Just wanted to chime in with my two cents. I grow all my Phals in pure sphagnum, which works best for me as an indoor grower (it retains moisture around roots just enough to keep them from desiccating in winter's dry air). The sphag should not be allowed to get "brittle" between waterings...it should be allowed to dry between waterings, but it should always remain springy to the touch.
Clear pots are a great idea. If you choose to remain with sphagnum, it will be invaluable for you to see the moisture levels change in the pot as the moss dries. Even a "dry" Phal's pot should show some condensation on the inside of the pot...they don't like to go totally dry for any length of time.
Best of luck with your Phals. BTW I believe your white one is Phal Timothy Christopher...I have that one, having also purchased it as an impulse buy (at a Home Depot about a year and a half ago). Mine is producing a new spike at the moment, so I expect flowers again within a couple months.
Claire
BTW if you begin fertilizing your Phals, make sure to water them very thoroughly (no more ice cubes!
) You will need to flush out any residual fertilizer salts between waterings, so make sure you let the water really run through the pot each time you water. One last thing...orchids in bark will need a high nitrogen fertilizer (bigger first number in the N-P-K formulation ratio) to counteract the nitrogen absorbed by bark-decaying bacteria. This isn't necessary if you're growing in moss, which also doesn't have to be fertilized quite as frequently.
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