The Phal abuse ends here.

[piaffe97]

Hello All!! I recently posted a thread (in beginners) called "phal with black spots on leaves" with some photos....if anyone would be willing to check it out and give me some advice that would be amazing!!! I've gotten one response but I'd love some other input. If I should repost on here, please let me know

[Angurek]

Just a word of warning for potential newbie phal buyers:

If you see the so-called "Blue Mystique" phals at your local supermarket or hardware store, don't be fooled into thinking that that's their real color. Unless you wanna be the proud owner of a white NOID phal, I suggest you pass them up and keep looking. Phal flowers are not naturally blue - the color is achieved by injecting blue dye into the flower spike.

[Johnnyb]

I am some what new to growing orchids. I have been playing with them for a few years, recently I have become quite an avid grower with the room I have available. I seem to have a devil of a hard time growing phals except in my basement where I keep them under my growing light. With that being said, the condition of the orchids upon my recieving them is not always the best. I get them from a friend who is a florist. She buys them to cut the blooms, she use to throw them away, untill I discovered what she was doing. Now I have enough orchids to choke a horse. The best growing windows in my house seem to be my west windows. I live in the city, our neighbors house is quite close to ours; so the sun is only direct for 30-50 mins at most in this window. Otherwise it is very indirect. My phals just dont like it at all. We keep our house around 69 durring the day, and 67 at night. As it warms up our house will get up to 74 or 75 durring the day, and back down to 68 at night. I fertilize every other time I water with extremely diluted fertilizer. My phals do amazing in my basement! Not good at all upstairs. I have 25 different types of orchids upstairs, they do great up there. I know this is a lot of info, and somewhat of a loaded question.

Thanks,

John

[kaarthiik]

Originally Posted by Johnnyb

I am some what new to growing orchids. I have been playing with them for a few years, recently I have become quite an avid grower with the room I have available. I seem to have a devil of a hard time growing phals except in my basement where I keep them under my growing light. With that being said, the condition of the orchids upon my recieving them is not always the best. I get them from a friend who is a florist. She buys them to cut the blooms, she use to throw them away, untill I discovered what she was doing. Now I have enough orchids to choke a horse. The best growing windows in my house seem to be my west windows. I live in the city, our neighbors house is quite close to ours; so the sun is only direct for 30-50 mins at most in this window. Otherwise it is very indirect. My phals just dont like it at all. We keep our house around 69 durring the day, and 67 at night. As it warms up our house will get up to 74 or 75 durring the day, and back down to 68 at night. I fertilize every other time I water with extremely diluted fertilizer. My phals do amazing in my basement! Not good at all upstairs. I have 25 different types of orchids upstairs, they do great up there. I know this is a lot of info, and somewhat of a loaded question.

Thanks,

John

Thanks fir the info.. Lucky man.. getting Phals for free.... Bit Jealous...