Please help me identify my Christmas present
 

Hi there,

I'm new to the forums and Orchids in general and need a bit of help. My parents gave me this plant as a Christmas present but unfortunately it had no tag. I really want to care for it properly and it seems that in order to do that I need to find out what it is!

I've looked at quite a few online identification guides and my best guess would be that it's some type of Phalaenopsis but I'm not 100% sure of this. I'm also not sure if it's possible to get much more specific?

I've included pictures of the flowers and the root/stem structure. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Ceilidh

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/...dStructure.jpg
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/...hidFlowers.jpg

Congrats on your new orchid, and welcome to Orchid Board! Yes, that is a Phalaenopsis. You may be able to find a good guess of which hybrid it is, but there are a lot of them out there that look just like yours. So you will only be able to get a guess. Anyhow, general Phal care should be perfectly fine for your new plant. Definitely read this thread, it's long but worth it. http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html

Off hand, I would say repot it now into something you can work with in the home better than sphagnum moss. I recommend a mix of coconut husk chips (CHC), charcoal, and perlite. Whether you reuse the same pot or not, use a pot just big enough to squeeze the roots into and where the bottom leaves are just at the top edge of the pot. And put white styrofoam pieces in the center of the pot or wherever there is a larger empty space. Wait to water until the medium is about 3/4 dry (use a skewer down in the pot for a few minutes to see if it comes out wet or dry). If the leaves lose any rigidity between waterings, you are waiting too long. And when you water, water thoroughly and without getting water in the crown or bases of the leaves (they will rot). Water in the morning. You will find a lot more info in that thread. Good luck and have fun!

Gage

Hello and welcome to the OB!
Your phal is gorgeous and as Gage said, good luck and have fun with it.
Joann

Welcome! That's a beautiful Phalaenopsis. As long as you don't over water, these are quite easy to care for. Never leave it sitting in water.

Welcome to our family... you'll find it warm and fun. And you have a beautiful Phal... so enjoy it.


I personally don't like sphag because I tend to over-water. Just about any premixed bark at the Big Box stores works or as has been mentioned CHC mixed with bark, etc is good, too. Sometimes if you re-pot when the plant is in flower, they will drop. So maybe wait for now and just be very careful with watering. Something else: limp leaves isn't always a sign of insufficient water.... it could be root rot so if you can gently tease into the moss to see some of the roots, you'll have a better idea of your situation.

That looks like Phal. Baldan's Kaleidoscope 'Golden Treasure'
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Unless the color is not true, that plant IS NOT Baldan's K.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t.../DSC_0108a.jpg

gotta remember biker. the color can change depending on lighting i have a grow light that is pinkish and brings out the red colors and a white one that washes it out.. my phal baldans looks like his.. that is why i mention it

I do understand this principle and it is a good point and the picture may have been shot under conditions other than natural light but the leaves are green? Anyway, Ceilidh, maybe you could post another picture either with natural daylight or use the white balance on your camera, if it has this, and correct the light temperature for the conditions.

yup. also dependent on color is how the plant was grown and in which condition .. lot of factors can change the color of a flower including fertilizer.
if you go to google.com click on images to the left.. and put in Phal. Baldan's Kaleidoscope 'Golden Treasure' you will see many photos first couple layers there are different shades.. when i went to the orchid show in st Louis last year they had one for sale at the store there. different shading than mine. it had more pink.. mine will be blooming soon by about jan/feb