Dappled shade/filtered light seems to be key for these plants--they don't do well for me in deep shade when outdoors (or indoors for that matter), and they do get some direct sunlight, but it's filtered through the leaves of other plants so the light doesn't hit any one spot on the phals for a long time.

I agree that humidity is something that they seem to need. I have the luxury of having relatively high household RH year round, which simplifies things. If your humidity is low you have many options to bring it up, ranging from simple (pebble trays, which tend to be limited in effectiveness) to more elaborate (cool mist humidifiers and such).

There's a video on this site somewhere which shows a phal growing in situ that was a huge help for me in learning what the plants needed. One of our other members might be able to provide a link for it.

Catherine

Wow! Phals in NM!!! Good nick for you. Just kidding. Phals grow very well in NM. Just adjust your culture a bit. RH? As long as the phal is watered when it is time, RH need not be high. Mine grow fine here in our dry part of the year. A little loose sphagnum moss cut into short lengths mixed in with bark or LECA will help the roots environment a little. If it is in a fine (1/4") bark then watch how often you water as the bark gets older. I am not a fan of fine bark per se. I Like a medium bark, with sphagnum moss mixed in, and then I just water when needed.