New Phal bellina... does it look too pale?

[nenella]

Hi Rosie,
As already said above the leaf colour looks perfect to me & nothing to worry about.
In my opinion they are quite easy once you've understood it's needs in your growing conditions.

I have had 2 phal violaceas bellinas (in my life); one (a seedling) I killed by over watering/root rot (within the first 18 months it was in my posession) and the second I have now had for 4 years.

This one I have was a bloom sized plant similar to your size (with minature spike when bought .This spike has still not grown a millimeter to this day.)
It took nearly 2 years before it threw out another spike & flowered (and in between lost a couple roots although nothing major) I believe I have now sussed out its requirements in my conditions & I hope this helps..
I have it in a ' bottle ' like a mini greenhouse - lined with about 5cms of Leca in front of a south facing window (about 70cms from the window (net curtain) It makes a new spike every year and flowers from each one as well.(I'll have 3 this year + the original 'frozen' one ) I water mine by immersion for a good 15 mins every 2 weeks+ a few days sometimes.. It also gets direct sunshine for a couple hours each day (early/mid afternoon) but, I do put a screen (A4 photocopier white paper ) on the 'sunshine part of the bottle' in july/august when the sunshine it gets lasts longer & this is also when it usually blooms...
IMO - they tolerate alot more sun than what you read about on the web and also better to be on the 'drier' side before watering.. (mine is in a mixture of Leca, bark, sphag and perlite)
Voilà, hope this helps
Good Growing ! (the scent is fabulous!!!!!!!)
& I'd love to know how you get on in the future!

[RosieC]

Thanks Nenella, great to hear how you are growing it, I will do my best.

Interesting you have it on a south window, I'm going for moving it slowly brighter at the momment and because it had been in a box for a week I started it on a table a little away from an east window. It will probably go IN the east window tommorow and then we shall see, I'll probably move it over the other side of the house on a cloudier day and take it from there.

I'll take not about the shading it in the middle of summer. Hopefully it will grow well. I tend to water on the drier side anyway so hopefully that will suit me.

Thanks again.

[wind08]

Phal. bellina should have a jade to dark green leaves which can or not be glossy.

The looks from your own picture seems to be the perfect picture but if you're saying it's like the one in the link you referred, it's too pale.

Over here I provide them with sunlight with 30% filter from 1pm-3.30pm (Equatorial sun is really bright!). With ambient humidity of 60%-80% on normal days. 35% when it doesn't rain for a long period and 100% during the rainy seasons.

Once they spike they should continue to flower. So far my Phal. bellinas are continuously flowering for more than 4months



PS. My information might not apply to your climate as I live in a tropical country.