how to raise the temperature/humidity for my phal?
 

I bought this phal from my local grocery store about a month ago. It's still in full bloom and the leaves look healthy. I've had a few phals before, but they never survive for more than a few months. I live in college dorms, and i find it kinda hard to maintain the correct levels of temperature and humidity, especially since i live in northern cali where its cold. Is there any inexpensive way i can do this?
I also applied keiki paste to one of the nodes, and a spike started forming. I expected this, since from what i have understood, the keiki paste enhances what is happening. Since its in flower and no new growth yet, a flower spike formed. I know the plant may be putting its energy in this new spike, so i really want to keep it alive. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you! :biggrin:

-Cesar

Your phal is beautiful. Most of the time people kill phals by over watering and/or getting water in the crown (in the center of the top of the plant). I would not worry too much with your temps and humidity if you live in Northern California, phals are pretty tolerant. You might want to check the thread "The phal abuse ends here" it has a lot of great information for phal growers.
Joann

I would agree. I'm not quite sure what your conditions are like but Phals don't generally need raised humidity in your home. I try and raise humidity for some other types of orchids, but my Phals just live with me in the house at whatever that happens to be.

You have a happy healthy plant in bloom...North California up to Seattle can grow this outdoors if theres no frost provided theres a shade not direct sun...if youre growing this plant indoors; you can put it atop a humidity tray(any flat plastic container with pebbles and water level not touching the roots of the plant)...unless your room temperature goes down to 40F you dont worry about it (usually indoor temps are higher than the outdoor temps) you sometimes get freak frost in your area ... so if that happens, better invest on a portable small electric heater both for you and the plant...

If the temp in your dorm is warm enough for you it's fine for your Phal. Unless you turn the heat off in winter when you're not in the dorm don't worry about the temp. A humidity tray is best with a grid on top, pebbles is second best but tend to siphon the water right up to the bottom of the pot and keep the roots too wet. I have all mine on humidity trays with grids cut to fit and I make sure to leave air space between the bottom of the grid and the water.
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It gets fairly cold here. Temperatures sometimes drop to 50 outside. Hasn't been as cold as previous years. And I have 0% humidity inside. But i will try the humidity tray and hopefully it lives!

Are you keeping your Phal outside ? If so, it WON'T like the 50F temps !!! When it is that cold outside keep it farther away from the window, never let it touch the glass.

Merlyn! I had never thought of using egg crate like that before! Now I will be cutting some and using my excess!

I agree with Chryss. I don't let them sit outside below 55 degrees at night, and when I bring them in I make sure that the leaves don't touch a window pane. I also make sure that the window is a double pane and they are both closed.

They are a few feet away from a bright window :) They are doing well so far. Buds are forming in the spike that grew as a result of keiki paste.