Phalaenopsis Gigantea - specialized care?!
 

Hi all! So I'm really interested in the Phalaenopsis Gigantea. I have heard whisperings though, that they require very specialized care! X3

So @Roberta, if you are reading this, I recall you telling me that our climate can be forgiving, and nighttime humidity boosts are sufficient for species in need of high humidity.

So I am wondering, will a P. Gigantea be able to survive here (coastal SoCal) outdoors, at least when it is not too cold, as far as humidity goes? (in my shade house of course)

Or do I need some sort of mini greenhouse? I'm contemplating, if this is necessary, to have one of these little planting shelf stands with clear wrap, like a mini reach-in greenhouse. So if necessary, I can keep the Gigantea in it, with led grow-lights. I would at least use humidity trays, with ice at nice... and possibly even a little evaporative cooler.

So will a setup like this be necessary? And would it also be necessary for a Bat Flower?

Or is the mystique of the Phalaenopsis Gigantea a bit hyperbolized, such that it may thrive under the same conditions as any other Phalaenopsis?

:thanx:

howdy! not being a pro, or Roberta, we have had good luck with our giganteas. personally i think they would be ok in a protected outdoor space, but i don't live in so cal or at your house so can't be absolutely sure. putting it in a wrapped case or grow tent may facilitate the need for a small fan to give some air flow. they seem to like that.

if other phals are doing good in the space then personally i would have no problem throwing a gigantea out there as well. as a side note, it also seems like a lot of the gigantea fuss is around repotting and root damage. the only specialized growing care we give it is to bump up the light in winter and cut it back in summer.

best of luck!

I would not grow any Phal outside except in summer. And this summer, not even most of that. I don't grow Phal gigantea, but Phals in general aren't happy with consistent night temperatures below about 65 deg F. They'll tolerate a little bit lower occasionally. (Where I live, that didn't happen until around mid-July) Winter? For sure no. So plan on growing this one indoors. Don't stress about humidity... just don't neglect to water. If the medium is open and free-draining, you can't over-water.

Phal. gigantea (note that, being a species, the g is lower case) is one of those hot growers, rarely, if ever seeing lows below about 70°F or so.

Growers note that it seems to like it slightly brighter than many phals.

If you want a first-hand, knowledgeable pro response, contact Peter Lin at Big Leaf Orchids.

Search here on the name. There are links to a page the Peter Lin mentioned above by Ray posted on growing this plant. It is very much more difficult to keep alive than other Phals unless you have a humid greenhouse whose temperature you can control very well. 70 degrees F / 21C as mentioned above is the minimum but that means only for a few hours every now and then. It really wants to spend its time between 80-85 degrees F / 27-30C or higher year round.

Thanks to everyone for the info! I will follow your leads.

As far as this particular statement, that you can't overwater with the right medium... Is this true specifically about the P. Gigantea, or with Orchids in general?

I ask because I have started using Orchiata small pine bark, and I notice that it is as you stated, open and free-draining.

:thanx:

Orchids in general. Epiphytic orchids want "humid air" around their roots. When you water freely, and the water runs through the pot, it pulls fresh air into the root zone. The bark chunks have surface area to hold moisture, and spaces between them that contain air.

Oh, do you mean that one cannot overwater in a single watering? Sorry, I think I misinterpreted!

You can't overwater by watering frequently if you have a well-draining medium. Especially in warm weather, if you have an open mix, the plants dry out quickly. So if you water every day or every other day, you are not over-watering because the water does not accumulate. With broken down medium, it stays wet and the water crowds out the air. But with fresh, open medium that doesn't happen. This is why people, in fear of overwatering, instead often underwater after repotting. Ray, who posts on the Board often, says it best... orchids don't suffer from too much water, but rather from not enough air. If the medium has only small air space (like soil, sand, or rotten mx), then water crowds out the air. But if it is open and free-draining, you maintain plenty of air in the root zone no matter how much, or how often, you water.

Thanks for this... I am thinking of buying one of these little indoor 'greenhouses'... basically a plant stand with shelves, plus grow lights. Plus, it will be by a window for some extra light (our windows filter a lot, our orchids do fine up against them in full afternoon sun)

So I am thinking I will use a little evaporative cooler, for humidity and nighttime temp drops, and maybe even a little heater for daytime, with hi-lo thermostat and hygrostat.

Does this seem like a good setup? And more importantly, is any part or all of it necessary, for P. Gigantea?

Also, would these conditions be ideal for Novelty Phalaenopsis? Or do they have lower humidity and heat preferences?

:thanx:

---------- Post added at 09:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:36 PM ----------

Ahh okay... thank you so much for this, it is very enlightening! Though I would imagine this is not true for moss?

Oh and also, if the watering is unlimited, then should I use periodic full strength fertilizing, instead of lower strength with every watering?

I was wondering how to set up sprinklers. I was thinking 2 separate systems with different settings, one for moss and one for bark chips.

Wouldn't it be safer for the plants though, to use all bark chips on all orchids with a sprinkler, since there would be no risk of overwatering?

That is, unless a fresh (not broken down) moss substrate is also safe from overwatering?